Happiness is...

• Having your dog be in a frenzied good mood when she wakes you up, which leads to the morning starting with lots of play and laughter.
• Taking a long, hot shower after having just scrubbed it down, opening the blinds enough that the morning sun shines onto the smooth and crystal-shiny porcelain. It's made all the better if you haven't showered the previous day, and you can use some of your Lush Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo (brought special to me all the way from Ireland by Sara) and Kerastase Masquintense deep conditioner.
• Finding a Lands' End NQP Squall Parka with supposed "dirt/oil faults" (which I couldn't even find) at the Inlet. Original price: $99.50. What did I pay? $39.50. I needed a new winter coat; my old Lands' End one is now ratty enough it's only appropriate for walking the dog. Plus, the nicest thing? It's a lovely ivory color, and it looks so pretty on me.
• Shopping for spices at Penzey's. I could drop so much cash in that place. Every jar contains irresistable smells.
• Making my first pot of autumn soup. A recipe-less mish-mash with garlic, leeks, ground turkey, ground pork, German butterball potatoes, red carrots, celery, mushrooms and lentils. Oh, and it was cooked in a stock made from Penzey's chicken soup base, and seasoned with Penzey's shallot pepper and rubbed sage. Yum!
• Watching old Bugs Bunny cartoons. Gosh, they're so subversive and un-P.C., but so fantastic. Always classic.