I don't always count the things that make me smile in a day. We haven't had the easiest go of it over the last three years and it has been a conscientious effort on my part to find the good things in life everyday and really appreciate them. Some days it take herculean effort to see the good and other days it's like my life is so full of blessings I can't even stand it.

Yesterday three things stuck out to me. The kids in our class have communication books that need to be signed by the teachers at the end of every day. The teacher put a little star and smiley face in one student's book and the next student requested a little doodle, too. So the teacher put a little star and smiley face in his book. He looked at it, and looked at her again and said, "No, I wanted a cross," as he drew an X on the book with his finger. So she drew an "X" in his book. He looked at it, and looked and her and said, "No, I wanted a *heavenly* cross." So she drew him a heavenly cross, right there in his communication book.

After school I headed over to Michael's to pick up some craft supplies and was kicking myself for a) not bringing my gift certificate and b) not printing up a coupon online. As I was standing in line the woman in front of me turned and asked if I wanted the coupon she had printed up because she didn't need it. I was tickled. Especially because I've done that a couple of times for other people at Michael's when I have an extra coupon and it felt nice, like I was being spoiled, to be on the receiving end.

And finally, as Daryl and I were standing in the park by our building taking some photos I noticed something on the building that's being constructed on our street. The construction guys had been glueing up vapour barrier, probably about four floors up, when I guess they had to quit for the day so the top two or three floors were bare brick. All except on spot that had a huge "HI" painted in glue on the brick and the dot for the i was a drain spout.

It's not a million dollars, it's not all my dreams come true, but it's enough. For today it's enough.