My dog likes to bake herself.

i was in the kitchen doing the dishes this morning and something caught my eye.  my old lady dog, dixiemae, was outside sunning herself.  this is her favorite thing to do in the whole entire universe.  i've seen her lay (or is it lie? hmmm) in the sun a million times.  but this time i stood there staring out the window at her happiness for a little while.  she gets sooo hot and her tongue sticks out and luckily she is panting so you can tell she is alive.  she is on her back.  and she is smiling with her eyes closed.  when the wind blows she sits up and enjoys it hitting her face.  she can only do this a few minutes at a time.  she comes back in and cools off and then goes back outside for another dose.  she doesn't do it every day, only in very hot weather.

watching her do this, i realized that this is her thing that gives her extreme happiness.  woah.  do i have something like that?  do you?  it is something that she looks forward to and when she gets to do it, there is nothing else in the world she'd want to do.  not even come in for some cheese.  

this is a toughy.  i thought it might be sewing, but every project i start i get tired of working on.  cakes?  paintings?  hmm nah.  i love to do them, but extreme happiness?  it must be something simple.  the obvious:  hanging out with the family.  duh.  but what else?  i know what gareth's is:  tap dancing.  lilli:  dance class.  i'm talking about the thing that makes you excited.  when you know you get to do it, you have an extra spring in your step.  perhaps it was crossfit.  when i used to work out all of the time.  who knows, but i am excited to find that thing that is equal to dixie's sun tanning.  inner peace.  no thinking of every day worries.  

what is yours?  perhaps i can steal it.