Five Friday Happy Bringers (6/14/13)

I’m Hot but Happy.  98 degrees yesterday here in Savannah (heat index way over 100); 95 today.  Whew.  But unless I’m having heat tremors, here’s what I’m happy about today.

1.  Seeing Love listed as an ingredient on a product label.

But kale?  KALE??  Seriously?

2.  The surprising, intricate beauty of looking up in Savannah.

3.  My good buddy Riboclavin …

… without a thermometer.  Okay, so maybe he doesn’t seem to be enjoying his food 100%, but still, he’s sitting in the sun, getting a vitamin D boost.

4.  As some of you know, my grandkids call me “Abu” (Cuban/Hispanic shortened version of grandfather) because I thought “grandfather,” etc sounded entirely too paternally old.  Well, six-year-old Daniel and three-year-old Gabriel are WILD over Skylanders.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, DO NOT try to figure it out.  It’s far too complicated.  But the Skylander franchise is basically taking over the world, of kids.  Anyway, I recently told D and G that a brand new, exciting Skylander figure had just come available on the market, AbuForce!

The three-year old bought it for minute until the six-year-old exclaimed, “No way, Abu.  You’re joking again.”

“I am not,” I lied.  (Why does that trait come so easily to me?)

“Prove it, then,” smart-mouth Daniel challenged.

“Okay I will,” I responded, having no clue how to do so, or even what I meant.

“When?” he asked, a little smart-mouthier.

“Tomorrow,” I easily answered.

Sometimes, angels come your way.  I told my friend Robert about my dilemma.  He laughed and said he might be able to help.  It seems the U.S miltary has a program called Huggs-to-Go, providing dolls for children of service men and women deployed.  The figures have a place at the face for pictures of dad or mom, etc.  Since Robert is retired Army and currently works at Hunter Army Airfield, he somehow managed to get me two of the dolls.

I presented the AbuForce figures to Daniel and Gabriel the next day.  Both, in shock that there really was an AbuForce, melted my heart with their excitement over my little joke.

And the following day, they brought unparalleled joy to my heart when they both told me that they slept with AbuForce.

5.  Beautiful paths to walk down.

Look for some joy this weekend.  You’ll find it.