If you saw my earlier post this week, you know I’m on a quest to ditch the negative toxic stuff. I’ve done a lot of thinking about life in general lately and have been trying to get back some balance and focus more on the positive stuff that makes me happy and for which I’m grateful rather than letting all the ugly negative stuff influence my life. Here are a few more things:

• Early morning sunrises. Admittedly, I’m a morning person anyway (yes, I know not everyone is so I feel for ya especially since you’re missing out on some of the best times of the day IMHO). That said, who wouldn’t be when Mother Nature can deliver spectacular views like the one above from nearby Sloan’s Lake with its lovely park and (obviously) cool lake? Is that a killer view of sunrise looking eastward toward downtown, or what?  In the summer, Sloan’s Lake hosts a big Dragon Boat Festival which is an equally fabulous yet totally different view.
• Nutella lattes. Before my friend Anna moved to Japan last year, one of the things we used to do was prowl for the best coffee houses and she found a super sweet place that makes a fabulous Nutella latte. Get out! Trust me, order this drink when you get the chance. It is to die for! Talk about liquid comfort. Yum-may. Almost better than craft beer…almost. 🙂
• Aside from finding that awesome coffee shop with her and our shared love of ‘Sweden’ (aka IKEA), I continue to cherish her friendship even from afar. She’s funny, accomplished and extremely talented and I can always count on her to brighten my day with her generous spirit of friendship. She has two of the most adorable brindled Boxer dogs who always provide us with mounds and mounds of comic relief with their antics (visit her terrific blog DesignPunk and check out her design adventures in Japan as well as photos of the dogs). I’m in total awe of her super techno savvy-ness, her fearless ability to design amazing spaces, DIY’ing stuff I’m way too afraid to tackle, all the while successfully moving overseas and adapting so well in a completely different culture. Anna, you’re my hero!
• Daily walk/runs with my favorite pup, Sam. Those twice-a-day jaunts are a total dog-send (especially in the early morning) and they do more for my psyche than nearly anything else. Not only do I get out and burn calories with my bestie, it makes a total difference in my mental state. Truthfully, I do it as much for me as I do for him but we both benefit from a good workout.  Now to just get him to focus on the “we’re moving” part–not the we’ve paused to sniff part.
• Beautiful clear blue skies of Colorado.  It just doesn’t get more picturesque than those National Geographic-like blue skies and with our 300+ days of sunshine a year in the Mile High City, I get loads of essential Vitamin D too. Win-win.
• Although the Polar Vortex arrived with a serious vengeance this week (it was a record setting minus 14 yesterday morning–yikes!), this has been one of the most exquisite and mild Autumns I can remember.  While we don’t have those gorgeous East Coast reds and oranges in trees, the golds here were extra spectacular this year. The light was simply aglow.
• Finding some cash in a pair of trousers recently was a nice and unexpected surprise. I think my Nutella-latte Jonesing will be fully satisfied this weekend. Note to self – check all the pockets periodically. You  never know what you’ll find.
• Wildlife in my neighborhood. It’s still hard to believe that I’m a mere 3 miles away from the center of downtown Denver when I see the likes of raccoons, foxes, bats, coyotes and earlier this summer a pair of deer in the yard! I’ve seen a horned owl and a mating pair of Falcons on early morning walks with Sam…not what you’d generally expect to see in city critters but they sure do make me smile. I’m filled with gratitude when I can see Nature like that especially in an urban environment.

So those are just a few of the things that cause me to smile and make me ‘paws’ and savor that good stuff. It really is remarkable that when you actually do focus on the positive, you’ll actually see and experience it. Go figure, who’d have thought it could be that simple?!

Wishing you barking loads of cool things to smile about this weekend! What’s on your weekend agenda that will make you smile and give thanks? 🐾