Five Things..

Tagged. I'm "it."

Five things I love:



(I'm kind of cheating on most of them, because they are really more than one item, and recognize that parts of my lists may change somewhat depending on what's going on in my life):

- My family. My husband is wonderful - funny, thoughtful, kind and, well, mine. My children and healthy and sweet and are growing into lovely human beings. I have a sister who I don't get to see very often, but whom I care for very deeply. I also have an adopted mom whom I love profoundly, and grandparents who give me at least as much joy as they claim we give to them. I am blessed.

-My friends. I judge the quality of my life, and my self-esteem, by the people who call me friend, and I've got some doozies. WeedWoman, Kizz, Bowyer, Wayfarer, Ms.P, NHFalcon, CT, Viburnum and Dragonfly, and a bunch who I don't have pseudonyms for. Each and every one of them would get in their car at two a.m. if I needed them, and I live my life in an effort to be worthy of their friendship.

-Good books; and by this I mean REALLY good books - the kind of books you can't put down, the kind that you can't wait to turn the next page, and you're sorry when it's over, the kind that stay in your consciousness long after the back cover has been closed. Reading is one of the greatest joys in life.

-Summer fruit. Strawberries, cold and fresh with just a tiny bit of sugar sprinkled over them, covering a big hunk of angel food cake. Watermelon, straight up. Blueberries baked into the quick bread recipe given to me by my aforementioned grandmother. Peaches, warm off the windowsill and so juicy I need to eat them with a tea towel under my chin. Mmmmmmm.

-The comforts of modern life. I love my car, my iPod, my microwave, my laptop, my gizzy. I love the ease with which modern communication takes place, and am grateful that I am fortunate enough, in this lifetime, to have easy access to all those wonderful things.




Five things I hate:




-Uncooperative - or incompetent - people. Don't put me on hold and leave me there, hoping I'll hang up and thereby absolve you of having to do your job. Don't roll your eyes when I come to your check out line; don't get cranky about having to do the job you're being paid to do. Is it so difficult to try to infuse a little good humor into your work? I'm really a very nice person, and will be exceedingly kind to you if you'll just try to be kind to me.

-Right hand turns from the left hand lane, and other examples of obnoxious driving. I've probably got my kids in the car, and it's horrifying to me that I could be the most attentive, competent driver that ever existed and still be victim to others' supidity.

-Thoughtlessness. People who cut into waiting lines. People who are rude to bank tellers, waitresses, and other service people. People who throw trash and cigarrettes out the windows of their cars. People who move through their whole lives not realizing that there are other creatures on their plane of existance.

-The squeek and screech of styrofoam.

-Feeling helpless. I get frustrated when things don't work and I don't understand why (like when my keyboard freezes up or I lose communication with my wireless internet or my car makes alarming noises). I hate feeling like there's nothing I can do to help the causes I feel strongly about. I don't like it when I work myself up into such a state about my house or my work or whatever - where I feel like I should be doing a better job of whatever it is that I'm supposed to be doing - that I end up spinning in little circles and accomplishing nothing. I am my own worst enemy.


Now, I'm not crazy about tagging. Feel free to post your own top five list, or to leave it in the comments. I'm curious about what makes you happy to be alive, and about what makes you want to choke someone to death.