September 10th, 2012

1000 Things We Like–yet more!

These are from Allyson Latta on her lovely blog. This lady is very good at liking things–and such wonderful things to like:

137) endings to books that make me want to cry because they’re so perfect
138) Leonard Cohen’s voice, no matter how husky it gets
139) fresh mangoes, and don’t ask me to share (RR says: that’s at least two mango likers so far on this list–but different angles, so I’m letting it stand)
140) freckles across the bridge of the nose (anyone’s but mine)
141) driving alone with the radio turned up
142) driving barefoot in summer (a no-no, I realize)
143) the view of the lake from Loeb Boathouse in Central Park
144) actually, everything about New York City
145) writer friends, published or not
146) kinkajous
147) taking photos, when no one’s telling me to hurry
148) buying a new bracelet
149) creating something yummy for dinner when there’s virtually nothing in the fridge
150) ghostly tales
151) sunlight on water, so sparkly I have to squint
152) talking to others who love books and movies as much as I do
153) amber
154) Saturday morning coffee (fresh ground) in my pj’s
155) planning a trip, or a writers’ retreat
156) dry wit
157) browsing bookstores, with nowhere else to be
158) my husband’s laugh when he’s watching Seinfeld re-runs, no matter how many times he’s seen the episode
159) jazz festivals
160) the feel of a sailboat heeling over
161) Elvis Presley
162) colourful anythings
163) messages from old friends
164) messages from new friends
165) crazy coincidences (life is full of them)
166) writing
167) the first bite of a cone when you’ve licked down to it (RR says: zactly)
168) the things I learn from my book club that have nothing to do with books
169) new bar of soap in the shower
170) my Morkie’s little head-tilt when he’s listening
171) memoirs that go deep
172) a field of cosmos
173) terra cotta
174) swimming a long way under water
175) a foot massage when I’m least expecting one
176) creative people and the way they think
177) old limestone houses
178) roller coaster rides
179) just-washed hair
180) teaching people who really want to learn
181) dolphins in the wild
182) friends who don’t check their cell phones while they’re with me
183) Battenberg cake
184) Kingston’s waterfront
185) Van Morrison’s “Brown-Eyed Girl”
186) my kids accomplishing something I didn’t realize they could do
187) me accomplishing something I didn’t realize I could do
188) finding something that was lost
189) The Great Gatsby
190) chardonnay, oaked or un-oaked
191) Facebook and Twitter (god help me)
192) the Rideau Canal
193) feeling giggly
194) listening to my husband playing guitar
195) people-watching
196) roast lamb with garlic and rosemary
197) a luscious teal on my toenails
198) both “our” Ryans (Reynolds and Gosling)
199) realizing I don’t have to go grocery shopping after all
200) having my hair brushed and brushed, like my niece used to do when she was little
201) the scent of snow
202) strangers who smile (or smile back) at me
203) cobbled streets
204) being introduced to new music
205) country music (don’t ask me why)
206) dappled sunlight through leaves
207) films that really make me feel
208) hot, buttery toast
209) the way a friend of mine signs off messages to me with “Zigzags” — there’s a story there
210) Main Street in Unionville, day or evening, any season
211) editing a wonderful manuscript
212) remembering things my mother said, and knowing she was right
213) sushi (and just writing that makes me crave some)
214) houseboat holidays in the Thousand Islands
215) having someone else clean my house — and that fresh smell after they do
216) words I have to look up in the dictionary
217) finding out my kids remember something about their early years that I thought they’d forgotten
218) drinks on a patio in summer
219) hiking in the autumn
220) the way my husband’s eyes turn bluer when he wears a blue shirt
221) enthusiastic people, whatever their passion
222) singing “O Holy Night” at Christmas
223) singing, period
224) also dancing
225) that weird connection that redheads have
226) Greek food on the Danforth
227) the scent of a wood fire
228) hugs
229) wearing sandals with a bit of a heel
230) fresh cilantro
231) horseback riding
232) memories of my brother’s chuckle, so clear in my mind though he’s gone
233) a new DVD arriving in the mail from Zip.ca
234) spending time with a friend who’s known me forever
235) disposable contact lenses
236) the smell of banana loaf baking
237) zip-lining
238) gentle (but strong) men
239) strong (but gentle) women
240) the light after a rain
241) first time out with a new handbag
242) canoeing
243) goofy pratfalls in comedy
244) pretty much anything chocolate with a glass of milk
245) Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s crinkly-eyed smile (RR says: yes!)
246) achy-bright mornings
247) rainy mornings as long as I don’t have to go anywhere
248) my home office when it’s organized
249) juicy peaches
250) my kids making me laugh when I’m trying to be mad at them (sometimes)
251) tropical breezes
252) browsing celebrity mags at the hair stylist’s, guilt-free
253) having a dog, because I never really thought I would
254) the red rocks of Sedona
255) a surprise invitation
256) the chlorine smell of a swimming pool
257) ticking something off my to-do list
258) blue cheese
259) Latin guitar
260) that when we’re out, my husband notices cute babies before I do
261) pretty journals with nothing yet written in them
262) pretty journals with stuff written in them
263) waking up to an adventure somewhere other than home
264) wearing sunglasses
265) Architectural Digest
266) fireflies
267) photos of my kids when they were wee and didn’t know how cute they were
268) Indian food with raita
269) Thai coconut curry
270) wearing my hair up on a hot, hot day
271) strolling the boardwalk in Toronto’s Beach neighbourhood, where I used to live
272) the smell of fresh paint
273) shavasna at the end of yoga practice
274) good science fiction
275) my dog nuzzling my toes
276) riding a bike
277) a short lineup at a checkout (or better yet, no lineup)
278) Japanese pottery
279) idea people, like Rebecca (RR says: aw, thanks!)