Despite the weariness, there is a lot to be happy about at this time of year.

And sometimes it’s best to ruffle through the exhaustion and focus on the happy things…like the pre-school decorations that are both giddy and haphazard, the heartfelt gestures of 71,000 Australians, the fact that we have a roof over our head, food in our fridge and a Christmas to celebrate.

We so easily loose sight of the good at this time of year because we’re so focused on the to-dos.

And so a happy list, if you will:

• a canopy set up in the backyard for a photoshoot; a new-found cubby for a little daydreamer
• carols playing on repeat
• the rain that broke the intense heat and humidity
• the audible sigh from the grass and plants and trees because there’s nothing quite like a summer soaking
• pine needles on the floor, carrying their scent when they’re walked through the house
• fresh beeswax candles ready for Christmas wish making
• excitable children who wonder and wait
• a new bolga basket for beach trips
• a much anticipated visit to the second-hand Christmas book fair which resulted in a box of holiday reads
• the kindness of a local blogger (Katie passed 10 issues of Taproot magazine onto me)
• this book and its celebration of small-town country Australia
• cherries and mangoes and pineapple and watermelon
• pigtails
• holidays…so close!
• a solo train trip with a cup of tea and a good book

What’s making you happy?