Something to smile about

There have been several things of late giving me good reason to smile:

#1:  A quick drop in the temperatures ushering in fall-like weather.  There’s a nip in the air, and no more sweaty armpits in the classroom.  I love fall.  It’s about time to start adding pumpkin back into the diet.

#2: This pot.

Which doesn’t look like much right now, but contains great hope and promise.  Or, more exactly, newly planted basil seeds.  If I manage to successfully grow fresh basil…well, let’s just say the thought is almost too good to be true.

#3: Homemade peach freezer jam.

Yes, I love to cook.  But I also have quite the full schedule, which means I don’t always have the time to whip up five course meals.  Which means I eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  But slap on some homemade jam, and this old standby instantly transforms into a culinary delight.

#4: Karate Kid.

So much spunk and personality in such a little creature.  You don’t believe turtles can have personality?  Neither did I until Karate Kid entered my life.  He’s moved from his former perch on my bedroom windowsill to the living room. After staying with the Clements this summer, Jennifer informed me that his new found sociability necessitated the move.  He now provides ample entertainment for my many guests.  And I now have to clean his bowl more frequently, lest I get accused of turtle abuse by said guests.

#5: This, above all others, stretches my smile the widest.

My brand spanking new washing machine.  It may not look like much, but now, I just have to press the button on the right.

And then this green button.

And then leave the room for 40 minutes.  And then, miracle of miracles, the laundry is done.  No manually filling up the machine with water.  No manually draining the machine while trying not to flood the bathroom floor.  No manually filling the machine again for the rinse cycle.  No manually transferring the clothes to the spinner section of the machine.  No manual anything–that is, except hanging the clothes up on the drying rack.  But compared to the former ordeal known as doing laundry?  Well, there’s no comparison.  My life will {quite happily} never be the same again.