1. Wind Festival. And I actually enjoyed it this year.
2. Fixed toilet and new blinds.
3. Lying out in the sun.

You know what I'm most grateful for? That in the big scheme of things, all the important things in my life are good. I'm healthy. My family is healthy. We have food, clothes, and shelter. We are (mostly, usually) happy. This isn't me bragging. This is me putting things into perspective. I fuss when I don't hear from my editor or publisher, I'm sad when my sales aren't as good as I'd like them to be. But in the big, big picture, those are small, small concerns. I am so very fortunate. My goal is to keep that in mind whenever I'm tempted to start complaining or bemoaning.

Sorry! I know I've been remiss in posting three good things each day. Thing is, I'm struggling a bit to find those things. My days have been pretty dull, plus I'm mostly waiting on news and information from various sources. This is no excuse, I realize. The point is to find three good things regardless, no matter how small. So here goes.

1. My garden is really beautiful right now. Everything blooming, just a riot of color.
2. Warmer weather is coming. I may be able to break out my shorts soon.
3. Getting back into workouts. I don't always love doing them, but I feel so much better about myself when I do.

1. Writing.
2. Being featured in an Author Spotlight.
3. Hummingbird!

1. A nice walk downtown.
2. Really good pastries.
3. Chatting with my dad.

1. Finished writing chapter one of the Changers sequel! (Hey, it's progress.)
2. Another day in which I did not have to run any errands. (I'm so lazy.)
3. Sushi for dinner.

1. Spa day.
2. Finishing a good book. (Reading it, that is. And that's both great and sad because now I have to find something else to read, and it probably won't be as good as this book was.)
3. Chatting with an old friend.

1. Not having to drive anywhere.
2. So. Many. Flowers.
3. Shorts weather.

1. My son's dental surgery didn't take very long.
2. One-on-one time with said son.
3. More fine weather.

1. Quiet time.
2. Boudin.
3. More good weather for sitting outside and reading.

1. Weather warm enough for shorts!
2. A great new book to read.
3. Sitting outside in the sun.

1. Hummingbirds and dragonflies.
2. Night out with the family.
3. The Jungle Book.*

*It's not completely perfect, and we had some very inconsiderate people in the audience, but on the whole entertaining. The kids loved it.

1. Getting started on the Changers sequel. It feels really good to have motivation and a goal again.
2. Milky Way candy bars.
3. A day without having to do any laundry.

1. Fine weather.
2. Happy announcements.
3. My gorgeous garden in full bloom.

1. Signing a contract.

That counts for all three, really.

1. Successfully made dinner and everyone ate it without complaint.
2. Good checkup with my orthodontist.
3. New Disney pins for our collection.

1. Spring and summer clothes for the kids. (Now if only the weather would follow suit.)
2. Meatloaf! It's kind of ridiculous how much I love meatloaf.
3. It's a secret. For now.

1. Getting out of the house for a bit.
2. More working out.
3. Watching Star Wars.

1. Being home.
2. Getting back into workouts. (Even though I don't love doing them, I do enjoy the results. That is, I've come to the point where I'd rather suffer through workouts than look like I would if I didn't do them.)
3. My roses blooming.

Vegas Edition

We've been getting away in Vegas for a few days. Many good things to recount!

1. Tapas.
2. A beautiful dinner at Picasso, sitting outside by the Bellagio fountain as the sun goes down.
3. Secret Pizza.
4. Winning. (Thanks, Cleopatra!)
5. Fabulous dinner at Andrea's.
6. Le Rêve.
7. Breakfast on the terrace at Mon Ami Gabi.

All this and the myriad things in between. A wonderful vacation.

1. Hiking with the family.
2. Beautiful weather.
3. Finding out about the cat that comes into our yard sometimes.*

*We've always called the cat GiGi (as in G.G., as in "Grey Ghost" because she's grey). But it turns out her name is Alley, as in "Alley Cat." She lives on the street behind ours. She was on our front porch about to head into our garden, which isn't unusual. GiGi/Alley likes to go sleep on our patio furniture. But her owner had spotted her and had come up to the house to try and get the cat back. Just as well because the hummingbird mama who lives in the climbing roses by the porch was ready to take the cat on. She was buzzing all around GiGi's head. Anyway, the owner told me the cat's name is Alley (and she even said, "as in Alley Cat") and where she lived and such. I told her we didn't mind if and when the cat visited. It's all good. Fun way to meet a neighbor.

1. An invitation to present at a writing conference in October.
2. A shipment of Big Red goodies! Including a taste test of the Big Red Float.
3. Time spent reading. It's great when you have a good book to lose yourself in.

And none of these are jokes! I'm not really much for the whole April Fool's thing. Practical jokes are one of my least favorite forms of entertainment.