Some of My Favorite Things

Songs where Emmylou Harris sings harmony.
Reading out loud to a kid, or to a boyfriend who is curled up and half-falling asleep.
A bowl of buttered popcorn, popped in a heavy pan on the stove the old fashioned way.
Rowing a dinghy ashore to an island in Penobscot Bay.
The moment just before you hit the water when you dive, and the moment just after, when you're all tingly and surprised.
The smell of the tea roses all around my house in June
Peonies. Also, sweet peas.  Also, zinnias. 
Dancing the way I danced in the dream I had last night.
Getting the spinnaker up smoothly around the mark on a very windy day and surging forward, the boat humming and spray everywhere.
Sitting in front of a fire, or a woodstove, reading a book or playing Scrabble or chess.
Limes.
Being held.
The feeling of my cheeks warming up when I come in from being outside in the cold for a long time.
Sitting in the green rocking chairs on the porch of the yacht club after a day of sailing.
Take out curry from Haggarty's.
A conversation that flirts and moves and zooms and makes me feel smart and engaged and alive.
That rose tea at that cafe that I've never had anywhere else.
Getting something personal and unexpected in the mail.
The way my dog romps at the beginning of a walk, ears back, leaping and running back to me, then dashing off around the corner, lurching with excitement because she can't decide where to go first.
That tasty black olive spread, on stone ground wheat thins.
Popham Beach.
Listening to music, loud.  Live, preferably.
The lingering instant of anticipation right before a first kiss.
A really good burrito, with lots of guacamole. 
Quahog Bay.
Being outside in the dark dark night. 
Picking raspberries.
Lemon sorbet with ginger cookies.
The smell of seaweed. 

Comments

[will]

Wow. I really enjoy your blog.

Reading your blog makes me think: There better be a bunch of boys chasing you!

I am happily committed to a wonderful woman, but even I catch myself thinking, "wow, I want to date her." And the added beauty of it, is that I dont have any clue what you look like.

[The Happy Feminist]

It all sounds very wholsome . . . which is a good thing. Wholsome is good.

[Jeremy]

Great post.

[will]

I love the song My Favorite Things. John Coltrane also has a very good version.

My favorite things:

My daughter laughing
Sitting on the bed listening to my son tell me something
Picking blackberries with my kids on a hot July day
Swimming alone on a warm summer night
Walking/running in the snow on a moonlight night
Sleeping on my stomach when my daughter climbs on my back and hugs me
Steam rooms
The feeling in my muscles after a long hard workout
Blasting The Band and dancing around the room with my family
Reading a sentence and feeling like you are instead someone's brain, feeling the exact feeling they are feeling, smelling the smells they are smelling

[Courtney]

Your post makes me want to go experience life.

[Philip]

Lovely post.

Can I ask about the "smell of seaweed?"

[The Prince of Torts]

Emmylou Harris: The sound of heartbreak in her voice when she sings "In My Dreams" is so true that you would swear its autobiographical. And it is, because it was written by her husband when he found out she was leaving him for a member of her band. "...'cause I'll still hold you tight, in my dreams." Emmylou with Gram Parsons is pretty good, too.

[Derrick]

"The lingering instant of anticipation right before a first kiss.
A really good burrito, with lots of guacamole.
Limes."
and my favorite:
"Reading out loud to a kid, or to a boyfriend who is curled up and half-falling asleep."

I absolutely love this one (from the boyfriend aspect). It's been so long since this has happened, and not exactly something you can ask for... well, you can, it just doesn't mean as much when it is spontaneous.
Great blog!