The glue on the Christmas card envelopes have affected my brain

It’s December, the time for top ten lists. Since I, like everyone else, am in a tinselly, chocolaty holiday frame of mind, here are ten things that make me smile:

10. Finding out the repair bill won’t be huge. ‘Nuff said. Got my computer back in one piece.

9. Getting home. This counts double in these leave-in-the-dark, come-home-in-the-dark times. Triple if your day involved travel. Quadruple if it was travel for work.

8. Snow. It’s just too pretty to complain about for long. (Of course, we don’t get an unreasonable amount here—just enough to be purty.) Here’s a shot I took last month. You can’t see the harbour in the background because of the fog.

7. Here’s a seasonal one: finding a really cool present. You know what I mean—the type that makes you chuckle with glee because you know they’ll love it.

6. Nauseatingly cute animal pictures. If you like them, too, check out the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee.

5. A good Regency romance. I loved this one, but then Julia Quinn is always a treat:

4. Nice feedback about my books. Reviews. Emails. Kind words at book signings. I love to know that I gave someone a few hours of pleasure. It makes the zillion hours cursing at my computer screen worthwhile.

3. My cats, who will purr for me even if I’ve been a complete toad that day.

2. Random phone calls and visits from friends. The ones where they just want to chat because they like you. That’s when I know I count.

1. Hugs from family and friends, because it’s the people that matter when all is said and done. That was something Charles Dickens had right.

Do not adjust your set. I shall be back to my regular curmudgeonly mood anon. But not too soon.