10 Things That Make Me Say... "Life Is Good!"

"Happiness comes of from the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed."

-Storm Jameson

How fun! My friend Suzanne has tagged me for a new meme. As you know, I love doing memes, especially ones that lift my spirits and make me feel warm and thankful inside. That's what this one does. It's called, 10 Things That Make Me Say, "Life Is Good." Thank you for thinking of me Suzanne, and away we go...

1. The long drives I take once a year or so, to get specialty items. Such as apple juice from the Apple farm or chocolate from Ingeborgs, in Solvang, California. It makes something as common as chocolate all the more special when I get it at a place that is special to me. My new favorite place to get chocolate ice cream is at the corner of Haight/Ashbury. Just simple chocolate ice-cream cone from this Ben & Jerry's, is all I need to make me a very happy girl.

2. My blogging friends. The people I have met through my blog/journal have inspired me, have given me hope, made life a lot less lonely, and they have given me a lot more courage to face those day to day struggles that we all have. You are more then blogging friends...you are true friends. :) Smile, you know who you are! :)

3. Art. I just love viewing all kinds of art. Be it the public art on display throughout the Bay Area, that I have been showing you this past year, or the art in the galleries I visit. Even the natural art that nature tends to display is joyful to me. All I know is that it calms my nerves, and warms me up inside. Life is art...isn't it?

4. Finally I have a diagnosis. I hadn't been feeling good for a long time, finally my doctor moved to a different Kaiser facility and I was given a new doctor who did the proper tests and found out what I had. Fibromyalgia. It's painful, but I am learning to deal with it. Which leads me to #5 on this list.

5. T'ai Chi, Meditation, Yoga. Since I began studying and practicing these principles this past few months, I have felt much better inside and out. I have some very painful days, and not all of them work together all the time, but each one is helpful in it's won way. Without them, I think I would have given up photography all together.

6. My cat Elvis, especially when he wakes me up with paw pads and kisses. So sweet. I LOVE that cat!

7. I LOVE my camera. :)

8. Free rock concerts on the beach. They are about to begin again in Santa Cruz, and I can't wait. :)

9. Fresh fruit and vegetable from my garden. I can't wait for this autumn, when everything will be ready for harvest. I have already started creating some recipe ideas. :)

10. Cooking. I LOVE cooking. Italian is a specialty of mine, but I have started branching out into other types of cuisine as well.

Okie, dokie...there's my 10 things. Now I think I will tag, Karen, Pat, Charley, Patrick, Duane, and Steven. I hope you will pay a visit to Suzanne's journal and read her list. She is an awesome lady and friend. I enjoy her very much. Thanks darlin!

-OndineMonet
"Yum"
Haight/Ashbury
San Francisco, California
May 25th, 2006
Afternoon