04 | September | 2011

Twenty Five

September 4, 2011

Decided to start a list of my favorite twenty five things of all time. Because : 1) twenty five’s a good number; 2) you never know when you might need this kind of list; 3) making a list like this helps one appreciate the little things; 4) I couldn’t think of something better to write about tonight; and 5) I’m a lister (see?).

Start, because I’m guessing that just sitting here right now, I won’t be able to think of the absolute top twenty five.. so I’ll come up with some, but I reserve the right to replace some of these with others that I might think up as time goes on (I do love making my own rules for these things.. the beauty of having one’s very own blog).

Consider the following, then, a work in progress.

I thought of some of these tonight while walking home in a wine fog on a hot summer night.. Wouldn’t you know, wine, walking and hot nights all made the list in some way.

So… my list, in no order, because, you know, it’s just a first pass:

1. A glass of wine, while sitting on a shady patio on a warm night (this warm night), waiting for dinner to come out. And that buzz.

2. Lying in a warm sleeping bag, on a cold night, looking at a starry sky, and falling asleep when you’re really tired.

3. Folk music, especially in the morning.

4. Watching Peter play baseball–a game, a weekend tournament, a practice, a lesson. Watching baseball, scorekeeping, eating sunflower seeds.. any of it, all of it.

5. Going out to breakfast.

6. Mishka’s poppyseed muffin as the first bite of food for the day, along with piping hot cafe au lait, especially after a long walk.

7. A crunchy chocolate necco wafer.

8. Stretching all over. Hanging from a pull-up bar. Twisting my spine. Sprawling out.

9. Going to the movies, eating popcorn and candy.

10. A massage on a heated massage table.

11. Sun through trees…this one’s setting (tonight). I’m a sucker for these shots.

12. Sharp cheese on a sour dough baguette.

13. Stacks and stacks and stacks of books to read. Big chair, pillows, tea, and reading.

14. Settling in a for a long night of bridge, with bridge mix.

15. Getting up really early, walking in the quiet, with long shadows on sunlit grass.

16. Loud rock and roll, open car windows, driving fast on country roads, alone.

17. Being in the Sierra, on a hike, far away, granite forever, the smell of sun-warmed pine, the dryness of the air, the crunch of the dirt, sticks, rocks. The expansiveness of the view from the top of a peak. Sitting and looking at it for a long time.

18. A hot tub on a cold night by the ocean or in the mountains. Lying on the edge to cool off, with a glass of wine, looking at the stars and listening.

19. Writing with a sharp pencil.

20. A new crossword puzzle. Hard, requiring clever thinking, but ultimately doable.