- Spring showers
- Orange PiM’s
- Can of paint and a blank wall
- Little scarps of exotic fabrics
- A walk on the beach
- Coffee in the morning
- Tea in the afternoon
- Casa Blanca Lilies
- World’s Atlas
- Good book to read in bed
- Helping someone because you can
- Finding old photos and remembering
- Watching early afternoon movie in a theater
- Ice cream on a coldest day of winter
- Mud boots AND a pile of mud to play in!
- swinging on the porch swing, until you can swing no more
- going for a nice long walks on the country roads
- looking at all the cute new animals in the surrounding fields
- staring at the horizon and meditating on a nature of life
- making wishes on shooting stars
- making attempts at recognizing constellations
- catching lighting bugs in a jar, releasing them later
- sleeping in late
- staying up as late as one likes
- watching sunrise from a hammock, wrapped in a homemade quilt that is older than you are…
- beautiful roses that are still blooming, despite heat…
- my sweetie
- Definitely Dead (Southern Vampire Novels) by Charlaine Harris
- The Observations by Jane Harris (please note: I am “cereal” reader going through library shelves in alphabetical order. Not. Just another coincidence.)
- heat wave – good excuse to wake up early, go to bed late and have a midday nap
- all the wonderful colors in the form of acrylic paints
- having enough time
- BBQ chicken
- making traveling plans
- …art in the making.
- chick lit
- tiger lilies in full bloom
- hammock to swing on, looking up at the leaves of the trees
- canvas – already stretched and ready to go
- new brush pen with blacker than black ink
- shoe shopping
- sun tea
- conversations that last all night
- singing out loud, even if it is out of tune…
- “old, new, borrowed and blue”
- pirate books! Captain Blood for everyone!
- not having to suffer writers block (especially when you are a writer, I am not and still I am happy for not having to suffer it)
- feather beds
- rubber ducks
- peaches and cream
- disconnecting your TV – two month without and loving it
- shooting stars
- outrageous 17th century Dutch still life paintings
- sounds muffled by the fog
- many horses under one hood
- gelato
- Farmers Markets, Flee Markets, Street markets
- french toast with loads of cinnamon
- smell of frost
- clean desk
- stacks of soft sweaters in the stores
- inspiration
- not having to answer the phone
- making library donation box
- Miniatures
- Hand crafted toys
- Lace table clothes
- Beautiful shells
- White on white quilts
- Favorite TV shows on DVDs
- Japanese pens
- Exploring new trails
- Scrambling over most beautiful pink quartzite
- Classic fireside cooking
- No traffic jams on return home
- Pitching tent just in time before the storm
- Peaceful meadows
- Four legged hikers – every breed imaginable
- Waking up to the sound of birds
- Re-discovering family in different roles
- Thunder Moon
- walking with a dog on a dirt country road
- horoscope wisdom
- sound of a rain on a tin roof
- morning glories intertwined with stalks of corn
- swallows, finches, hawks and an owl
- lazy afternoon spent on a porch swing
- pouring over maps in anticipation of a road trip
- howling and hearing an answering call
- cotton candy
- roaring fire
- delicious food
- singing
- unhurried conversations
- hearing laughter
- lit candles
- favorite movies
- games and riddles
- soft blankets
- watching night fall
- wrapping gifts
- lights on the tree
- stories and memories
- anticipation
- Pair of red-tail hawks gliding through dramatically colored sky
- First sharp blades of tulips peeking from the ground
- Being helpful
- Birthdays
- Longer days
- Getting over the cold
- Clearing winter’s debris from the garden
- Daydreaming
- Finishing difficult task and having a feeling of satisfaction
- First lady bug
- Finding a new outlet for creativity
- Discovering a new way of doing something
- Pets Ink pens of every make and size imaginable
- Hope
- Old quilts
- Letting someone else win
- Discounts
- Robin on every branch
- Knowing that someone cares
- Skirts
- Tried and true
- New hair cut and style
- Chinese take-out for dinner
- Stiff and Spook (books)
- Critters great and small in the backyard
- Making lists
- Catching up with a friend
- Smell of freshly cut grass
- Classics
- Winter’s night hush
- Cupboard full of spices
- Old favorites
- Unexpected yet pleasant surprises
- Making a brand new music play list
- Finding a favorite writing pen in the back of the “junk drawer”
- Starched and pressed pillowcases
- Sharing a useful trick
- Feeling safe
"Island Edition":
- Roosters!
- Bio-Bay: floating in the dark water covered in stars
- Houses painted in brightest of colors
- Star fish
- All the shades of blue: water and sky
- Tropical fruit market: watching restaurant staff buying produce for evening fare
- Roof-top nights: star gazing, rum drinking, talking into the night
- Sound of the waves in all weather: gentle lapping, crushing surf…
- Tiny bakery at the bottom of the hill
- Sea shells
- Island time
- Fish in all the colors of the rainbow
- Making sand sculptures
- Roosters!
- Most pressing appointment of the day: sunset
- Blooming flowers, trees, shrubs
- Coconuts and Limes — reach out and get them!
- Being a self-appointed quality-control person for piña colada at all the local spots
- Not getting sun-burned
- An informal book-club under the palm tree
- Meeting new people
- Learning new things
- Being scared out of my wits while navigating the island in a junker of a rental car
- Doing nothing
- Visiting with friends
- Slowing down
- Roosters!!!
- Fancy dinners
- Street food
- Rainy day in the tropics
- Hammocks
- Flying over the blue water and seeing reefs from the air
- Spending time with family and loving every minute of it
"backyard wildlife spotter edition":
- an eagle!
- red-tailed hawk
- pair of deer
- another deer eating tulips at night
- one VERY LARGE groundhog (who is surprisingly fast for his size, and runs as if he is flowing through the grass)
- squirrels
- many more squirrels
- raccoon
- fox crossing driveway
- coyote (slinking far enough away)
- skunk (luckily, slinking even farther away)
- family of cardinals
- gang of blue jays
- assorted small birds
- small army of grackles
- the very first sip of coffee in the morning
- bird song
- finding some old family photos and figuring out all the people on them
- having an hour long phone conversation with your best friend
- being a part of “before” and “after” transformation
- a garden
- silly cats (live and on YouTube)
- a book that was your favorite when you were a child
- new shiny gadgets of today – something that was only imagined by sci-fi writers 30 years ago
- freshly made bed
- intricately decorated colorful cupcakes
- old lace
- learning about how things work
- travel mementos
- candlelight
- running water
- brand new journal, bound in buttery leather
- mapping a journey
- old shops windows
- coffee shops, teashops, pastry shops
- patterns: from simple and unexpected to grandiose
- singing “Happy Birthday” song
- things to eat with rice
- paying attention to details
- a next book in a series
- favorite blanket to curl under
- a person to share your dreams with
- streets paved with blue bricks in Old San Juan, PR
- glow of twilight, caught between blue and violet with pink whispers of clouds
- triangular formations of geese, their mournful cries
- snippets of the past whirling like kaleidoscope: happy, sad, bored, excited, terrified, joy, sorrow – everything mixed up to make up a pattern – my life
- bracing for an unpleasant task, knowing well that there is no one else to do it. sigh
- tenacious foliage gives hope to sunrises with a burst of late color, bringing gold to the blue
- recalling lyrics to an old song, singing (at the top of your lungs) along
- alien invasion movies with a last-minute save
- unexpected
"Island Edition 2":
- every-color-beach: Red, Green, Blue, Silver
- fresh fish for dinner, live fish for playmates
- roof-top terraces
- no need for an alarm, you will be awaken by all the roosters
- thousands shades of blue: water and sky, in constant competition
- kiosks food
- playing in the sand
- happy hour spent with happy people
- siesta
- home-cooked dinners
- “chicken plane”
- sun filtering through the palm leaves, creating fanciful stripes
- insect chorus outside of your window at night
- frosty-cold beer during the hottest time of the day, served in a frozen mug with tiny lemons
- counting sand
- rainbows, reflected
- wanting to stay, having to leave, wishing to return
- green tea
- splash of red in otherwise grey landscape
- a quiet minute
- late, late night conversations
- forethought
- unexpected bits of knowledge from a most unlikely source
- acceptance
- finding exactly what you were looking for
- hand-stitched
- TGIF
"Wish/Gift edition":
- KUHL alfpaca fleece sweaters – soft and warm
- Prismacolor: pencils, markers, pastels – in all the shades of nature and fantasy!
- candy!
- a cup of Christmas Tea
- Eee PC: Compact, portable…affordable.
- Museum Membership (like this, or this): a gift that keeps on giving, and depending on the level of membership, there is usually a provision for guests you can bring along.
- MOO cards
- bright slippers ( like Marlow in red)
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- Handmade!
- chunky cableknits
- mulling spices
- smell of frost
- winter gardens – bare-boned, yet elegant
- carolers
- chocolates masquerading as lumps of coal
- making a list, and checking it twice
- memories
- letting harried people in line go ahead of you
- long winter nights crammed with books and movies
- a countdown
- shades of white inside and out
- finding old photos and reliving the memories
- matinee
- leek-potato soup
- feelings of fresh and new
- sense of accomplishment and relief after wrapping the last holiday gift
- winter floral arrangements
- blogs to read, and photos to see first thing in the morning, while still in pajamas
- sayings of what three wise woman would do
"Top 10 edition":
- Family – no matter how you happen to come by it: born into, married into, adopted into – a true gift.
- Creativity – because “Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.”Jules de Gaultier
- Education of any kind – because it is something that no one can take away from you!
- Experience – same as above… all yours once you get it.
- Love – because it is all encompassing.
- Service – sometime a little of our own time is a priceless gift to others.
- Travel – an experience that continues to change your life long after you returned home.
- Friends – they are a family we choose.
- Laughter – because some obstacles and trials of life can only be overcome with humor.
- Happiness – because “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” Dalai Lama
- evening sky when it turns an incredible shade of blue
- intricate designs
- water lilies
- impressionist water lilies
- fresh markets
- shepherd’s pie
- unexpected
- proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel”
- secret place all of your own
- lanterns
- first spring flowers: real flowers, not just a promise of them
- owning the tradition: cooking from your Grandma’s recipes
- pay it forward: chain reaction of giving with an open heart
- hand written note: rediscovering the joy of snail mail
- simplifying from the inside out: having “less is more” mantra seep deep into your bones
- poetry: a painting in words
- armchair travels: picture books of far away places, seeds of dreams
- spending time with the baby of the family – she toddles and puts smiles on everyone’s faces
- time traveling via Colonial Williamsburg
- surviving DC traffic – driving with a paper bag over my head just about covers the extend of my terror (me being the passenger)
- rainy afternoon at the Chesapeake Bay, sitting on the friend’s porch, all trying to talk at the same time after “long-time-no-see”
- sunny afternoon in Virginia Beach, sitting around the table at friend’s house, all trying to talk at the same time after “long-time-no-see”
- gorgeous drives through the mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and the rolling hills of Kentucky
- fighting with your food – Maryland Crab dinner
- getting a year older and not minding it a bit!
- hot soup on a cold day
- an old stand-by
- a fashion plate
- a new favorite
- an amazing new cook-book, where every recipe is a gift
- choosing a color
- Rumi
- postcards and letters tied with a ribbon
- bed head
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