I have been looking at an old sampler in my bathroom that
says, "Be virtuous if you would be happy" and it got me to
thinking about the things that give me joy.

Cooking brings me a great deal of satisfaction. There is nothing like the smell of home made bread baking or
sliding cookies out of the oven or a pot of soup simmering
on the stove to spell home and family. I have known
many good cooks in my life. Our Laura is one of the best.
When I was seventeen, I rented a room from a widow
who was fantabulous in the kitchen. She taught me a
lot about cooking and I remember her Sunday noon dinners
with awe. My Dad's mother never used a recipe. It was
just a pinch of this and a pinch of that but she was one
of the greats.

Art is another thing that makes me happy. I try my hand at
creating it occasionally but I love to contemplate it in
museums. One of the highlights of my life was visiting the
Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. I love the impressionist
style and I just bought a Monet print to hang in our craft
room. How I wish it was an original or an even better copy.

Home decorating is another joy . My taste is definitely for the baroque and not for the faint of heart.
My house is always in a state of flux waiting for the next
item that I fall in love with.

My most abiding love is for my family and friends. They are
everything to me. I cry when they are sad and rejoice when
they are happy. As my world grows ever smaller, they are
the stars I navigate by.