By Caitlin Kelly
The smell of Jose’s cigar
A fab new watch — $11
My first facial. Oooooohlala.
Having friends come for dinner, savoring hours of good food, good wine and lively conversation
The sound of wind soughing through the trees
The fragrance of sun-warmed pine needles
Birdsong to start the morning
Sunset over the Hudson river, our view
A mid-afternoon nap
A birthday phone message from my best friend who lives a six-hour flight away, who I met in freshman English class a bazillion years ago
A fun pair of sunglasses, scored for $12 at a London flea market
Treating myself to lunch at Cafe Saks, at Saks Fifth Avenue, with its great view of midtown
Fireflies
A bouquet of roses
Lunch under the trees at Maud’s with my co-ed softball team, friends ages 20-something to 70-something, a group that includes a former network TV producer, a retired ironworker and a few lawyers
Watching tugboats pushing huge barges along the Hudson River
Living in a town filled with beauty, even in unlikely places, like the walls of a newly-emptied store
A cocktail on the roof at Red Hat at sunset at the river’s edge
The thwack of a well-hit golf ball
Pretty earrings, a gift from Jose for my recent birthday
Butterscotch pudding — only 130 calories!
Hitting to the outfield, (ok, the edges anyway)
My crisp, citrus-y new fragrance, Oyedo, by French brand Dipthyque. The original name of Tokyo — Edo — is apt, given my love of Japanese design and ukiyo-e prints
Setting a pretty table for guests, place cards and all
Late afternoon tea, loose leaves, made in a pot and drunk from my Moomin mug
What are some of yours?
Broadside 
Gratitude. That’s what it’s all about. Thanks for helping me savor the little things.
Thanks!
For me it starts with observation…many people are so focused on the Next Big Thing (or their phones) they don’t even notice the lovely details around us all day. You can only be grateful for what you’re even aware of. 🙂
A good book. Gift cards to Amazon or iTunes. Knowing someone bought and enjoyed one of my books. Just being in Germany and the possibilities for what I can do. Getting ideas for stories.
Where do I begin? Watermelon anytime, but especially on a hot afternoon. A gentle, romantic kiss from my guy. Laying my head down on my pillow after a long day. The shade of tree on a sunny day. A quiet moment after too much noise. A hug from someone I care about. 🙂
All of these!
Thanks…:-)
And more! 😉
What a lovely post 🙂 I also enjoy waking up to birdsong (I was happily surprised to learn it can be heard quite often here, even in the middle of a city), and a long dinner with wine, friends, and good conversation is one of my favourite things. Another simple pleasure of mine is listening to the sea; I find it very comforting, probably because for most of my life all I had to do was step outside the door to hear it. (Also – love the selfie of you wearing your sunglasses!)
I’m lying in bed in Maine as I write this — listening to birds outside the window. Such a nice thing to wake up, for sure!
The sound of the ocean must be soothing, too.
Love those sunnies — $11 or so at a London flea market. They’re actually really good quality.
this is so wonderful, and i love, love the table setting.
Thanks! I had lusted after that table for years and my father gave it to us this year. Really nice to finally have a good dining table.
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