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At the risk of trivializing The Word, there are lots of Things We Love. The second definition of the word Love is, after all, "warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion." So here's a random list of
Things I Love, Grouped, And In No Particular Order
1. Names: Annabelle, Samantha, Boris, Tristan, Roberto
2. Foods: Butter, Basil, Olive Oil, Pasta, Duck
3. Activities: Going On Drives, Exploring Civil War Sites, Spending Time With Zydrunas, Teasing St. Patsy
4. Thingies: Mascara, Rick's Old White Tees, Boots, My GPS
5. Places: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Gettysburg, the lakehouse, To Dinner with Rick at Nemo's
Technically, I suppose some Persnickety Readers could snort and snark and say, "This could be termed A Favourite Things List, you know." Well, to him or her I would say this, "Did you get up on the wrong side of the day?" (That, by the way, is a direct quote from my niece Alexis, who had about eleventy thousand of those in her early childhood, and all of them were far more intelligent and sensible than the originals.)
But I digress.
1. Some of you may wonder why neither Jared nor Sam ended up as a Boris, Tristan, or Roberto. In a word, RICK. I was smitten by the name Tristan from the James Herriot book series from decades ago. Come to think of it, I got the name Boris from that, too, and the song about the spider by The Who.
2. As far as foods, those are my constants and will probably not change. Even lobster has disappointed me every once in a while, but these are always True.
3. I don't have a ton of activities that I truly love because so many of them feel worky to me, even writing and now, even reading. It's a concentration issue. But all of these listed bring me such joy. Despite the incredible amounts of nibbling and slobber, time with Zydrunas means unfettered energy and love. That dog loses his mind when I arrive, and it is such a lift to be greeted with unabashed adoration. Jared and Sam do not jump as high as my head, flip themselves into a comma, and wag their back ends until they fall down, even when I bring a pie. But Z does, every time.
4. While I fully realize the Transient Nature Of Things, I can love some anyway. I have a torrid love affair with boots, which comprise 90% of my footwear during the months of October through March, with a week or two of September and April as necessary. Here in NEO with the snow, freezing rain, slush, and uncertain terrain thanks to the aforementioned, boots are a stylish and lazy-easy way to look decent and get through half the year. I have four or five pairs in various colors that I can slide into and not even have to worry if my socks match (although you know, of course, that they do). And if you buy a good, leather pair and take care of them, they can last for years and years. And if you don't buy leather, you don't worry too much about wrecking any that are cheap. Win-win.
5. Finally, these Places I Love, I really do love. They are all places that I can go and relax, watch my husband relax, and/or do things I truly love and enjoy. They are places where I can commune with the Best Parts Of Me.
I can't wait to see your lists of Things You Love in Comments!
1. Names: Olive, Grace, Alexander, Benjamin
ReplyDelete2. Foods: Ice Cream (specifically, Ben & Jerry's Phish Food), Pizza, Bakery Cake (with Lard, not Whipped, icing), Grits & Eggs
3. Activities: Going On Drives, Crocheting, Working Puzzles, Walking in the Woods (During REASONABLE weather)
4. Thingies: My iPhone (to my eternal amazement), my Breakfast Sandwich Maker, My New Chair (I've had two naps in it already & I NEVER nap!), Mike
5. Places: Lake Erie, Western NC (yes, the Whole Place), my Childhood Home, My House
That was fun! I must admit, though, that except for the name Olive, I just pulled the names out of my head at random.
Bug--I have always, always loved the name Alexander. Sam had a very calisthenic Golden Retriever whose name was supposed to be Alexander. Instead, Sam named him Chance. This was the dog who ate a door. He now lives with an entire pack of dogs at my friend Mel's house, where he also goes on wonderful adventures all over the state.
DeleteI'm more like you rather than MsCaroline in that I prefer walking, not hiking, which sounds like lots of hills and knee pain and very "Sound Of Music". One of my favourite walks is all over Chicago.
Isn't the iPhone the best? I, too, fell in love with it more than I ever thought I would, but it has made my life so much more orderly and tidy. It also allows me to keep in quick communication with the boys, my friends near and far, and I can play Words With Friends (scrabble), too! And snap a quick photo for reference, google info, and the list remains endless. If it disappeared tomorrow, I would manage somehow again, but I'd rather not.
Glad you had fun.
I wanted to name #2 Archibald (after my grandfather) or Angus (after an uncle.) MrL nixed both of them, saying that #2 would have to grow up in 21st-century suburban America and both names would consign him to a Childhood of Torment. Party pooper.
ReplyDelete1. Names: Sloane, Grace (my mother's name), ANGUS, Duncan
2. Foods: Creme pumpkins (from the seasonal Harvest Mix; I can only eat about 4 before I become ill, but those 4 I dream about all year long), New England Clam Chowder, beignets, my mother's beef stroganoff.
3. hiking (if the terrain isn't brutal), visiting historic sites, singing with a good choir, cycling, reading, cooking with MrL whilst listening to Weekend NPR shows (all of them) on a chilly winter day, watching a really compelling movie at the theater, getting ready to go somewhere I've never been before (anticipation=an activity, right?)
4. Things: Spotify (online streaming music program), my iPad Air, my new warm hat that doesn't make me look like an escaped convict, and texting gloves
5. Places: Cambodia, Cape Cod beaches, (winter or summer), my father-in-law's antebellum river house in Louisiana, Munich, anywhere along a river early in the morning, anywhere drinking coffee early in the morning with my mother.
MsCaroline---Old-fashioned names are quite fashionable now. Grace has been back for ages, and plain names like Jane and Emma rule the day. My Aunt Shirley is amazed at my nephews, named Everett and Emmett. She said, "I wonder if I'll live long enough to see Ethel and Bertha both come back into style!"
ReplyDeleteThe Mellow Creme candies and candy corn remain a mystery to me. I wish I could love them; I really do. They are adorable and so cheap! Candy corn is even Easter- and Christmas-coloured now! But alas, I dislike it heartily.
I do have a Secret Wish to own an iPad. They seem so light and easy and portable to consume one's Interwebs. I do know, however, that they cause problems for blog commenting sometimes, and I cannot justify buying one right now. Maybe next year.
Thank you for your list. It is insightful and SCOTTISH and quite athletic.
Ooooh, fun. I love light hearted listing.
ReplyDelete1. Names: David, Benjamin, Margaret, Catherine, Anne.
2. Food: Pizza (mushrooms, green pepper, extra cheese, no meat), waffles, Moose Tracks ice cream.
3. Activities: Reading, long drives, crosswords, teaching.
4. Thingies: My iPad, except for autocorrect, multicolored fine point sharpies, DVDs of classic movies
5. Places: London, New Orleans, the Portage Lakes here in Akron, and the upstairs of my own house, which I hope to see again soon!
Names: I vastly prefer Catherine with the C rather than the K. It looks far more elegant and sophisticated. Benjamin is immensely popular with my Readers!
DeleteOh, I do love the crossword puzzles! I DO! And the fine point, multicolored Sharpies! You are my soulmate, fauxprof. Tell me now that you are a huge fan of Waterloo Bridge and Imitation of Life and A Streetcar Named Desire, and you and I are definitely meeting up someplace halfway this spring/summer. I mean it.
Be patient, dear fauxprof. You'll be cursing all those stairs soon enough.
Re Crosswords: one of the highlights of my week are the two wonderful crossword puzzles in the Sunday Plain Dealer comics section, particularly the Merl Reagle offering. And yes to all those films. During my recovery, Turner Classic Movies has provided much entertainment and solace. We gotta get together, girl!
DeleteI love a list. Let's rock.
ReplyDelete1. Names: Bridgette, Miles, Georgia.
2. Food: Lasagna, tacos, filet, gin. (I'm expanding this to include my go to libation). Pork chops.
3. Activities: Visits from mom and dad. Cavs games. Impromptu casino trips. A drink with my friend Chris. Watching basketball with Sam.
4. Thingies: My phone, which is the pinnacle of human wireless achievement and the best thing I own. My bear stapler. It is NOT a stapler for stapling bears. My Jawbone Up.
5. Places: Quicken Loans Arena is my favorite place of all time. Players On Madison (a restaurant where I live). Mom and Dad's house (lake and full time home). My front porch. With a gin.
Jared--I like those names except for Georgia. It sounds old to me, and stuffy. I also greatly dislike pork chops. (Did you know that?) And you know how I feel about gin. Such a sad story. Okay, not sad, but the result is sad.
DeleteThank you for including Dad and me in so many of your loves. I love you too.
1. Names: Samantha, Leanza, Zack, Gus, Sandrine
ReplyDelete2. Food: apples, sesame seeds, roasted chicken, lemon meringue pie, bourbon
3. Activities: walks in the park, reading shelter magazines, lunch with friends, games on my iPad
4. Thingies: my fitbit, pillows, trays for serving food and drinks, waffle maker, potted plants
5. Places: my house, Seattle, Easton in Columbus, London
[This is my second try at commenting here. Lately the system has been eating my comments.]
Ally Bean--I apologize for your troubles. What the heck is going on, I wonder? Is it Google? Blogger? The Interwebs in general?
DeleteNames: I remember a Leanza who was Miss America and then did commentary for dog shows. Is that where you heard the name? I don't think I've ever heard Sandrine before.
I adore lemon meringue pie, but I ultimately end up peeling off the meringue after a bite or two. St. Patsy's recipe is terrific.
Oddly, of all of your Thingies, I love only trays. Pillows end up annoying me unless they are sleeping pillows. I have others, but I usually end up shoving them out of my way.
Isn't loving your home a wonderful thing?
Claire, Angus, Benjamin, gwennyth
ReplyDeletePizza (must have lots of cheese, the runny kind), chocolate in any form (must be milk chocolate), soggy toast and coffee (Kona coffee is my new lifetime best)
Reading, swimming, sewing, walking (whoever said 'in clement weather' is my soul mate) photography, writing
IPAD, PFAFF sewing machine, electric pencil sharpener, any furniture made of cherry wood.
Arizona, the Florida keys, Namibia, my own back yard, all 300 acres of it.
These could be a lot longer;it was a fun exercise! Thanks
Mary G--I also love the name Claire. Quite lovely and evocative of beauty, serenity, nature, and cool colours like blue and green. Gwyneth Paltrow, who strikes me as pretentious and elitist, has ruined the name Gwyneth for me, but I was not crazy about it to begin with. (So you can have all of it!)
DeleteThere are times when I crave really, really good pizza, which is unavailable in my town.
Please feel free to add more categories! Thank you for sharing your loves.
1. Names: Elizabeth, Alexander, Suzanne, Michael
ReplyDelete2. Foods: Ice cream, specifically, Haagen Dazs vanilla, coffee, and chocolate; rare filet mignon; an In-N-Out double-double with grilled onions and extra pickles
3. Activities: attending horse shows with students, watching a great jumpers round (also horses), catching up on fun tv shows, reading biographies
4. Thingies: my rough-scrubby bath mitt, my alarm clock that doubles as a noise machine (wind, ocean, or thunderstorm sounds), the giant ladle I use to mix horse supplements, my favorite metal measuring spoons
5. Places: England, especially London and Stonehenge, any beach in Southern California, San Francisco, local mountains
As a side note, Jared and my daughter continue to be twins in different states. She is really not a drinker, but she loves good gin.
I find Hendricks to be the elite gin option. Love it with a little soda water and either a cucumber or grapefruit to garnish. It is unrelentingly refreshing.
DeleteLaFF--These are all names I have had in my Faves Rotation. Elizabeth is my confirmation name. HaagenDazs coffee is the best coffee ice cream by far for a grocery store type. As far as horses, I never went through that stage that some girls do wherein they become enamoured with horses. I do, however, love to look at the huge Belgian/Percheron breeds at fairs. It's thrilling.
DeleteDon't you wonder how anyone can enjoy good beef any way but rare or at least medium rare? I completely understand personal taste, but cooking beef beyond that mystifies me.
Jared--I will pass on the gin suggestion, as I'm sure it will be a hit and a change from her favorite Bombay Sapphire and tonic garnished with lime from the tree outside my bedroom window.
DeleteNance--It is sacrilege, indeed, to eat beef, especially a cut as lovely as filet, cooked anywhere beyond rare. Horrors!
1. Names: Anne, Olivia, Irene, Gregorio, Alejandro, and the Basque names Arantxa and Iker
ReplyDelete2. Foods: Rice, Manchego Cheese, Cocido madrileño (= chickpea stew), Most Stuff that’s Crunchy (especially potato chips), jamón serrano (= similar to prosciutto), Lobster in butter sauce when I can afford it, Apple Crumble with ice cream
3. Activities: Movies with Mr. O., Lunching with friends, Writing for fun, Traveling anywhere new, Buying caprichos (= stuff I don’t really need) in Ikea, Inventing new recipes, Reading all the gossip and drooling over the pictures in ¡Hola! magazine every week (my one and only print magazine luxury), Being Creative with ... whatever needs a creative touch.
4. Thingies: My Washer & Dryer (because I lived without them for 25 years), My Kindle Fire, Useful Apps, My current PC (boring, but it makes my life sooooo much easier), bras that really fit
5. Places: My very own humble but cozy home, Madrid, the bookshops of London, Austin, anywhere family or friends are...
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P.S. — Brand of mascara? I have yet to find one that doesn’t clump or dry up. And if it exists, I am prepared to spend serious money on it. For now, it’s Maybelline, because it’s cheap and just as (in)efficient as the pricier ones.
Ortizzle--Right now, I am using Clump Crusher, but I am fast becoming disenchanted with it, largely due to its curved brush and how fast it runs out/gets dry in the tube. It goes on well and does indeed prevent clumps, but it is not the Pinnacle Of Mascara Achievement. ;-) That honour used to go to L'Oreal Voluminous, but something happened to its formula, and it became really awful as of late, prompting my switch.
DeleteI used to have a love affair with rice, but I switched to pasta. I completely hate cooking rice, cannot justify buying a rice cooker, which takes up room and is too specific in its use, and now I include rice in meals when I have leftover steamed rice from getting Chinese takeout. They do it better anyway.
I do love Mexican/Puerto Rican rice and beans. If it is on a table at a local get-together, I grab it first.
Hmmm, I've never had problems having a comment go through before. Glad I did a cut and paste based on others' comments. Trying again ...
ReplyDelete1. Names: Carson, Devon, and Libby (that was supposed to be the nickname for the girl we never had whose actual name would have been Mary Elizabeth). Your aunt's comment made me laugh, Nance. As an older child, I remember asking my Mom (probably in earshot of a Bertha we knew), "Who would name their child Bertha?" Beulah was close to that, but we didn't know any Beulahs.There were some men's names I also questioned, but they don't come to mind now. My Dad never cared for his name, Elmer, and I never really liked my own name.
2. Foods: Artichokes, Salmon, Maryland Blue Crab, Pistachios, Ice Cream (the best available, of course, if not homemade), Watermelon, Garlic (adore Majestic Garlic Spread)
3. Activities: Canoeing on the Shenandoah River by our property, motorcycle trips, day trips in car, snorkeling in tropical waters, and camping on our river property and sitting by campfire, loving on Sonny, times spent on trips or out with Smokey (always seems to be better than time together at home, more focused and "lighter" perhaps).
4. Thingies: My Soulmate socks (they make me so happy; I'd love to have a gazillion pairs), divine flannel sheets, my Jefferson cups (they fit my hand well, hold the right amount of libations, and keep my libations cold longer), really good wooden utensils (Chester P. Basil's are fantastic), and my GPS (when it's not taking me into a field and/or a river).
5. Places: Our home, our property on the Shenandoah River, Key West at Christmas, Sedona, Banff, Bermuda ... I could name so many more places.
Great exercise, Nance. It perked me up!
Shirley--Well, crap. I have no idea what the heck is going on. All I can do is continue to apologize and hope it is being addressed.
DeleteNames: You know I love the name Mary, and I've already commented re: Elizabeth. Both winners! Devon is very popular around here for boys, pronounced both DEvon and deVON. My name is a sore spot with me, and whenever I feel like I want to victimize St. Patsy a bit, I pick at it with her. She's getting pretty feisty about it, however, and tells me, "You're free to change it, you know!'
Foods: Garlic! You and me both. Crab, I do love it, but it is so not worth the work. When I go to visit in MD, I always order a good crabcake there. Marylanders do know how to make a good crabcake and how to use Old Bay correctly.
Thingies: I had a pair of Wigwam socks from long ago, a gift from Jared. BEST EVER socks. So warm and cushy for slipper use. Sadly, I wore them to death, and I ended up with a missing one. Now, they don't make them the same. And cups--I have to try them out in the store so that they fit my hand correctly. I get it, esp. coffee.
And I completely agree with the time out and about with husbands being different and better than time at home. It's far more relaxed and communicative.
I've had no problems leaving comments since, Nance.
DeleteIt would have been DEvon for my child. St. Patsy is smart not to let you make her feel too guilty about your name. Our parents probably did the best they could at the time. I think my sister's name, Susan, would be preferable to Shirley, but I'm not a Susan so ...
I have a friend who won't eat garlic because her husband hates the smell. If I were in her shoes, I'd eat even more garlic. He could get used to it. Eating crabs is as much as a social event as it is a meal, Nance. I absolutely love that about enjoying crabs. The beauty is that one simply can't rush the experience. Some things are truly worth being worky in my opinion and others are not. We attended a wine and oyster festival in the fall and one winery had a wine tasting of over a dozen of their wines. On the surface that sounds great and certainly sounds very generous, but going through that many wines took a long time and some attendees would finish sampling and then immediately get back in line again. That took a long time and while that particular winery had some good wines, many were not ones I was interested in. Now that was a lot of "work" (standing in line in September heat) for little reward. We didn't even make it through the whole group of wines. I tasted a few I liked and then said to hubby, okay, that's it, time to go. You might have had more patience in that situation and thought it less worky. ;-)
I've not heard of Wigwam socks but, wow, that old version sounded wonderful.
Exactly on the mugs. One can't go by looks alone.
Yes on the time out and about; that's definitely it. :-)