Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Things I love

Taking a cue from Snowbrush, one of the newest bloggers I follow, I am going to do a two-part series: one about the things I love, the other about the things I hate, just in time for Valentine's Day (when there is some serious love and hate going on.) I was going to do my Hate post first, since I wanted to save Love for the week of Valentine's Day, but my last post was, how shall I say, a bit vitriolic? So I shall save my hate for next week. I'm sure you all will survive.

Also - I wanted to thank everyone for their very kind, very respectful comments about my last post. There were people who disagreed with me (which I love) but did it in a very mature, understanding way (which I also love) and for that I thank each and every one of you. I turned on comment moderation because I was afraid someone was going to spoil the party by leaving some hateful, over-simplified, politicized comment on the post, and holy crap, no one did. So this week comment moderation is back off because you guys don't need a babysitter ;)

Let's get this party started.


I love summer evenings on a porch, with a chair swing, and an ice cold glass of pink lemonade, watching the sunset.

I love the soft, rope hammocks that are tied between trees.

I love ice cream sandwiches, year round.

I love Christmas lights in July.

I love drinking hot chocolate in bed.

I love getting hand-written thank-you notes in the mail.

I love honesty mixed with kindness. Anything else I feel has an agenda. If you're too nice to tell the truth, you're just worried that the person isn't strong enough to handle the news. And if you're mean with your honesty, then you probably don't actually care about helping someone out, just feeling better about yourself. Either way, it's not honesty for the right reason.

I love chocolate. Seriously. LOVE.

I love kittens, and I love cats, but I love kittens more. Except at 2 am when the kitten has decided to try and eat my face.

I love comic books, cartoons, animated movies, and anything else that makes me feel like I'm eight again.

I love playing. Take that any which way you want to, but there it is. I try to play every single day of my life, keep a playful attitude, play games and sports and music, play jokes, play jump-rope, whatever. Every day I try to make room to play.

I love my mother. I love the way she laughs, the way she smells when I pull her in close for a hug, the way she has the same dark sense of humor that I do, the way she frowns when she's thinking hard. I love every single thing about my mother, so much that it hurts.

I love clean sheets. I am a sucker for clean sheets.

I love being warm. Not hot, mind you, and definitely not chilly. Just...warm. The only real proof I have that I'm a girl is that my warm-o-meter hovers somewhere between 75-77 degrees and after that I'm either too hot or too cold.

I love driving, though LA is trying to rip that one out of me as hard as it can. Suck it, Los Angeles. You can pry my love of driving out of my cold, dead hand (dead at the hands of a soccer mom in an SUV on a cell phone, probably.)

I love patriotism and religion when they are used for the express purpose of spreading love. I do not like them much when they are used to propagate fear, but you can check next week's post on hate for more details on that.

I love other people's babies. They are cute and when they poop or throw up I get to hand them back.

I love thoughtfulness, kindness, patience, gratitude, and compassion. I am trying to recognize and nurture these qualities in myself.

I love short blog posts. Alas, I'm not very good at keeping them short.


and last but not least, I love this picture so much:


It's a hamster attempting to eat spaghetti. OH THE STRUGGLE OF EPIC-NESS.


(photo credit: I got it from here)


I hope everyone has a very (love-filled) Valentine's Day!

26 comments:

Jo said...

I love... your list. :)

p.s. My comment moderation is on. Control issues.

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

I love opening the snail-mailbox and finding a personal letter, not a bill or ad. Doesn't happen very often these days but it lifts my spirit when it does. Another blogger I follow has started an experiment of writing a personal letter to one person each week. How cool is that?
I love that you love so many wonderful things!

Robin said...

I love the awesomeness that is you. Just read your last post. You are just so damn inspiring I can barely stand it. I am so glad I know you. I love love love you!

jenn said...

Great list. And that picture? AWESOME.

Anthony Duce said...

Enjoyed reading what you love. There is a joy expressed here that feels good, just to read. Thank you

kj said...

tracy, my first and overriding thought was 'this girl and i could be friends' :)

of course i can't remember everything you said that i liked because it was just about everything. opening mail, babies, kindness and clean sheets is just the beginning

so i may be back.....

Dionne said...

Oh I love your loves. Clean sheets and chocolate are such high priorities in my life!!!!

What a great way to welcome the Valentine's weekend - but I am also looking forward to your hate list, heheheh.

Lira Kellerman said...

I love friends who say, "I need you to say this and this and not this and this."

I love you.

xoxo

Snowbrush said...

I am so pleased you liked my idea. I hadn't intended to take on the second part, but really got into it when I did.

I too like lemonade and hot chocolate, but if I had to choose, I would go for coffee and liquor instead.

I would also add puppies to kittens, although my dog is 13 and my kitten is a mere six months.

Deech said...

Great post! I loved it!

Marion said...

I love you and the Snow-man. Great, fun post, Phoenix.

Love & Blessings,
Marion

Wine and Words said...

Damn fine hamster! LMAO. EPIC-NESS, as if he knew, eh? And so with you on the small window of temperature comfort. Mine runs 80-85.

Mostly I love being one of "you guys" around here!!!!

Bathwater said...

I love pizza and girls that draw whiskers on their kids faces for no reason or dye the dogs blue and green when they get bored.

Gisizee said...

This a great list! But I'm REALLY looking forward to the hate one. Something tells me that creating it will qualify as your day's playtime - and reading it will be mine!

Gwen said...

I love your list!!!! That picture is freaking hilarious!!! I had a hamster the same color when I was little. Should have tried feeding him spaghetti. TOO FUNNY!!!

JJ said...

I love people who love. It's a pretty easy rule to follow. I can't wait for the next post!

drollgirl said...

well there is a lot of love going on here, and that is a good thing!

and that hamster?!?!? LOL!

Lori ann said...

it makes me tear up what you said about your mom. she is lucky to have you for a daughter tracy. loved your list. if you send me your address i will send you a real letter AND some chocolate.

Along These Lines ... said...

That second photo looked more like a hamster with a toothpick - those little guys can be lethal when armed.

Heather Taylor said...

Your list = my love. I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day filled with ice cream sandwiches and comic books :)

Dave said...

An awesome happy post! Happy Florist Day!

Barbara said...

Your "loves" make me smile. I can add a few (pooping babies don't bother me...it doesn't when they're yours) and I can pass on chocolate (shock, I know) and I love driving (except in Boston) but I also love old black and white movies; a perfect cake; the feeling I get AFTER I have worked out; music, all kinds; s'mores around a fire; living by the ocean; my three best friends; and the best? My children and grandchildren all around me on Christmas morning.
Happy Valentine's Day!

Lydia Kang said...

Are those hamster pictures real? They are too hilarious. And I agree with you, the idea of a kitten chewing off my face at 2am doesn't sound like fun (especially if you have cat allergies like me, which would lead to another ugly scenario involving IV benadryl and vicious hives).

* said...

Hot chocolate, hammocks, chocolate, how about all 3 at once?

Hope you had a lovely Love Day. :)

The Kid In The Front Row said...

Great post :)

Anonymous said...

I agree. Ice cream sandwiches are the absolute best. I always wanted neopolitan ice cream sandwiches from the ice cream truck when I was a kid.

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