SIMPLE, REASSURING PLEASURES

* Big stacks of clean, folded laundry

* Snoopy thank-you cards

* The sound of me and my sweetie munching popcorn while we watch t.v.

* Freshly-scrubbed windowsills (I finally did it - seems like good Feng Shui to have them free and clear of debris and clutter)

* Daffodils planted in my neighbors' backyards (I can see them in their yellow glory from my window)

* Pile of library books sitting on my desk, and knowing that I can renew them with a click of my computer mouse

* A clear folder filled with stamps and return address labels

* Being greeted by neighborhood storekeepers

* Complete silence

* The pink and white blooms of the magnolia tree outside our second-story window

* A newly-purged filing system (obsolete stuff is gone and there's room for new projects and opportunities to come my way)

* Reading on the airplane, sans the distractions of everyday life

* Putting things I no longer need, use or want on my front stoop knowing they will soon be in the hands of someone who wants or needs them more than I do

* The movie Moonstruck (takes place in Brooklyn Heights, not far from me)