Some things that have made me happy lately:
1) Cicadas - out here in the Midwest summer may bring heat and humidity (which I hate), but it also brings the sounds of the cicadas, which I love so much. When I was growing up in Colorado, I loved the sound of crickets at night in the summer. it was so soothing and made me feel relaxed and at peace. I missed the crickets when I lived in Washington state - up there, I didn't hear any insects at night, and I sort of missed it. When I arrived in Japan for the first time in July of 1998, I heard cicadas for the first time too. at first it was deafening and a little hard to adjust to... but after awhile, I learned to love the sound, and I missed it when I left Japan in 2000. I associated cicadas with a feeling of comfort and happiness. Then when I moved to Chicago several years ago, I heard cicadas again - not quite as deafening as in Japan (except for the year that we had the huge infestation here in Chicago and you couldn't walk down the street without stepping on them!), but a peaceful, restful sound.
I heard them again this week - the cicadas - and amidst the stress and uncertainty of my life, they exist as a sign that all is right with the world.
2) Fireflies - another thing summer brings in the midwest is fireflies. I saw this wonderful phenomena with my own eyes for the first time in Madison County, Iowa, when we had a family reunion. We were sitting around at night at my cousin's home in Winterset, and I saw these little flashes of light in the sky. I was mesmerized. some of my young cousins would capture them and put them in jars so we could see the light - and of course let them go. But again, I couldn't see any fireflies up in Washington, or even in California. And I don't remember seeing them when I lived in Chicago previously. but a few weeks ago, as I was talking on the phone around dusk, just as the sun was setting, I looked out the window of our apartment and saw these little flickers of light on the lawn. We have quite a nice view (which I'll miss when we move) of a neighboring garden, and a big lawn with some nice, shady trees. I couldn't believe my eyes - and now every night around dusk, I look out of the bathroom window and watch the little flashes of light - they kind of play tricks on your eyes, and you can see them all over the place, some out of the corner of your eye, and some in groups, and some alone. We saw a bunch of fireflies out at my friend Sarah's house on the 4th of July too - and we saw them really close-up there - which was fascinating. I have to admit, I have a little bit of geek in me, and I am just fascinated with some insects. But fireflies are just beautiful, and they give me that sense of peace and comfort. Which I need!
3) summer tv shows: Dexter and The Killing.
Okay, I know it's strange to add two dark shows about murder to my list of things that make me happy. But these two shows are making me happy. Funny that they both air on Sundays, so after I've been able to record them, I have to watch them on Monday and Tuesday nights. Dexter on Mondays and The Killing on Tuesdays. It's sad to think that this is the last season of Dexter - and I'm so eager (and a bit anxious) to see how it ends.
The Killing didn't start out too strong, but it's gotten really compelling, and I'm also curious to see not only how they'll sum up the story lines, but whether it will get renewed again. It was already canceled once, and I don't think may people are watching it this season. Regardless, I'm enjoying them now, and will be wondering what to watch when they end, one in three weeks and the other in maybe a month or so...
4) a cold beer on a hot night - not much more to say about that. Summer is the best time for beer, and it would be better if we had a yard and could grill outside...
5) Fruit smoothies - I make them every day, regardless of whether it's summer. But in the summer, fruit of all kind is my favorite food. Especially Cherries!
So what's making you happy during these dog days of summer?
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laurainlimbo at 09:13am on 17/08/2013![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
brynhilda - Hope you have a great day!!
