Dear Stranger. Write a letter, get a letter.

It doesn't take much to make me happy. This week I bought joy for two bucks. Not Trader Joe's Two-Buck Chuck but a more sober sort of happiness: a daffodil bunch for just $1.99.

It's Thankful Thursday, let's recount a week of simple, low-cost, high-reward pleasures:

Chopped Salad. Why does salad taste so much better when someone else makes it? And when it's cut into bite-size pieces?

Pentel Sign Pen. They've got good glide, backed with heft. Oh, how I love these black marker-pens.

Affordable Health Insurance. Better coverage, lower price. This self-employed asthmatic is grateful.

Dear Stranger. Oregon Humanities is bringing back the penpal. You write a letter, and get one in return. So old-school and cool. How are you? I am fine.

Sunshine. A slice, a sliver, a sunbreak. I'll take any scrap of light.

Please join me for Thankful Thursday, a weekly pause to express appreciation for the big things, the small fries, and all the inbetweens. What are you thankful for today?