simple pleasures

On the news this morning, a reporter was prattling on and on about things that get on her nerves. It was quite funny and I laughed along with the others onscreen with her. During the commercial break, though, I had a thought: instead of talking about annoyances, perhaps it'd suit us well to list things that bring us joy. Life, after all, is really about what we choose from day to day and what we spend our energy on.

Now, I'm all for fighting the good fight, but I can choose my reality. That being the case, I started to compile a list of my small pleasures. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

My childhood home. Books. Family. Poetry. Eastern Kentucky. Tiramisu. Belly laughs. Jesus. Baby snores. Jack Kerouac. Even numbers. The Ohio State University Buckeyes. Nice stationery. My beloved moon. Hugs. Farmer’s markets. Dinners with friends. Puccini. A freshly-made bed. Thoroughbred horses. City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco. Ice-cold grapefruit juice. Real letters (or postcards). A really good fountain pen. Acoustic guitars. A perfect cup of hot chocolate. Live music at small venues. Home-grown tomatoes. Fresh-baked bread. Reading. Babies laughing. Singing. That lovely shade of (what I think is) violet in the sky just before nightfall. Hugs and kisses from my nieces and nephews — expected or otherwise. Mozart, Billie Holiday, Andrea Bocelli, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Frank Sinatra, Cecilia Bartoli, Bobby Darin, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Puccini, Michael Feinstein — the music list is endless and covers almost everything.

All-in-all, not a bad start.