It’s so easy to find things annoying – the sound of gum chewing kills my oldest, Daniel can’t stand when people are out of tune, and I could write an essay about the crappy drivers who do the Boston-slow-down-without-fully-stopping-despite-the-stop-sign routine by my house.

Remember that book?  It filled the stockings of many and either makes you happy (that would be #366!) or makes you want to smack yourself over the head with it (“Funky dance music”, “Peppermint Ice Cream”).

But I suspect that this is partly due to the slightly insipid cover and the fact that the little things – and funky dance music cannot really be considered little, right? – are what make us happy.  Like my wooden spoons.  Or my ugly ugly slippers. I’m all for being grateful and happy about little things.

But other people’s little happy lists are not necessarily your small bits of happy.

My oldest son loves French punk music.  Daniel delights in the perfect root beer float when the root beer is really cold and the ice cream threatens to – but doesn’t – froth over.

And these tomatoes I learned to make from my friend, Cris, are on my list.  Small?  Yes. But just one brings me right back to her airy kitchen where we eat freshly made goat cheese and dance to (non-funky) music.

Put some on your salad or pasta or cheese-slathered toast and you might find a few minutes of happy, too.*

*If not, be happy about cobblestone streets.  Unless, of course, you are in flip-flops or lugging a rolling bag or have a broken toe.