small pleasures - what makes me smile :-)

The last post was about mountaintop moments. That got me thinking more about all the smaller moments. Here are some of the smaller things that I enjoy:

• A call from Shawn. On my iPhone, the photo I have of him is one I took right after he got his acceptance letter from IU. Every time he calls, I see his smiling face and remember how excited he was when he received that.
  
• The smell of spring - especially the hyacinths and lilacs...I have hyacinths starting to bloom in my yard now, and the lilacs have buds on them.
  
• Sunrises and sunsets. A few times in the last month, I've been driving somewhere facing east right at sunset - and the reflection of the sunset in the buildings downtown, especially the Sears Tower, has been incredible. I have tried a few times to get a photo of this but never was in exactly the right place with my camera. I'll have to keep trying.
• Taking photos - there is something so rewarding about capturing a really beautiful scene - the process of taking the photo actually allows me to see it more fully and appreciate it more. And then there's the lasting memory it creates...
• The smell of lavendar - it's right up there with hyacinth and lilac in my list of favorite smells. I've tried growing lavendar a few times in my garden but it never seems to take; too much shade in my yard once the trees bloom. I put lavendar sachets in my dryer and love the way it makes my clothes smell. (I get them at Trader Joes)
• Trader Joes! I used to drive to Hinsdale to shop there and am so happy that they now have a store in Oak Park. They have such a great variety of products, and such reasonable prices.
• My dog Zeke. I love sitting on the couch or my purple chair and having him curl up on my lap. I also don't mind walking him when the weather is nice. I'm not a big fan of his bark when I leave the house though.
• Books - and of course, what am I doing on the couch or chair? I'm reading a book. Although I have to admit the number of books I've read has greatly declined these last few years; it's been much harder to focus. I suppose I've compensated for that by writing more - which is what I'm doing right now. And by reading more about various neuroendocrine tumors. I should definitely go back to reading fiction, the medical world is too scary a place.
• OK, I'll admit it. I am a geek. My computer makes me happy. Not my work computer, but my home computer - the 24" iMac that I'm using right now. A few years ago a screen this big would have been outrageously expensive and yet this computer costs less than the computer I bought five years ago.