One person’s idea of Heaven could be another person’s idea of Hell. Somebody might relish the idea of spending the evening getting dressed up and heading out to watch a musical. Whereas I would be more than happy to curl up on the sofa with a glass of wine and spend the evening in front of the telly. But then, I consider myself to be an introvert so that’s hardly surprising.

Anyway, these are the things that make me happy.

Cats

I love cats. I’ve always loved cats. There’s just something special about them. Their laid-back approach to life and their relaxed demeanour. The way in which they’re more than happy just to spend most of the day asleep, emerging only occasionally to satisfy their hunger or pester the local wildlife.

My own cat, Mia, is a real diva and guilty of all of the above. But then her fur is so beautifully soft and her little meow so adorable that she can get away with it.

Reading

There are few things more pleasurable in life than settling down with a good book. Especially if the weather is all cold and grey outside and you’re cosy and safe and snuggled up under a blanket inside the house.

I enjoy reading fiction. I’m a huge fan of Ben Elton as a writer and also Sue Townsend. I also like biographies and memoirs as well. ‘Skint Estate’ by Cash Carraway is one of my recent purchases and comes highly recommended.

Country walks

Especially at this time of year. I love the changing of the seasons from summer to autumn and then to winter. The way in which the leaves on the trees turn from green to red to brown and eventually fall to the ground.

I love to see the smoke rising from the chimneys into the cold grey skies, and I love the crispness of the air and the smell of a bonfire burning in the distance.

I love the frost on the ground in the morning and the frozen spiderwebs on the gates.

Living in Wiltshire I’m very lucky to be surrounded by beautiful countryside, and wrapping up warm and heading out on foot for a few hours during the colder months is a real pleasure.

Kindness

I enjoy seeing people be kind to one another. Whether in person or, as was the case with Edmund O’Leary last week, online.

I think that if somebody is going through a difficult time or if someone is struggling with something, no matter how trivial, it’s lovely to be able to help them out and put a smile on their face.

I guess what I’m saying is that I enjoy seeing other people happy.

Gaming

Playing video games is something that I’ve enjoyed from an early age. Back when I was just 6 years old my family acquired an Atari and ever since then I’ve been hooked.

I’ve owned most of the popular consoles over the years, as well as a few of the more obscure ones, and I have amassed quite the collection of games and related bits and bobs too.

At present I play on both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita and have an unhealthy addiction to Overwatch. I’m planning on picking up the PlayStation 5 whenever somebody somewhere has it in stock!

Writing

Writing has become something of a passion for me over the past three or so years. I began blogging back in 2017 when my health deteriorated to a point where I was unable to work. I found that expressing my thoughts and feelings in the form of words really helped. Sort of like a form of therapy.

I try to spend four mornings a week writing now and am planning on taking a degree in creative and professional writing next year.

Chocolate

I mean, who doesn’t love chocolate?

What makes you happy? Let me know in the comments below.