And the Living is Easy

Once again, it seems silly to list ways to be happy in the summer. July is filled with festivities, great weather, and a kind of carefree spirit that months like January don't subscribe to. My July was certainly jam-packed (and continues to be--I have big plans for my first full day in Boulder, more on that later), from Independence Day to a mini family vacation/reunion to extensive bucket list endeavors. A lot on this list happened naturally, and that makes me happy.

1. Start a conversation with a neighbor. Okay, so I don't really know my neighbors...the tenants who live in my building change yearly (they're usually college kids), and those on either side I prefer to eavesdrop and spy on from my apartment. I've overheard many conversations. Just the other morning the girl downstairs told someone on the phone, "I don't care, I'm not moving to California....I don't know, home? HOME? Where is that? I don't know, Pittsburgh?" so....she's having a life moment.
2. Organize a household meeting. Yes. These happen naturally at the Naw. They go a lot quicker than house meetings at MercyWorks.
3. Be an optimist. I think I am?
4. Memorize the first paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. I know I had to do that in high school. Schoolhouse Rock helped.
5. Look through a book on another country. I'll give you one guess as to which country is featured in more than one book I have lying around.
6. Have a sing-along. Does a Dave Matthews Band concert at Alpine Valley count?
7. Make and introduction. Okay. Brownies, meet my mouth.
8. Say yes when you mean yes and no when you mean no. I feel accomplished at this.
9. Relate food to your mood. Is there another way to do food?
10. Get in motion. Refer to 26 mile bike ride.
11. Make plans to visit old friends. Yesssssss. Done and done.
12. Play horseshoes. I don't even know where to find a horseshoe pit in the city...but there is one at the YMCA here in Boulder.
13. Have a tea party. At work, G is on a super tea kick. She has me buy new flavors weekly so we can try them out (hot and iced).
14. Do everything French. Sometimes I like to say giraffe in French: "girafe"...now say it with a French accent. Brilliant!
15. Consider alternative healing. I've been to the chiropractor and acupuncturist. I love yoga and massages. I take/have taken vitamins/supplements. I try not to rely on Western drugs, but they can be effective!
16. Rearrange your furniture. Well that's a freebie.
17. Sit in the dark. Done.
18. Be different. I've got nearly 25 years on this one.
19. Take your sense of romance to the next level. Woah, Epstein. This is a family-friendly blog.
20. Go to a matinee. I've not been to a movie yet this summer. :/
21. Think about all the people in your life right now who really mean something to you. This might take some time.
22. Trade places with a cat. Absolutely.
23. Make a new friend. It's on our summer list! We have several hopefuls.
24. Build a sandcastle. For all the times I've gone to the beach, this was never an activity that happened. There's still time.
25. Build a fire. In my grill? 
26. Start to keep your personal finances in order. I started a few months ago...before that it was just trying not to spend any more than what was in my bank account/wallet. 
27. Frame a photo, poster, or picture. Yes, yes, yes.
28. Go through your personal telephone book and conjure up a recollection of each person. LOL, telephone book.
29. Take a walk around your neighborhood. Yay! Another item on our list--neighborhood exploration.
30. Keep fresh flowers nearby. Like on my downstairs neighbors' porch?
31. Assemble a family tree. I did this in college. It was intense.