Oooo Salsa Dancing! Wish I could do it! So sprightly, so lively, so fun-looking. But these arthritic old hips just can't Latin-ize anymore. But that's not what is on my 12 Favorite Things list. At least not that kind of salsa.
Yes, here I am with yet another list. My little piece of the planet here in Northern California has been gray and rainy lately and it is very VERY difficult to get the artist muse busy on a gray day, so I've been ruminating on lists. You see them everywhere right now as writers and pundits think back on this year of 2010. Don't you like this word, pundit? What's a pundit anyway? Definition: a source of opinion, a critic or a learned person; often used as political pundit - oooo is that an oxymoron? Well, lest I devolve into cynicism here's my list of 12 Favorite Things.
ONE: Having a lunch of nothing but chips and salsa, with a big glass of iced tea. Sometimes I add half a Washington red apple and chunk of Jack cheese. Wish I could do hot spicey, but I am content with mild salsa. I like bits of onion and cilantro in it and a sqeeze of lime.
TWO: Settling into the sofa on a gray winter day with a bag of pretzel chips and a small tub of artichoke spinach dip with a huge cup of vanilla caramel coffee. - Okay this one isn't necessarily a nutritionally good-for-you choice, but it is a comforting one. Yes I am intensely grateful that 1) I live in a part of the world where I have the choice to have these things, 2) have the bit of grocery budget I can manipulate to purchase them, and 3) the leisure to enjoy them.
THREE: Snuggling into the sofa in the evening, watching a favorite movie on tv, with George our Amazon parrot nestled on my lap – better than a cat any day of the week. And, yes, he can purr. His feathers are so soft. He likes to have his head scratched and petted. He curls up into a little green fluff ball. When he does that I'm reminded how very fragile is Life - this tiny creature has hollow bones, is a prey animal [a hawk would have him for supper if possible] and is absolutely dependent on the humans in his life for food, shelter and companionship. Although in personality you'd think George was as big as an adult male ostrich!
FOUR: Sitting in the backyard with my grandson playing whatever he wants to play. Matt is 3 1/2 years old as of this writing. I adore revisiting the world through his eyes. This past October I spent a week at his house and one day Matt and I sat in the front lawn playing helicopter with the seeds of the tree at the edge of the driveway. We'd throw them up and watch them spin down. We talked about how he was going to be in high school some day and, in his words, "be the best football player." On another day his mom had found for him the dried husk of grasshopper - what a treasure for a little boy! Well he had much fun laying this thing on Grandma's knee and hearing her say 'Yuck!" If you have a 3-year old in your extended family, enjoy every minute.
FIVE: Shopping with my daughters. Spending time with my daughters has always been a joy. When they were little girls the three of us would take day trips - we'd go to the coast or a park. When they became teens - and got beyond that whole adolescent thing about being allergic to be around your parents - we'd go to the mall. Going to the mall is, I think, uniquely American. It's not about spending money but about dreaming. They are young married women now but we still enjoy our shopping trips.
SIX: Taking a vacation with my husband – anywhere – he’s so easy and fun to be with and we always have a lot of laughs. I remember some years ago we had the wonderful opportunity to go to Hawaii - a few days on Maui and a few days on Kauai. While on Maui we went whale watching -well, it rained while we were on the boat and we weren't prepared for it. We got drenched! Rather than have that spoil the day, we just laughed at it and made getting drenched a part of the adventure.
SEVEN: Working in my art studio with my favorite tv show playing in the background. It just doesn't get any better than this.
EIGHT: My laptop, iPhone and iPod. There was a time when I never would have included technology on a list of favorite things, but these items bring me joy. The laptop has opened up the world for me. Its portability allows me to maintain my work online even on those days when health issues confine me to the sofa. Software has opened up a whole new line of artwork for me which is exciting. The cell phone's features keep me in touch, up-to-date and informed...not to mention helping me navigate when I'm in my car and momentarily lost. I have to admit, I actually want an iPad - I see value there. I love music and the iPod was the first bit of modern technology I truly wanted. How cool is it that you can get so much music into a bit of metal not much bigger than a credit card? And with such great sound quality?
NINE: Which leads me to the amplifier for the iPod - it's kind of like a boombox but for my iPod - and it's pink. It's a girl thing.
TEN: My 12-year old bonsai Gingko Tree. My paternal grandmother was a master gardener. She also had a serious collection of bonsai trees. I wish, in retrospect, that I had been interested in them when I was a child and could have had her teach me; but such is Life. Eight years ago I bought a 4-year old bonsai Gingko Tree. It stands about 3 feet tall and it now has miniature leaves. I love it. I always am reminded of Grandma when I care for it.
ELEVEN: My 20+ year-old artist drafting table – it’s scarred and stained but perfect in its imperfection. Because I work in a variety of media I needed a table rather than an easel for my art work. About 20 years ago I found this simple and inexpensive drafting style table with a high chair to go with it. It has a plastic tray with various sized compartments that attaches to one side in which I keep everything from pencils to brushes to my tape measure. Over the years the surface has been scratched and painted on. The center of the front edge even got chewed a bit when George [our parrot] was a baby - baby parrots will chew anything just like a puppy. I love this table. I have it at just the perfect tilt to protect my back - I have the legs sitting on old vhs tapes to adjust the height.
TWELVE: My digital camera. Oh I do love digital. The invention of the digital camera is a wonder - it allows me to take as many photos as I want and not waste film; and not wait for film processing. In observing my grandson and great nieces and nephews, there is a whole generation of people being raised in front of the camera!
What would you consider your 12 favorite things?
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