Fishing poles and Blues. Peanut butter burgers and baked potatoes. Straw hats. Daiquiris and cover bands on Bourbon. Shrimp po-boys. The way everything smells after the rain. Beignets and cafe au lait. Decatur and Esplanade. Street art for sale. Haunted tours at night.

One of my favorite books, 14,000 Things to Be Happy About, reads just like that. Pages of lists of simple life things that make the heart smile. For a while, Eric and I would read a page of that book each day, putting an initial by the one thing on the page that made us happiest.

Today, my list of things to be happy about comes straight from a page in my life’s book, set in New Orleans. [Read more…]