Little happy things

2024 was a challenge (to put it mildly), but I still managed to find one little #happything each day this year. Here’s hoping you and yours have a year filled with #happythings in 2025!

January 2024 #happythings

1. A lovely sunny day. A little productive, a little lazy, a little silly. I begin as I mean to go on.
2. Rock Hudson was blasted by a laser beam. Jewels shall overcome! 🪨
3. Sunshine ☀️and Secret Santa 🧑‍🎄 with the ISU girls.
4. Letting my characters take me along for the ride.
5. A warm, snuggly home with a warm, snuggly man and beasts on a cold, slushy day. 🏠❄️🌨️
6. Wise women lunch and pedi with Kelli.
7. MedExpress, anti-virals, a sweet guy taking care of me, and Nurse Timber by my side. 😷🤒🤧
8. Holed up with warm puppies on a cold, wet day.
9. Twelve hours with no fever.
10. The sun is out again, and Nurse Timber is taking good care of me.
11. Bill passed his test!
12. Pizza night with man and beasts. 🍕
13. Returned from exile! My bed! I love my bed, 🛌
14. Cold weather coffee cake on a snowy day!
15. Greco-Roman wrestling is better than gecko-romaine wrestling… 🦎🥬
16. The sun appears… 🌞
17. Back to life, back to reality. 😀
18. Arron is 30! 🎂 Sally, Timber, and I took a nap in his honor.
19. Turned in a book! 📚 💻
20. Saturday afternoon steak 🥩 date!
21. Meringue fail, but pudding triumph.
22. Leftover smorgasbord.
23. St. Vincent’s ER staff is awesome.
24. Home, schnitzel, and snooze. So grateful.
25. Holding hands with my honey at Home Depot. ❤️
26. Turned loose in Target. 🎯
27. The sweetest puppy pile ever! 🐶
28. Visited Planet Fitness again! 🪐
29. A walk and dinner at David’s Burgers. 🍔
30. “Yeah, I ate ‘em. I ate them all just to see ‘em die.” 🍫
31. It’s Julie Day! Celebrating the end of a month that has been 55,000 days long. Hello, February! 🗓️

February 2024 #happythings

1. Warm day, backyard strolling, and big doggo energy.
2. I’m just a really good expressionist jazz vocalist. 🤷‍♀️🎶
3. Rainy Saturdays are improved by Italian beef sandwiches.
4. Fresh haircuts and Whopper 🍔 coupons.
5. Tacos, snoozles, and words, oh my! 🌮
6. Sunshine and clean teeth! 😁
7. Massage day! Jewels and I are in a roll! 💻
8. A delicious dinner at East End Cafe. 😋
9. A delicious dinner at The Pantry and home safe before the worst of the storm. ☔️
10. Monster nachos and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
11. A breakfast date with my guy. 🍳🥓🥯
12. The rain stopped and all my assignments are turned in.
13. Organizational frenzy and Galentine’s Day with the ISU OGs.
14. Pretty flowers, a box of dirt, and the promise of spring in the air. 🌷
15. Safe surgery for my guy. 🙏
16. Home recuperating and all is well. 🤞
17. Word wrangling and roaming with my guy. 🎯
18. So many words!
19. A beautiful day to shop for fleas with my fella.
20. A warm, sunny 😎 day!
21. Food truck burgers 🍔 Yum!
22. Mucho nachos with my muchacho ❤️.
23. Grilled hot dogs, daffodils, and Drive To Survive 🏎️
24. A beautiful day to have both our chicks and our chickadees in the nest. 🪹
25. Celebrated Kevin Kidwell day with a nap and an ice cream drumstick.
26. Bill’s ocular pressure is down to 15 & he saw fingers…and I don’t mean the middle one! 👁️
27. A life well lived and a proposal completed.
28. Puppy snores 😴
29. Steakburgers for dinner. 😋🍔

March 2024 #happythings

1. “I would buy you breakfast and drive you home because I am a gentleman.” A beautiful day for Sue. ❤️
2. Homebodying. 🏡
3. A house call from Dr. Umstick.
4. A good report from the Optometrist.👓
5. Working out, exercising my right to vote, chowing down like a real American.🌭🍔
6. Chatting with my girls before Jewels’ great adventure.
7. Lazy girls night with Sally and Timber. 📺
8. Nachos, nap time, and lap times. 🏎️
9. Hanging out with my three best guys: Bill, Big Dan, and Trader Joe.🍕
10. A sunny day for work and play. ☀️
11. Settling in on a busy Monday.
12. Bill tried to steal my jeans. 👖😂🤣
13. Kayson is 11! Beautiful pink tulips! 🌷
14. Hunkered down with our beasties. ⛈️
15. This toaster is REAL nice. Marauding The Container Store.
16. Kaden is 7! Shaking It Off in my living room.
17. Call the Midwife is back! 👩‍⚕️
18. Nacho typical Monday puppy pile!
19. Mmmm shells stuffed with all the cheese 🧀.
20. A quiet night.
21. Green light therapy with Sally and Timber.
22. “…discussing affairs of state in moist repose…” 🛀 Kayson is a future forecaster! 📺
23. Easter bunnying, and bringing home the first hanging baskets and annuals of the season. 🐰
24. Lemon butter pasta with grilled chicken. 😋
25. I was crushing it for about half the day today.🫤
26. BBQ chips 1 – Margaret’s will power 0.
27. Making the words again. 🖥️
28. A sunny walk and some yummy tacos. 🌮
29. Sharing a Big Bopper with my guy. 🍧 Kaden is a TV star too! 📺
30. Getting the flower beds ready for patio season. 🌸🌺🌼🪻🌹🌷🪴
31. A lovely Easter weekend. 🐣

April 2024 #happythings

1. A festival of leftovers. 🍽️
2. Super cute puppies and their super cute dreams. 🐶
3. 13 years smoke free! 🚭 Celebrating with a massage.
4. I am officially an eclipse prepper. 🕶️
5. Bobcorn 🍿and Fargo 5.
6. Bill brought his new Trophy Wife home. 🌺
7. An all muffin morning! 😋Fuel for running with Rylee and Sawyer.
8. An amazing eclipse! So happy we were able to see it + ice cream! 🍦
9. We are tramps for our taco truck! 🚚
10. “I have no restrictions. I told you, I have no restrictions. I have no restrictions.”
11. Video catch up with Jewels. 💬
12. A Pantry date and yadda yadda yadda…
13. I blew my retirement money on plants and croissants. No regrets.
14. Plantsing in our little plot. 🪴🌹🌸💐🌺🌷🌻🌼
15. Puppy snuggles and 🦫 beaver dams.
16. Becky behaved herself. ❤️‍🩹
17. Wording like a wizard. 🪄
18. A peony! A peony for me! 🌸
19. Spent the day in The Tortured Poet Department. ⌨️💬🎵
20. Revisiting Seinfeld with my guy. Yadda yadda yadda.
21. Solo shopping my way! 🥤🥖🍞🥐🥯🍫and🧀
22. Tracking my peony progress. 🔎
23. I talked to my sister today!!!! ❤️☎️ 💬
24. Wednesday wording and a chat with Jen & Christopher. 💕
25. Stroganoff with paper shredder noodles. 🤣
26. Being Invited to be inviting with Kelli Reep.
27. Lunch with THE Brinda Berry!
28. Nesting on a rainy Sunday. 🪹
29. Renee Day! 🎂
30. Took our puppies for tater tots . 😋

May 2024 #happythings

1. Nacho-fueled wordsmithing.
2. I’m A Delicate F-ing Flower bubble bath 🛀
3. Cuddle puppies. 💤
4. Sharing some chips and salsa with my little buddy, Sawyer. 💃🏻
5. Traipsing in the rain with Kelli Reep. Fresh tortillas for everyone!
6. Monday night hot dog 🌭 date at Sam’s.
7. Riding shotgun for my man.
8. Schnitzel nacht! 😋
9. I’m in my writing Era. #swiftyenergy
10. Closing in on the key 🗝️ to this story. 💻
11. Yellow tulips 💐 bundts 🍥 and Chinese food 🥠
12. Typed The End on #52. Time to polish it up! 📚
13. Stop. Revision time!
14. My guy scored me tacos. 🌮
15. Turned in #52! 📚
16. Girls night! Bridgerton Season 3 part 1 with Sally & Timber.
17. Date night with no puppy curfew.
18. A fun day with Joey and her boys!
19. Home to our puppy loves. 🐶
20. Rekindling my love affair with the hydro-massage chair. 🧘‍♂️
21. A bubble bath with a good book. 🛀🏻
22. Hot dog! It’s death row dinner night!🌭
23. Cute boy shoe shopping binge. 👟
24. Sawyer’s pre-K graduation! 🎓
25. Socializing at the Salem Dairy Bar and picking up some purple hull peas.
26. Started writing a new book today! 📕
27. A productively lazy holiday. 🇺🇸
28. Wording, then sharing a drumstick with my puppers.
29. MasterChef is back! 👩‍🍳
30. 34 counts of guilty. A little faith in my fellow Americans restored. 👩‍⚖️
31. Rainy evening lazing.😴

June 2024 #happythings

1. Panera date with Kathy Bates! Family nap time and half-price milkshakes. 🥤
2. All the good doctors and nurses a pins put Humpty Moogie back together again. 👨‍⚕️👩‍⚕️
3. I’m up. 💫
4. Got to go home.
5. Getting Hobbled Girl Manor situated. 🏡
6. Reclining chairs and handsome nurses.
7. Door Dashed Larry’s Pizza 🍕. I opted to ad peanut butter to the chocolate chip dessert pizza for the protein.
8. Enchiladas a La Joey and a fun day singing with my little guy.
9. Sunday morning naps. 💤
10. Taking more steps. Unfortunately, some feel like a step backward.
11. Rewrapped and feeling stronger.
12. Mr. Chen’s dumplings delivered to our door. Door Dash FTW!
13. Achievement Awards from Gabi!! ❤️ Coached Fodder through the creation on my special banana 🍌 muffins. Yum!
14. A fabulous dinner catching up with Betty and Dale. ❤️ Enjoyed a lovely gift basket smorgasbord for dessert.
15. Hanging with Kelli Reep, vegging on Bridgerton, book club discussion, and chatting with my girls.
16. Father’s Day with a guy who reminds me of my own daddy in all the best ways. 💕
17. A good follow up. Healing well so far! ❤️‍🩹
18. Kelli came to babysit me and I had a huge nap.
19. Toll House cookies 🍪 turtle 🐢 power and I took a shower! 🚿
20. A visit from Cara!
21. Mein Schatz hat für mich Schnitzel gemacht. 💕
22. An outing to do all the things, and then a nap. 🚙💤
23. Quiet Sunday.
24. Healing well. A good visit and a donut 🍩 as a reward.
25. Today’s assignment: bending my knee. I’d say I scored about 75%. I am a WIP.
26. MasterChef with Jewels and Lulu. 📺
27. Bill has turned into the Muffin Man. 👨‍🍳
28. Hanging with Cara while Bill goes into the world.
29. Pre-anniversary date – car wash and cheese curds at the DQ.
30. 23 years married to the best guy ever.

July 2024 #happythings

1. First day of Physical Therapy. I now have a plan, and a spreadsheet. 📋
2. Larry’s Meat Madness and dessert pizza!
3. Everything is getting just a little easier. 🤞
4. Celebrating Independence with Kelli Reep and The Music Man. 🥁
5. Treadmill walking reveals 1 hr PT = a 3 hour nap. 💤
6. Celebrating Joey’s birthday with some family time on the patio!
7. Rally burgers with my boyfriend. 🍔
8. Morning chit chat with Kelli Reep.
9. Worked over at PT, but making…strides. 🚶‍♀️
10. A long, hot shower. 🚿
11. A great chat with the Springdale Public Library Romance Book Club! 📚
12. Bobcorn 🍿 and Seinfeld date in the dining room.
13. Making words with Jewels. 💻
14. My man made me meatloaf. 😋
15. Babbled so many words into the computing machine.
16. I rocked a little time on the treadmill than hobbled with a cane. Glad Isabella was there to hold me up!
17. Feeling a little more productive.
18. Coming home to our nest 🪹 after a full day of doctor appointments.
19. Chocolate chip peanut butter pizza.
20. Adventures in SWLR with Bill and Kelli. 👀
21. Making headway with the wording. It’s as slow-going as my walking, but I’m making progress on both!
22. Cautiously optimistic about our future. 🇺🇸
23. Kicked PT butt today. 💪🏻
24. Consolation oatmeal cookies. 🍪
25. Wobbling, working, and writing while my Top Tier ladies take Chicago by storm!
26. Took a stroll, pumped some iron, napped for 2 hours. 😴
27. Racked up a lot of words. Going to finish this book soon!
28. Cruising on to The End…ish. 💻
29. Healing well, they took a couple nice pictures of Tatiana Titanium.
30. U-S-A gymnastics gold! 🥇
31. Shower, EOM, and turned in a book! 📕

August 2024 #happythings

1. Stomping on ‘land mines’ at PT.
2. Bobcorn and Olympics. 🥇🥈🥉
3. Shipley’s Donuts. 🍩
4. I drove my car! I haven’t forgotten how. Now, if I could just figure out how to ditch the walker.
5. Went to work today. I’m wiped out, but it was so good to get back to my desk! 🖇️
6. It’s lemon-raspberry bundt season!! 🍋
7. Chicken nachos.
8. Tylenol and my heating pad. 🤧
9. Fever broke at last. 🌡️🥵🥶🤒
10. Steak 🥩, mashed potatoes 🥔, and purple hull peas.
11. Did my own grocery shopping for the first time since June 1.
12. Spaghetti and meatballs with Joey’s homemade sauce! 🍝
13. A new personal best on the agility pods.
14. MasterChef with Lulu and Jewels.
15. Burgers with my boy. 🍔
16. Pumping iron and scarfing nachos.
17. Pizza and trivia at American Pie with my guy. 🍕
18. Sunday get things done day. ✅
19. Drove myself to work! 🚙
20. Rocking the PT.
21. A visit with Kevin and Adrienne and a good checkup at the dentist. 🪥
22. Pizza night and a historic nomination. 🇺🇸
23. A Home Depot date with my guy. 🛠️
24. Bobcorn and Seinfeld. 🍿
25. Getting ALL THE THINGS DONE day. And ricotta stuffed shells. 😋
26. Healing slowly but surely! 🥼
27. A birthday for my Becky. ❤️🎂😊
28. Sharing Cheez-Doodles with the dude and doggos.
29. Hogs win! 🐗 #WPS
30. Post-work puppy snuggles. 🐕
31. A real date night with schnitzel and cheesecake and everything!

September 2024 #happythings

1. Cooking out with Fodder an Kelli Reep!🍔🌭🍪
2. Finished edits on OZARKS CONSPIRACY. ✅
3. A Sonic date with Sally & Timber. “Give me some of your tots!”
4. Chatting with my sister on the road to recovery ❤️‍🩹.
5. Lazing around jamming some Neil Diamond. 💎🎤
6. You know it’s almost autumn when the syringes come out! 💉Kicking the fun off with Shingrix round 2.
7. Bougie brunch at Blackberry Market with Brinda and Kelli! ❤️
8. Steel Magnolias at Murry’s starring Leigh Anne Ralston 🤩
9. Rights reversion on Love Game and Play For Keeps! 📚
10. Hard hugs on a rough afternoon. 🫂
11. A good talk, even though there were no rum balls. 💻
12. Back on track with the PT.
13. I bought my baby the best spin mop in the land! 🪣
14. Big Dan 🍕 and Hogs 🐗 win! WPS!
15. The laziest Sunday possible.
16. Nacho mania!
17. Catching up on appts I had to push this summer.
18. Timber howling with the emergency alert test. 🐕
19. High score on agility pods belongs to MKE!
20. Breaking in my new Snoopy planner. 📔
21. Editing and watching 🐗 football. It’s Fall!
22. Taco casserole.
23. I am healed! Officially released by surgeon. Celebrated with 🥩!
24. Nerds & Geeks for Harris/Walz.
25. Girls’ night while the guitar men play. 🎸
26. One heck of a PT session, but there’s good progress!
27. Rainy Friday Bobcorn 🍿 and GBBO with man and beasts.
28. Burgers and a trip to Trader Joe’s. 🛒
29. 6 sibling Sunday. Happy birthday, Mom. ❤️☎️❤️
30. It’s nice to know my work is wanted. 📚

October 2024 #happythings

1. Taco 🌮 truck night!
2. Getting things done. ✅
3. More postcards scrawled! 📬
4. Burgers and Biscuit Week with my guy.
5. Hanging with Brinda in the morning and some time with my little guys in the afternoon. 🥰
6. Sleepy Sunday. 😴
7. Not Aspiring to be Humble.
8. Crushing it at PT. 🏋️‍♀️
9. Supper at Sam’s. 🌭
10. A shot in each arm. 💉
11. A big platter of delicious Mexican food = full belly. 😋
12. Girls’ day in with Sally and Timber. 💕
13. The return of our man. 🧍‍♂️
14. The comfort of a huggable germador on a sad day. 💔
15. Checking off all the errands! ✅
16. Shrinking simul-watch with Jewels.
17. Graduated from PT! 🎓
18. Heading south to hang with the big boys. 🚗
19. Waffles 🧇 and parks and bakeries, oh my!
20. Home again with our Timber woof. 🐕
21. Back to visiting the Planet (of) Fitness.🏋️‍♀️
22. Cap’n Crunch with Crunchberries. 🥣
23. Sheet pan dinner with my guy.
24. Hanging with Deb and Joe. ✍️🎸
25. Casting our votes 🗳️✔️🇺🇸 and discovering the joy of banana cream cake!🍰
26. Hogs win 🐗 and a new project begins. 💻
27. Wordsmithing, workout, pot o chili, and a batch of cookies. 🍪
28. A date with Dr. Freeze. 🥶
29. Patio time with my guy.
30. Cover art! The Arkansas Special Agents Cyber Crime Division is coming soon!📚
31. Greeting the ghoulish at Joe and Deb’s. 🍫

November 2024 #happythings

1. Trying out a new restaurant near us. Yum!
2. Slept in, french toast, football was a bust, but writing went well. A trip to the bakery and the mall. #genX
3. Taco soup on a rainy Sunday.🥣
4. Timber time. 🐕
5. A massage and sauna. ❤️‍🩹
6. An early birthday surprise from Jen.
7. Chicken and angel hair in lemon butter sauce. 🍋
8. Restorative chat with the Bookish Adventure ladies. 🖥️📚
9. A pizza picnic at Deb and Joe’s new place. 🍕
10. The sun came out. ☀️
11. A post-workout snuggle.
12. Kissing in the car wash. 💋
13. Shrinking made me cry, it was so good.
14. Chatting with my sister. ☎️
15. Bobcorn 🍿 and Bake Off.
16. 56! There were times I wasn’t sure I’d make it, but I’m still here! 🎂 lemoncello-tinis for everyone! 🍸
17. Nesting on a gray Sunday.🪹
18. And intriguing proposal. 💻
19. The miracle of the wall heater. 🙌
20. Soup and Shrinking- warmed body and soul. 🥣
21. A lovey evening chatting by the fire with Deb.🔥
22. Singing ‘When I’m 64’ to my beloved and banana cream cake.🎂
23. Word crafting and Quesabirra tacos.🌮
24. Shopped till I Popeye’d. 🛍️
25. My first soak in six months! 🛀🏻
26. Living vicariously through The Reluctant Traveler. 📺
27. Stoking our neuroses with Larry David.
28. Spent the entire day in my leopard print lounge wearing. Thankful for drawstring pants.
29. Overrun by boys!!! 🥰😍🥰
30. Little boy love bombs and a passed out puppy.

December 2024 #happythings

1. Sleeping in on the last day of a long weekend. 💤
2. Turkey pot pie and a snuggle. 🥧
3. Chatting with my Lulu, Lobster, and Note. 💻
4. Finishing our tree decorating. 🎄
5. Fireside chat with Deb. 🔥
6. Poking through Home Goods with my guy. 🛍️
7. Read a little poetry today. 📜
8. Presents 🎁 under our tree. 🎄
9. Sheet pan supper.
10. 6 years ar RSG – celebrated with a massage!
11. Lazy girl bonus day. 💵
12. Dress Like Doner Day! 12/12!!!!!!!!!!!!
13. Impulse buy with my best guy. 💺
14. Bookstore and Trader Joe’s. 📚
15. Rainy Sunday and some almond Kringle.
16. Catching up with the Smiths.
17. Holiday lunch and a side of laryngitis.
18. A steroid shot 💉 right in the keister.
19. Kathy Gentile comes through with the cute animal reel just when I needed it. ❤️🛁
20. Ethridge-Prewitt Christmas Invasion! 🎄🎅🏻🎁
21. Morning madness, afternoon mani. 💅
22. Snoozing in my chair. 💤
23. A Festivus for the rest of us! 🏋️
24. Bobcorn and a rainy night on the sofa. 🎄
25. A supersonic Christmas complete with meatloaf!
26. On top of spaghetti…🍝
27. One last football game for the season. Woo Pig! Sooie! 🐗
28. Rainy day cuddles. 🌧️
29. Sunday get things done day! ✅
30. Hanging out with Deb while the guys jam. 📚🎸
31. Bacon wrapped smokies and yoga pants. Ready for NYE revelry. 🍾🎉🥳🎊