Life has been especially challenging of late, both personally and professionally. Yesterday, however, life concocted a recipe for real happiness, at least for one day, by surrounding me with simple pleasures:

• gorgeous weather
• anticipation of a 3-day weekend
• a great song repeated over and over – Peter Nero’s rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow – I dare you to maintain a bad mood after listening to that song – I find it rather impossible
• lunch with a good friend
• an adorable Shar Pei puppy

Meet Zoe, my friend’s adorable and enchanting new puppy.

There’s just something about the power of puppies (or kittens) to make you forget your troubles. Life’s difficulties melt away when you’re watching a wrinkled little puppy frolic in the grass, interact too closely with the bees in the garden, enjoy a good scratch on the head from her Mama, fetch a toy hedgehog or stick, or chase…