The Little Things That Make Life Worth Living...

[Scissorjack]

Thai takeaways. Making Lego dinosaurs. The look, smell and feel of a naked woman. The Pogues. Getting brought fresh coffee in bed in the morning. "The Adventures Of Robin Hood" on DVD. Rush Munroe's feijoa icecream. Giant shower heads. Kissing. Winning the occasional raffle. Merlot. Making plasticene Daleks. Japanese women in sundresses. Mushrooms on toast. "Exile On Main Street", "Who's Next" and "London Calling" played really loudly on a Saturday night. Holding hands in public. P. G. Wodehouse.

[Cat Whisperer]

A hot bubble bath on a cold evening. Warming your cold toes on a portable heater. Getting completely, 100%, I-can't-put-it-down-and-go-to-sleep hooked on an excellent new novel. Watching a comedy on television that makes you laugh until you cry. Good music. A fun evening out with good friends. All kinds of pie.

[Civil Guy]

When that project I was working on (hobby, whatever) looks good. Donating blood - I don't actually know that I saved someone's life, but I just might have done - feels good. Mc Donald's coffee, black, first thing in the morning, tastes good. That smile on GF's face...

[Lynn Bodoni]

Backscratches. Going to bed on a winter's night, when I've put the hot water bottle at the foot of my bed, under the covers. Ahhhhh, warm toes!

I love mushrooms, but have never had them on toast. How am I supposed to fix this dish?

[Annie]

The smell of lilacs in bloom. Walking out the door on a really crappy job. The fish dishes at the Phnom Penh in Vancouver's Chinatown.

[SnakesCatLady]

Red, ripe tomatoes from my own tomato plant. Cat purrs when you scratch...yes... the right spot! Husband purrs when you scratch...yes...just the right spot! Having someone you really admire recognize your voice on the telephone.

[Rhiannon8404]

Puppy breath. Grown up dogs who still think they are your puppy. Dogblog (http://www.automatedredemption.com/flavorcountry/dogblog/)

[Penchan]

Back scritchies. That look of pure, unconditional love in the SO's eyes when he looks at me. Laughing at cute things online or otherwise. Finishing a good RPG with the SO. A big, tight hug from a friend. Hot chocolate on a cold night. High-pressured showers. Sleeping in a soft, warm bed with soft blankets next to the SO with one leg and one arm over him. Waking up to the SO's sleeping face in the morning. The smell of Dial's Mountain Breeze (I think) soap. Chocolate.

[Savannah]

Because it’s August: the smell of freshly cut grass in the summertime. Biting into the perfect ear of corn-on-the-cob, where the butter, salt and corn all mingle in harmony. Looking up at the night sky just in time to see a falling star. Cuddling a dog who wants to be cuddled. Falling asleep because you’re really tired from being outside in the sunshine all day, walking in the woods, and into the ocean and back again, and not from being at work for eight hours. Watching the garden grow; seeing the beans reach for the sky, the little green things resolve into peppers, and the zucchini finally doing what zucchini are supposed to do. Jumping into a lake, and floating on your back, looking up at the blue sky. Good, cold, dark beer. Sleeping with the windows open and falling asleep hearing the nightsounds.

And sex.

[Cat Whisperer]

Oh, thought of another one - waking up on a weekend morning, nothing to do and nowhere to go, and just lying in bed drifting in a cool, dark, quiet room, perfectly comfortable.

[DellieM]

The smell of my son after a hard day at play, the smell of my son after a shower with freshly washed hair. The soft touch of my Darling's hands on my face. Making love in the bath. A phone call from someone you were just thinking about. Coffee from the boss when you don't expect it, but he knows you need it. Good champagne. Night swimming - in the nude. The sound of waves on rocks. Finding $10 you forgot you had.

[Labelless]

When at any given moment, you and your SO 'trade looks.' Whether it be when someone does something incredibly stupid, or just because.
The smell of honeysuckle wafting through the windows in early summer evenings.
Getting a hug from one of your kids for no reason at all.

[Scissorjack]

I love mushrooms, but have never had them on toast. How am I supposed to fix this dish?

Nothing easier. You need the really black, juicy field mushrooms - little white button ones are no good - when they're at their ripest. In fact, slightly too ripe - when the gills are starting to collapse - is even better. Toss a knob of butter in a cast iron frying pan, slice the mushrooms thinly, and saute. Add a small clove of finely chopped garlic, a generous splash of wine, a grind or two of salt and pepper and some chopped fresh basil. Continue sauteing until the mushrooms are throughly cooked in their lovely bubbly black juice, and then serve on thick brown wholemeal toast dripping with butter. The breakfast of champions!

[chowder]

An English summer morning, fish 'n chips, a pint of Boddies, a smile from a friend, a phone call from a loved one, a letter from abroad.


And most of all, waking up to a new day.

[DMark]

Thunder and rain falling hard on the roof while you are warm and have your SO wrapped in your arms and can sleep in; the smell from the kitchen of coffee or bacon or freshly baked bread or cake or pie: a favorite song you haven't heard for ages suddenly blasts from your car radio and you crank it up - remembering your youth; an unexpected, honest compliment from a friend; a phone call that someone is no longer ill; the crunch of snow under your feet as you head home on Christmas Eve; a good mystery film or book that grabs you until the surprise ending; meeting up with someone you haven't seen in years and feeling like you are still close friends; laughing often, especially with the person you love.

[Maastricht]

I can't think of anything. All the examples mentioned have me going: "Oh yes, that used to be good....some years ago..."

Sigh. Yup, something IS wrong with me. :(

[Mangetout]

Letting chocolate melt in your mouth, then washing it down with black coffee. Stretching tired muscles. Finding a fiver in your wallet when you thought you had nothing. Steak and kidney pies. Flying a kite. The aroma of fresh picked blackberries. Sunlight through a canopy of new beech leaves in spring.

[Mangetout]

Nothing easier. You need the really black, juicy field mushrooms - little white button ones are no good - when they're at their ripest. In fact, slightly too ripe - when the gills are starting to collapse - is even better. Toss a knob of butter in a cast iron frying pan, slice the mushrooms thinly, and saute. Add a small clove of finely chopped garlic, a generous splash of wine, a grind or two of salt and pepper and some chopped fresh basil. Continue sauteing until the mushrooms are throughly cooked in their lovely bubbly black juice, and then serve on thick brown wholemeal toast dripping with butter. The breakfast of champions!
The breakfast of champignons!

Wild mushrooms are just fantastic. Yes, you need to know what you're doing, but it's worth the effort. Unfortunately, mushrooms as you describe - at the peak of ripeness - are often infested by numerous little maggots here.

[Mangetout]

Oh, another one:

Smoked mackerel, warmed and flaked onto thick, buttered granary bread, with horseradish so fresh and hot that it makes you feel like you're going to die*.


*That might sound like a bad thing, but part of the pleasure of eating horseradish is the relief you feel when the burn starts to subside, and you realise that you're not actually going to die

[Silence of the clams]

The playful twinkling of the suns rays in the kelp forrest, pulling you're head out of a diving suit, the first bite of freshly caught fish in a frying pan, the smell of coffee in the morning, the feel of a forrest after a heavy rainfall, the sweet taste of homemade blueberry pie with icecream, the satisfied snoring from the dog after a long walk, sleeping in on sundays.

[Mangetout]

Oh, another one:

-Going into town on the last shopping day before Christmas, getting ever so slightly drunk and watching, in amusement, the panic of the last-minute shoppers.

[threnodyangelfire]

Friday afternoon - 4pm. The delicious anticipation of a weekend. A glass of great red wine with friends. Afternoons with friends where you just giggle and giggle. cooking to entertain. A novel that is so enthralling you don't notice the bus ride home. A kiss from an SO when you're both smiling. Seeing your parents for the first time in a long time.

[chowder]

Oh, another one:

Smoked mackerel, warmed and flaked onto thick, buttered granary bread, with horseradish so fresh and hot that it makes you feel like you're going to die*.


*That might sound like a bad thing, but part of the pleasure of eating horseradish is the relief you feel when the burn starts to subside, and you realise that you're not actually going to die
Mein Gott!! I thought I was the only one ate that :p

Gotta be fresh horseradish though, none of that store bought crap

[Shirley Ujest]

The sound that coffee makes as it is being poured into a cup.

When you put a scoop of instant creamer into a cup of coffee, the way it floats there for a moment before being sucked under.

Children with big brown eyes.

Kitties!

Rainy days.

The smell of fresh cut wood.

The smell of oranges.

The smell of apples.

Knowing that I am always within inches of a lip balm.

[BaneSidhe]

Hay in the barn fresh from the field.
Cuddling with the cat on a rainy or snowy day.
Raspberry iced tea.
Finding a bag of Skittles in your desk drawer that you forgot was there.
Warm bubble bath after a long, tiring day.
Heating pad on your back at work when it's sore.
Cuddling with daHubby after wild, wild sex.
Watching your bunnies play in their playpen.
Newborn horses.

[OneCentStamp]

A bottle of Duvel, expertly poured into the correct tulip glass.

Plugging in my Les Paul Custom and cranking things up until my pant legs are flapping in the breeze.

Tubing down the Guadalupe River with a cooler full of Dos Equis.

[don't ask]

The sun on your back.

[corkboard]

Laying in bed after a session of fantastic sex, while listening to the rain hitting the roof during a violent thunderstorm, complete with lightning and thunder.

My kids running and jumping into my arms when I get home from work every day.

My wife running and jumping into my arms when the kids go to bed.

A three-egg omlette with cheese, sausage and taco sauce, wrapped up in a burrito shell. Mmmmmmm.

Driving to the shore and opening the windows when you pull into town, to smell the salt air.

The first really nice Friday afternoon in the spring.

[Eureka]

driving through the woods--well actually, being a passenger in a car which is been driven through the woods

going for a hike in said woods , or a walk where one can admire interesting houses

Singing around a campfire

snuggling with a small child

laughter, mixed with teasing, and more laughter

having a bird almost land in your hair

trying new combinations of foods

vacation shoes

[Eliphalet]

Napping in the afternoon. Sitting in a warm chair, crackling fireplace nearby, good book in your lap, and a cup of hot chocolate next to you, watching the snow fall outside. Cuddling with a little boy or girl, reading stories together. Cuddling with a pretty woman. Going to sleep in a tent, listening to the night noises. Completing a project and getting compliments.

[Epimetheus]

Curiosity. The wonderment of what tomorrow will bring.

A cool breeze on a hot day.

The hue everything takes at 5:47am just before the sun rises.

[Savannah]

Sitting in the dappled sunlight in the back yard with a good book and a bottle of wine, hearing a funny sound, and looking up to see a hummingbird hovering around, checking out the flowers and the trees. Watching the hummingbird come to a stop on a branch, seeing the metallic sheen of its feathers. Imagining how tiny its nest must be, and how teensy its eggs.

That first big mug of hot, strong tea with just the right amount of milk--especially when my husband's made the tea for me.

That indescribable smell of summer rain when it just starts, landing on warm, dry pavement. The wet, 'green' smell of summer rain a little while later.

Picking up my phone at work and not hearing the beep-beep that means there's voice mail.

Playing with the dog, and see her pull a wheelie because her hind legs are running even faster than her front legs, frantically going for her squeaky bone so we can toss it again. Or maybe it's because her front legs are going faster. Anyway, it's funny when it happens. Just seeing the dog play with us, at any rate.

After a long weekend with unrestrained eating, finding out the scale says instead of up three pounds, you're down one.

[Moriarty]

The wag of a dog's tail, and the smile on her face, when you come to see her.
A kitten napping on your chest.
The feeling you get when you hit a golf shot right on the sweet spot of the club.
A big, juicy steak.
The smooth, soft contours of a woman's body, and the sounds she makes when she's in ecstacy.
Laughing so hard tears come out of your eyes and your belly hurts, especially when it's shared with friends.
That combination of endorphins and exhaustion that comes from being done with a strenuous workout.
The smell of a freshly cut lawn, or the smell of an impending rainstorm.
The tingle in your belly when you are nervous and excited about the anticipation of a big moment in your life.
Waking up at 6:15, as always, then realizing it's Saturday, and going back to sleep for another 3 hours.

[Hockey Monkey]

Having a worn out dachshund sleeping peacefully curled up next to you on the couch.

Dove Promises (chocolate).

Cold lemonade on a hot day.

First kisses.

Happy Bunny. (Makes me giggle)

Sunbeams.

Walking into the ice rink on a hot day and having to put on a sweater. :)

Puppies. Puppy kisses. Puppy breath. Puppy snuggles. Puppies playing. Did I mention puppies?

The smell of clean baby.

Picking a tomato off the vine, and making a tomato sandwich that very minute.

The smell of fresh cut grass.

The wonder of toast.

Finding money in your coat pocket when you get it out of the closet for the first wearing of the season.

Twue Wove.

A bubble bath with a good book.

Seeing love in someone's eyes when they are looking at you.

Infecting everyone around you with your earwig. :D

Mashed potatoes, and my Granny's gravy.

Three day weekends spent doing nothing important, pressing, or planned.

Real cream, real butter, oh heck might as well go with all things dairy.

Flirting.

Someone walking into your office with a free Chic-Fil-A sandwich (just happened).

Hockey.

Best friends you can tell anything to without them getting judgemental.

I could go on and on....

[Cat Whisperer]

<snip>Infecting everyone around you with your earwig. :D
<snip>
I think (HOPE) that you mean "earworm." This (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earwig) is an earwig. :eek: :D

[Sunspace]

Dozing off on the bus when it's -20 outside and the sunshine is pouring through the windows and you're all warm and relaxed and someone else is driving. Backscratches. Massage. The first blast of water in the shower after a workout. Ice cream on a stick.

[Triskadecamus]

Very quickly after they learn to walk, little kids learn to run! They hold their hands up very high, and laugh and squeal as they hurtle headfirst to no particular destination. I cannot express how much I wish that anything in my entire life made me that happy.

Some years the spring comes all at once, on one surprising morning. Sitting in the sun, and almost seeing buds open, and smelling new growth, and hearing the water chuckling as it flees from the snow covered hills. It is a quiet joy, but a deep one.

Lean rare porterhouse steak, crisp skinned baked potatoes, over which I have poured the deglazed steak drippings, and medium sized pile of vegetables roasted with butter and basil.

Finding out that last night was only the beginning, and that a day exhausted from pleasing each other is a long day indeed.

Tris

[OneCentStamp]

Very quickly after they learn to walk, little kids learn to run! They hold their hands up very high, and laugh and squeal as they hurtle headfirst to no particular destination. I cannot express how much I wish that anything in my entire life made me that happy.
Wow, I'm impressed that you can even remember being that young! :p




(I know, I know)

[Triskadecamus]

Wow, I'm impressed that you can even remember being that young! :p
Well, at least you didn't post that as a reply to the third one.

sigh

Tris

[bump]

Knowing that there are friends and family that truly love me for who I am.
Sitting on my Aunt & Uncle's back deck fishing with my brother.
Discussing gardening with my Dad, and checking out his garden.
Helping my Mom make dinner.
Having a nice evening watching movies with my fiance & a bottle of wine (or two!).
A good juicy cheeseburger
Cold Beer
Barbecue
Tex-Mex
Watching college football with friends.
Summertime cookouts

[Tastes of Chocolate]

The perfect pistachio: the slightly salty taste that melts in your mouth.
Waking up a little early in the morning, all snuggled up with my SO and knowing I get to stay there for 10 minutes.
An evening spent playing silly card games with friends.
A music performance that ends with that perfect silence. The one that sends a shiver down your spine.

[Nava]

Inquisitive minds.
People who have never learned their proper place.
The Bright Ball Up In The Sky.
Making friends.
Spanish "chocolate in a cup", the one that's barely on the liquid side of solid.

[chowder]

Now if we could just bottle up each and everyone of these wonderful things we'd have a fragrance that would bring peace to the world

[SpartanDC]

The anticipation you feel when you receive an unexpected package in the mail. The first bite of a perfectly cooked steak. The first day of the year where it just "feels like spring." The softness of a woman's skin. Leaving work when you're about to start a long vacation. The taste of beer after you exhausted yourself helping someone move. The sound and feeling of a perfect golf swing. Attending a baseball game on a sunny, not-too-hot day with a dog in one hand and a brew in the other. Taking the seal off a jar of peanut butter. A state fair. Seeing your favorite band live for the first time and learning they're even better in concert. Eating a weekend lunch your SO made you by surprise. Drinking on an outdoor patio at dusk on a summer day with friends. Cooking a meal yourself that's so damn good you think it could be served in a restaurant. The feeling of air conditioned air hitting your body on a hot, humid day.

[control-z]

Nice idea for a thread. Mine:

-Fireflies at twilight
-The quiet of the evening
-Getting engrossed in a good book or computer game
-Driving and blasting some good rock music on the radio
-Sleeping late
-Hiking in the mountains
-Swimming in the ocean

[Scissorjack]

I nearly forgot Tomato Frogs (http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/amphibians/Dyscophus_antongilii/). No world in which there are frogs which look like tomatoes can ever be an entirely bad place.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Nothing easier. You need the really black, juicy field mushrooms - little white button ones are no good - when they're at their ripest. In fact, slightly too ripe - when the gills are starting to collapse - is even better. Toss a knob of butter in a cast iron frying pan, slice the mushrooms thinly, and saute. Add a small clove of finely chopped garlic, a generous splash of wine, a grind or two of salt and pepper and some chopped fresh basil. Continue sauteing until the mushrooms are throughly cooked in their lovely bubbly black juice, and then serve on thick brown wholemeal toast dripping with butter. The breakfast of champions! I'm gonna have to try that, thanks!

I'm going to nominate ice tea, especially on a hot day. There's nothing quite like coming in from 100+ heat, and slurping down tea that's just this side of frozen.

[Hockey Monkey]

I think (HOPE) that you mean "earworm." This (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earwig) is an earwig. :eek: :D


Indeed I did mean earworm. :o

I shall also add to my list - Bacon Salt.

[Mangetout]

The sense of genuine appreciation from an audience.

That thing where you can see several different situations all converging exactly on the punchline that only you have thought of, just in time.

When things turn out exactly as you intended - for example, when you cut a mitre joint and it fits so snugly that you couldn't slip a sheet of paper in between, or when the meringue rises and sets in the perfect shape and consistency, or when you crack open the boiled egg and the yolk is just right for dunking toast soldiers.

[Nava]

Extra effort that produces extra good results.
Hearing a heartfelt "thank you."
Giving a heartfelt "thank you."
Having a coworker berate you for something or other and being able to explain that doing what he wants is actually Against Your Orders.

[kambuckta]

Dragging yourself in from a hard day at work, having had to struggle through the piercing wind and driving rains all the way from the train station, only to find that you forgot to turn the heating off before you left this morning!! Oh, god, it's such a lovely feeling to come home to a warm house on a frigid winters' day. :)

Listening to little babies laugh. Nothing thaws the hardened heart of this disgruntled old broad quicker than hearing a little 'un with a bad case of the chuckles. It is THE most amazing sound in the world I reckon.

Finding that ALL of those cuttings you took from the lavender and rosemary plant/s have actually struck this time.

[Scissorjack]

I'm gonna have to try that, thanks!

It tastes even better if you can persuade someone to make it and serve it to you in bed.

Watching the unfettered delight of babies as they discover they have toes to play with. Watching a toddler chase pigeons. She has no chance of catching one, she wouldn't know what to do with it if she did, but nothing's going to stop her gleefully and determinedly stumping after them.