ten things tuesday...

Ten things I love... (to counterbalance last week's hates)

1) Laughter. This is by far my favorite sound. There are so many kinds of laughs from a slight snicker to a full out belly laugh. I love to laugh.

2) Hugs. I love hugs and cuddles. I think it's because there wasn't much affection in my household after Mum died, that the human touch has become so important to me. Hugs, cuddles, I'm a touchy-feely person. But even people who aren't touchy-feely tell me it's ok when I do it.

3) Good coffee. A good coffee or tea, with coffee being my first choice, is truly something I savor. The aroma, the silky taste, the warmth traveling to my tummy... ahhhhh, that's perfection.

4) Sunshine after rain. Or, I suppose, after clouds in general. Watching the sun break through the clouds makes me joyful inside. We're so terribly sun deprived living here in the Great White North that it warms me to my bones. Too bad it's so bad for me.

5) Books. I'm learning to put down books I don't enjoy but I read almost everything with words. Have you ever read the front of the phone book? A wealth of information there.

6) Family. Whether we're together or not my sisters are my best friends. Forever. No other relationships I've ever had duplicate the way I feel complete with my sisters. And my dad and I have a mother-daughter type relationship. My step-mother is more than just a step-anything to me, more than a friend. Sometimes I wish I was closer to my extended family.

7) Imagination. I'm never bored. I think it's because Dad always said, "if you're bored, you're boring." I learned at a very early age to entertain myself. I'll be great at being retired. If only I could.

8) Music. Luckily, I grew up listening to all sorts music, especially classical music and I have a deep appreciation for many types of music. Being exposed to so much throughout my life has made me crave musical stimulation. I love classical, choral, opera, jazz (not the far-out experimental stuff), rock, country, blues, r & b, rollicking zydeco, cajun, dance and almost everything in between. I just don't love gangsta rap and some polka music.

9) Nature. What would happen to me if I ever left the Great White North? Where else would I see the tinge of green on trees through the burnt umber of autumn? Where else would I see bear, deer, moose or foxes on my daily drive (ok, ok, I don't see all of them every day but I've seen all of them at one point or other). How would I marvel at the rolling fields chasing the skyline? I don't think I would do well in a city.

10) Love. I love that this list was ten times easier to compose than last week's hates. I love my life, I love my friends, I love my car, I love chocolate & pizza. I love puppies and George Clooney.