Brand New Day (Shiny...)

Yesterday is over. In many ways yesterday was a very bad day, not for me personally but for people I care about. People I care a great deal about.

U.S. Naval Aviators assigned to the "Checkmates" of Sea Control Squadron Two Two (VS-22) dress out in flight gear during preparations for combat mission over Iraq.

I care deeply about every man and woman in uniform, out there right now, serving their country with pride and honor. This week we lost some of them. That pains me a great deal. Especially when you consider that I am the father of a Naval Flight Officer and the father-in-law of a Naval Aviator. There are times, more times than I care to think about, that I've said, "There, but for the grace of God, go my kids." It's always in the back of your mind.

But one thing I learned during my own military service is that sometimes bad things happen. But you can't dwell on it, the world doesn't stop because of it, you have to Charlie Mike - Continue Mission. Sure, take a deep breath, say a prayer, but drive on troop. There will be time for sadness later, someday. Maybe.

Today ain't that day. Today I will think "happy thoughts" (or some such nonsense), today I will Charlie Mike. Of course, personally it helps that I have a deep faith and abiding love for the Lord. I know (not believe, KNOW) that someday we'll be re-united with the ones we loved, and lost. Ya gotta have faith.

So with that in mind, I saw a post over at the Brighton Pensioner which I really enjoyed (of course that applies to all of them, but this is the latest), titled Happy Thinking. Go read it, it's not that long. Point is, it's a nice meme. I'm going to piggy-back off that and write my own version. With pictures. Color photographs even. This is it. (Yeah, I know. Pretty lengthy preamble, but sometimes I do tend to go on, just a bit...)

Five Things That Make Me Smile or Give Me Pleasure

(Not Counting Family - As that's too easy)

1. Yeah, fast military jets. Seeing these in flight ALWAYS makes me happy!

2. Always guaranteed to make me say, "Ahhhhhh, that's so cute!" Yeah, and make me happy. Gruff old Non-Commissioned Officer that I am, kittens and puppies make me smile.

3. It may be atavistic in nature, but there is something in me which is satisfied (made happy) by being near the sea. When I was a kid, "going to the ocean" was a huge treat. Not to belittle the adopted home state of the Missus Herself and the state where I went to college, Colorado would be perfect. Indeed perhaps, "Heaven on Earth". If it only had an ocean...

4. To be fair, now that I've mentioned Colorado, seeing the Rocky Mountains makes me happy. They're beautiful and they remind me of the many happy days I spent in that fair state. (Well, except for the eastern portion, which looks a lot like Kansas. Kinda flat and kinda boring... Hey! What a great place to put an ocean! Nah, I'm sure there's people who love the Great Plains. Oh wait. I'm one of those. But we should bring back the buffalo. Somehow...)

5. Autumn in New England. Always makes me happy. The smell, the colors, the quality of the afternoon sunlight. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

That'll do it, that's a pretty good list. Not exhaustive of course, but those five things are pretty much guaranteed to make me happy. At least for a moment.

And sometimes...

That's all you need.