I was thinking today, when I wrote on Facebook about black cherry yogurt, that there are many things that make my days easier--easier in the sense that they relax me, make the time pass well, or give that extra little flip of joy. These are family-related or people related necessarily--those are givens. These are the other things, like the black cherry yogurt Larry packs in my lunch, that make me say "Life is good."
What would be the top ten of these? Here's my list:
1. Really good coffee, preferable hazelnut. And tea, Earl Grey, in English teacups.
2. Eggs for breakfast. I like them best fried, but soft-boiled is great, and coddled is awesome.
3. The smell of rain, especially rain that starts soft and easy.
4. A good book on tape. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books relax me and bring my stress level down about 50 notches. The reader's voice in these books is perfect, and the easy, slow way of life in Botswana as Mma Ramotswe goes about solving life's small problems reminds me not to take things so seriously.
5. Old ballads well sung.
6. Time on the yard swing that was the porch swing that we bought when I was 8 months pregnant with my youngest son (that would have been July 1986).
7. Watching birds in the gardens. Not straining to see what they are, or using binoculars. Just watching them fly and sing and dig for worms.
8. Driving two-lane or one-lane roads, seeing people doing their daily routines--working in gardens, getting the mail, hanging laundry.
9. My soft white cotton nightgown that has holes in it but is so comfortable for sleeping.
10. Rocking chairs.
What's on your list?
I have many of the same favorites. Tea, my hideous nightgown, a good book, sitting on the porch during a rain shower, talking on the phone to my best friend and I could keep going.The gathering of us all at the dinner table. This makes all of my work of the day feel well worth doing. Happy faces, full bellies and knowing that evening is here to rest, relax and enjoy.
ReplyDeleteHearing the sounds of my children sleeping.
ReplyDeleteAmy
Mmmmm, lovely.
ReplyDeleteI would add snuggly puppies, naps, and gardening.
Connie
1. hugs from my kids
ReplyDelete2. A book of US History
3. Granny Sue's Blog
4. A Phone Call with my Mom
5. Making a big breakfast
6. A clear cold starry night
7. A cold beer
8. Good Mexican Food
9. A cup of tea
10. The occasional Bubble Bath
That's a pretty good list! Hard to improve on it!
ReplyDelete1. The scent of pine
2. A solid, easy daily routine
3. A job well done, by hand
4. Playing hymns on the piano
5. Biscuits & Gravy
6. A nice cool night for sleeping
7. My old, beat-up quilts
8. Pot roast
9. Celtic music
10. Canoeing
Well, let's see.
ReplyDeleteI also like sitting outside listening and watching the birds,too. Charley's been on days this week and every morning at 4:30 when he leaves there's a whip-poor-will outside singing away. I love Celtic music (if any of you have been to my blog you would know that), oatmeal and strawberries (or blueberries) for breakfast, walking on country roads, rocking chairs and writing.
What wonderful lists! so many of these I could add to my own list. If I made my ten-things-with-people list it would include:
ReplyDeletelittle boys in overalls, little girls stirring big bowls of cake mix, watching a grandchild throwing rocks in the water for the first time, listening to my grownup sons laughing together, my husband playing with the dogs, drinking tea with my sisters (heck, doing anything with my sisters!), touching the soft cheeks of a new baby (now especially that great-granddaughter), the faces of family around a fire, remembering my mother's and father's voices, looking at old family photos, and sharing a glass of wine with friends.
I'm sure my answers will be skewed by your answers since I like all of those things. There's are many things that relax me, such as:
ReplyDelete1-A meadow filled with fat cattle in belly deep grass.
2-The screech of a red-tailed hawk.
3-The sight of a large tree in the forest.
4-Walking through and around rock cliffs with moss and lichens on them.
5-Visiting anyplace with an incredible view (like North Mountain rocks which overlook Germany Valley).
6-The laughter of my family.
7-The sound of an acoustic guitar played well.
8-Being awakened by the gentle clucks and crows of chickens in the morning.
9-The smell of the woods after a rain.
10-The taste of good Indian food.
Nice list, Matthew--and like you, your list reflects the things I love too.
ReplyDeleteChristopher--thank you for that nice compliment! It made my day to think you look forward to reading what I write.
ohhh lovely lists!
ReplyDeletesome of mine...
*going through the forest and seeing the wildness i live within
*bedtime listening to radio 4 and having that lovely warm, sleepy feeling
*music, especially Bach's suite for solo cello and Boccherini's La Musica Notturna
...many more
This is fun!
ReplyDelete1. The family laughing together
2. The sound of wind through the forest
3. My baby babbling
4. Sun rises
5. The smell of old books
6. Beverages at the right moment - either coffee, tea or wine.
7. the crackling of a fire
8. A hug from someone I love.
9. Family dinners - there's 16 of us and during the summers, we have weekly dinners
10. The sound of silence.
oooh--the smell of old books, crackling fires, walking in forests. All on my lists too.
ReplyDeletewelcome, speedymac. Hope you visit again.