When I finished it last time, Reuben said, "When you're sad do you think of your favourite things Mamma? What are your favourite things?" Well. There was a pause as I sat stunned at his question, then began easily, "well you and Esther are my top favourite things. And... I like flowers. And, um... Well I'll have to think about it and get back to you." My favourite things. I'm sure I have plenty. It's just that I haven't thought about life like that for a while. And it's exactly what I've been wanting to think about here. Perfect timing little guy.
So I've started thinking about it. Or trying to, I haven't really got anywhere yet. I accidently found a beautiful little notebook in a shop today that says on the front "explorer of truth and beauty" and I picked it up and bought it without hesitation. Perfect timing, little gift shop. I'll carry it round with me and see how much I can fill it.
Then there's the project I've started here that's similar. Finding things of beauty and things that it's good to be alive for. I had thought I would only photograph things, but now I'm reading a book that was given to me about purposely listing all the little things in life you are thankful for (more about that another day, perhaps), so the plan extended to words as well. There are so many ideas around this topic that I'm having trouble working out how to approach it to be honest, but I will try and untangle it and share the results with you. Let's hope that there's also so many things to discover and remember and enjoy that I get tangled up in those too.
I have made one step along the way. I really do like flowers. I know it's cliche, but I love them. And I realised I could do something with that. I could get some. So I added them to my whopping-trolley-load-what's-another-ten-bucks at the supermarket on Monday when I was shopping for birthday party supplies, and put them with a few from my garden. So there you are, something I love, something truly beautiful, something I can have in my house and look at whenever I like, and something I can photograph for you too.
Oh, and the smell!
I'll see if I can get started in my notebook over the next few days. But I'd love some help. What are your favourite things? I love hearing especially about the quirky things. Many of us will have chocolate and fresh sheets and sunshine and the sound of rain on the roof on our list (and make sure you include them) but what else makes you different to your friends? My Mum has a thing about mugs and my friend loves antique fans and I love love love maps of all kinds, especially old ones (there you are, there's another one). Do you find crunchy autumn leaves on the footpath irresistible, or love the sound of trains at night, or do you collect teaspoons? And what about schnitzel with noodles? Does anyone have that on their list?
A REALLY good hot chocolate (Italian Cafe on Cuba St or Midnight Espresso with cream)
ReplyDeleteJames' eyelashes.
Matt's cheekbones.
Coming down out of Ngauranga Gorge into the Harbour and seeing all that glorious water, in a different mood every day.
Tulips.
Raspberries, a whole punnet at a time.
Solace in the wind, the sculpture on the waterfront near Te Papa.
Paintings on the wall.
Reading a book in the sun.
Little House and Anne books.
The smell of - what is it? Daphne? - at night in summer.
Having gone for a run.
Some things I don't know about you! Wonderful. Love #4. And lots of others.
DeleteAnd I LOVE these photos. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteA baby snoring
ReplyDeletethe absolutely out of control giggle cackle that little kids do together when they have discovered something hilarious
The collective blood orange yoghurt - it makes any moment infinitely better
pohutakawa's in bloom it means summer, warmth, Christmas, holidays, family all rolled into one
a warm shower when you are absolutely frozen, the kind where your fingers burn and you involuntarily go Aaaahhhhhhh!
A warm kids hand resting on your knee while they talk to you
Sitting chatting with my Mum
the clinking of champagne glasses and the first fizzy sip
Rhinoceros and Hippos so improbable so hilarious
Waking up and realising it's Saturday and letting your eyes slide closed again
Listening to YoYo Ma play the cello
Chocolate raisins
Pulling a perfectly cooked cake from the oven
A compliment on a day when you are looking and feeling decidedly average, makes you feel like you can fly
The kind of reading where you disappear to another land and struggle to re-enter the real world
My green fruit bowl full of shiny vibrant yellow lemons
neatly folded piles of washing
cooking for other people
I could go on and on .........
Beautiful! I too love the dairy collective, chocolate raisins and the cello. I have a baby who snores, a kid who cackles and a father who folds the neatest washing in the land. And you can cook for me any day :)
DeleteI've been thinking about this post on and off all day.
ReplyDeleteSome more:
August and Everything After
Bach Cello Suite in G
Someone referring to a sermon I preached ages ago
Finials
Poulenc
Being toasty when Wellington weather is at its wildest
Firefly
The Doctor when he's on a rampage
and of course A COMMENT ON MY BLOG!
xoxt
Ha ha yes indeed. Had to google a couple of those. Love that you love August and Everything After.
DeleteOh - and a rampage is good?
DeleteThere's nothing quite like The Doctor in full flight, we have some followers in our house :)
DeleteBrunch
ReplyDeleteFeeling (cheap) wrapping paper through a stocking at Christmas.
Cold white wine and olives
The smell of steam trains
Watching the latest episode of current favourite TV show downloaded from the States, knowing that you are weeks or months ahead of everyone else.
I too have been thinking about this all day, thanks for the prompt. I am sure there must be more...must think more frequently about this.
Ha! Noone really needs expensive wrapping paper right? Great to have you on board.
Deletea cup of tea, especially leaf tea out of a tea pot in a proper tea cup
ReplyDeletethe smell of smoke in the cold night air in winter
sunshine
Sweet peas
when my neighbour (or anyone for that matter) just pops in to say hello
Getting 14 of children's clothing and a bike for $10 at the family store the other day
Walking at night
Baths
Hotwater bottles
ginger cheesecake, actually, make that any cheesecake
my home group
eating anything I grew
rasberries, strawberries, boysenberries
watching Isaiah do nuddy dancing
Oooh this all gives me good feelings! Love the smell of sweet peas. Cheesecake was an absolute fave of Kent's. I hope lots of people read this and wonder who Isaiah is.
DeleteThat's a brilliant question Reuben! I've been working on my list for a few days so better post it before it gets out of hand ...
ReplyDeleteWalking barefoot on the beach
A sparkly clean bathroom
Fresh sheets on the bed
Food that was made to go together ... salmon and avocado, bacon and eggs, roast chicken and crunchy roast veggies with gravy, chocolate and mint ...
Really good fish and chips (now and again)
Breakfast in bed
Coming home after being away, appreciating with new eyes what I often take for granted
Finding exactly the right gift for someone
Poppies and roses
Hugs from my daughters
Unhurried time with friends
Wellington on a magically still day
Counselling study
Leafy green bushwalks
Getting lost in worship
Waking up from a good night’s sleep
Having the whole family home in the Uni holidays
Decorating a cake
A perfect trim latte, preferably Mojo
Following the beautifully crafted blog of a friend ...
Lovely lovely lovely. It sounds like you know what a good life is.
DeleteAnd you're very kind!
Homemade preserves lined up along a kitchen shelf
ReplyDeletePoppies
Flicking through house/design magazines
Flowers on the kitchen table (or anywhere for that matter).
A raging hot fire on a freezing cold day
Sitting by the big fire in the reading room at the Chateau Tongariro
Downton Abbey
Dinner out at Boulcott Street Bistro
Driving onto State Highway 1 when heading off on holiday
Letters in the post
Spring blossoms
An afternoon working in the garden
Drinking red wine from one of those big glasses (Like the ones they have at Floriditas)
Warm olives
High tea
Morning snuggles in bed with the kids
Lisianthus
A really good TV series on DVD (The West Wing)
A perfectly poached egg
Almond croissants from The French Baker in Greytown
Pandoro hot cross buns at Easter
(Hmmm I have a bit of a food theme going on here)
Yes to The West Wing (already on my list)! Yes to lisianthus (we had them at our wedding reception)! Yes to The French Baker! A beautiful list.
DeleteI'm sitting here watching the West Wing and eating chocolate raisins while rain patters on the roof - aaaahhh!
ReplyDeleteA few more favourite things to add:
my favourite stripey socks
watching knitting grow row by row
my hands looking more and more like my Mums as they get older, more lined, signs of a life being lived
eating lemon tart in bed on a Sunday morning
letters kept from my Dad so I can read and hear his voice even now he is gone
My wall of photos, the faces of the ones I love
Lists that get ticked and crossed out, days where things are accomplished
anticipation, the joy of looking forward to
the little jokes, secrets and shared experiences within my family that bind us together
Rudyard Kiplings Just So Stories
Nice! Is it your own knitting you watch?
DeleteYes my own knitting, I've been knitting for my nephew which is great cause 1 year olds are small it doesn't take too long to actually finish something!
DeleteHi Angela, thanks for your invitation to contribute to this x
ReplyDeleteI must admit, this question kept my mind buzzing with ideas long after my bedtime last night, but what a wonderful question to consider, so here is my (abbreviated) list...
Beautiful gift wrapping and packaging (to give and receive)
Peonies and orchids (and receiving any flowers as a gift)
Sharing a geniune smile or conversation with a complete stranger
Well-designed business cards
Seeing other people enjoying something I have created...food, art, children!
Seeing my parents delight in the their grandchildren
The beach on a sunny day, a stormy day, any day of the year!
Making the final brush-stroke on a painting and stepping back to enjoy it
Joshua's drawings
The smell of sun-dried washing
Finding a truly *me* shop
Browsing through a great bookshop, especially on a rainy Saturday afternoon
House/design/food magazines, books and shops
Wrapping presents
Getting dressed up (to go somewhere special)
Making my children laugh
Second-hand/antique shopping for bargains, especially old chairs,desks and fans!
Picture frames
Hanging a new picture on the wall
Remembering the joy of collecting a developed film/prints from the chemist, sitting in the car and having that first peek
Finding a recipe you know will become a 'signature' dish (the simpler the better!)
Eating delicious food and drinking good wine with friends and/or family, for any reason
Boardgames at the bach
Getting 'lost' in a beautiful art exhibition and coming away feeling inspired and energised
Christmas baking
Knowing I'm loved unconditionally
Knowing I have wonderful friends all over the world (also comes with a touch of sadness!)
I could go on..... :) x
Wonderful! I love it. This does sound just like you, but also I love the way it tells me more. I already have "old chairs" on my list. I saw old typewriters in a second hand shop the other day and thought of you.
Deleteoh gosh, I didn't realise how long that list was!!! eek :)
ReplyDeleteNo problem. Some of the others above have come back for a second round!
Deletereading kids’ writing (preferably poetry)
ReplyDeletesinking in to reading a brilliant novel (Chimamanda Ngozi Adochie/ Zadie Smith/ Arundhati Roy/ Margaret Atwood/ too many others to say...)
magnolias
daphne
a very good art gallery (The Pompidou Centre/ The Orangerie/ Tate Modern/ The Royal Academy/ Egon Schiele at The Leopold Musem/ The V&A/ Hauser & Wirth...)
the sound of my pack’s wheels as I launch off on a new chapter of travel, that feeling of possibility...
the sunrise from Maranui Cafe
the sunrise from Truby King Park
Hannah Vollebregt’s laugh
Ottolenghi’s food, ALL of it
Paris
Finnish summer cottages & lakes
a baguette with unsalted butter with a cafe au lait in a small French village
The Himalayas
tree skeletons
art deco furniture
the view from Mum&Dad’s deck
snuggly hugs from four year olds
the sound of my choir of 5-8 year olds singing Hey Mr Tambourine Man
Faure Requiem
Arabic cardamon coffee
trains, the longer the journey the better
meandering
moss green
Noa Noa
driving through Kelburn under the trees on a summery day
Paekakariki
cats
mad dancing with my cousins
looking down at Wellington Harbour from Palliser Rd in Mt Vic
beach bonfires
Waitarere sunsets
walking in the town belt
cycling along the Regent Canal towpath
sleeping out under the stars
conversations about LIFE with strangers
a good pottery mug
(ridiculously hard to stop once I started! - thanks for this inspiration Angela!)
Sounds beautiful. I have for a long time fancied travelling around Switzerland on the train.
DeleteGlad to have got you started, it's quite addictive isn't it?
I think I am going to have to do mine in batches. Reading through the above, I would have to agree with anything exercise-oriented except where there are high winds. No fun. I looove the sounds of kittens - now cats snoring. Gardening of course, and in particular harvesting food, and a early in the morning when there is a clear sky, sun coming up, and it's been raining shortly beforehand. Short native grasses are particularly sparkling at times like this. Have you noticed how electric plants look after thunder and lightening? Celebrating's pretty good. But my absolute favourite things are my old friends. Friends who are still there after weeks and months after not being in contact, and years after we've not been living in the same city. Friendships where we pick up exactly where we left off and can be just as trusting and intimate as we were when we were last together. There's no judgement, just warmth. Kinda like gold, really.
ReplyDeleteAren't you just the loveliest thing. Looking forward to your batches.
Deleteoh my parents! i love that i can call my dad when i have some conundrum, tell him all about it, and by the time i'm finished i know what to do. he doesn't have to say anything, it's just the act of telling him in particular that clarifies the situation for me and the answer arriveth. also my mum has become a friend in my adult life, and is getting so fabulously quirky these days. she's hilarious and says the funniest things. if the phone rings after 10pm it's bound to be her.
ReplyDeleteBetter late than never ...
ReplyDeletePossum merino clothing
Knitting wool
My cat purring
Solving a problem
Playing the piano
A good book
Spending time with family
Antique shops
Chocolate (preferably dark)
Puzzles
The view of Wgtn Harbour as the train comes out of the tunnel
The sound of Tui and Morepork
Coloured glass
Waking up after a good nights sleep
Finding the perfect shell on the beach
A good coffee
Exciting op-shop finds
Finding a pair of shoes that fit
Hot water bottles
Fresh cream donuts from Thorndon New World
This is great! I love what I have just learnt about you! You make life sound good. I rather like antique shops too.
DeleteLike that she plays the piano??? I had no idea! :)
DeleteI also love the idea of this list! Have been finding my thinking tending towards the negative recently so it's been good for the soul to make a list such as this :) My current favourite antique shop is near the top of Molesworth St (dangerously near my work so I limit my visits to once a week...). JB - I've played for years but am really rather rusty. If either of you hear of a piano that needs minding, let me know!
DeleteWell I couldn't read all these fabulous lists without thinking of a few things of my own...
ReplyDeleteTouching down on NZ soil after waaaaay too long!
Watching my boys playing (nicely) together
Cats
Beautiful kitchens
Jonah's chuckle
The smell of freesias
Whittaker's chocolate
The excitement and anticipation as I sit in a theatre waiting for the musical to begin.
Baking (verb AND noun!)
The smell of the earth after rain
Mt Taranaki
Christmas
Ben's hair, and seeing his eyes when he removes his glasses
KitchenAids (would love them even more if I had one!)
The tui and kaka at my mother-in-law's house
Reading
Dinner someone else has made for me
Watching my mum enjoying my boys
NZ rugged black sand beaches
Michael's sense of humour
Les Miserables
Brunch
Thunderstorms
My dad's house and the comfort I feel there
Singing
Ladybirds
Nanaimo bar
Yes, ok, verb and noun of course!! A lovely list - there's a few things on yours I rather like too.
DeleteFreesias are very Taranaki to me, and I have had some in the house recently - gorgeous!
DeleteOh yes - Thunderstorms and singing! :)
DeleteAngela, I only came across this post a couple of days and have been mulling over my favourite things ever since!
ReplyDeleteTrees in blossom
Hugs from Thomas and Evie
Swimming in the sea when it's warm
Tropical air
New leaves on trees
The smell of clean sheets on the bed
Real hot chocolate
Going out for dinner
The sound of Evie and Thomas really laughing together
Walking outside after it's rained
Hagley park and the Botanic Gardens in spring
London in summer
English countryside
The smell of freesias, daphne and sweet peas
The first panoramic view of the Southern Alps
Hot pools
The sound of bellbirds and tui
Eggs in the nesting box
The smell of our lemon and grapefruit trees in flower
Yes sweet peas! Yes London in Summer! Yes son and daughter laughing together! (how did I miss this one?).
DeleteWe have a mandarin tree that doesn't grow great mandarins but does create the most beautiful smell. Especially at dusk, don't you find?
Nearly a month late to the party, but I have been thinking about this quite a lot recently. For what it's worth, here's the current version of my list (in no particular order) - there seem to be a lot of overlaps with those that have gone before:
ReplyDeleteOpen fires
English hedgerows
Wild poppies
Watching the sun go down (or, more rarely, come up!)
Being by the sea
Listening to Marcus and Isabelle play/laugh/chat together, especially when they don't know I'm listening (although there seems to be more squabbling than laughing of late - must be the end of the summer holidays!)
Cuddles with my children
Raspberries
Aubergines
A nice glass of red wine
Christmas Eve
Frosty leaves
Autumn leaves
Actually, leaves and trees full stop!
Clouds
Someone else cooking me dinner
Feeding friends and family
Planning nice things - holidays, birthdays (and their cakes!), surprises
A good book
Discovering new words
Listening to live music
The first day of spring when it's warm enough to not need a coat (and, equally, the first day of autumn when it's properly chilly enough to need a jumper) - maybe I should just say the changing of the seasons...
Lie-ins (more of a wishful thinking one at the moment, to be fair)
It's never too late to think about this! What a lovely list, I hope you get plenty of this in your life.
Delete