1. A glass of wine. It means it is the end of the day, I am relaxing with my honey, and I make sure that what is on the table tastes GOOD.
2. A good farmer's market. The luxury of surprise, serendipity, and retail therapy for a good cause: local growers and my tummy.
3. Flowers. On the deck, in the garden, in my friends' gardens, in my neighbors' gardens.
4. A good book. That minx, Amy, managed to co-opt hours of my life with the Robin Hobb Farseer/Bingtown/Tawny Fool/Rain Wilds series.
5. Knitting. Spinning. Fiber. Yes, of course. (Speaking of co-opting my life, but that happened years ago. And I am not complaining.)
6. Sitting on the porch with Mr. Etherknitter. Heaven on earth. We watch the hummingbirds. The chipmunks, who think all my container plantings have nuts at the bottom of the pots. There were hummingbird mating rituals last night. I think he is confused. Isn't it late in the season for that?
7. A brand new nail color passion. I get a manicure twice a year. This year, I went wild with color: Essie metallics. I just bought Penny Talk, and I am in LOVE. It is impossible to find online. The thing that amazes me? There are blogs completely devoted to makeup and beauty products. I must live on another planet. (But then, people say that about knitting blogs, yes?)
8. Walking around my yard. See which of my friends are in bloom. Take care of the ailing ones, hopefully before it is too late.
9. Contemplate the wild spaces in our lives.
10. Getting stuff done on my multiple lists. Cross it off! Need to do that a bit more often.
I used to do my nails once, many years (decades) ago. They spend too much time in hot water now to even think about it.
I'm having a list free week which means that there's nothing I absolutely must remember. Providing no-one runs out of clean clothes we're good.
Posted by: Caroline M | Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 07:31 AM
Sitting on the deck, enjoying a cocktail and a summer evening is a wonderful and simple pleasure. I'm glad you find things that make you happy every day!
Posted by: Carole | Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 08:10 AM
The Rudbeckia is thriving for the 3rd year as a perennial in a container?! Cuttings for the table.
Posted by: Melissa G | Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 12:47 PM
Yeah, the nail polish thing. Are metallics The In Thing now? Just yesterday I spent a good ten minutes choosing the perfect color at Target and eliminating all the frosted shades as soooo 1980. Clearly, I am not a beauty/makeup blog reader either.
Posted by: kmkat | Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 01:10 PM
Have you seen the Essie/ Soak/ Lorna's Lace's and mitt pattern collaboration of what is called Soapboxes?? Way cool.
Posted by: Manise | Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 04:07 PM
A wonderful list of things to love. Each would be on my list, too. Your garden must be fabulous this time of year.
I go for the mani/pedi once in awhile and just have them buff my fingernails. I love polish on the toes and I'm going to look for Penny Talk next time I go!
Posted by: margene | Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 04:21 PM
That Essie is nice. I fell down the nail polish rabbit hole this year too. Great minds think alike. :)
Posted by: claudia | Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 04:23 PM
I think it's the youngster birds testing their wings and showing off. Drag-racing maybe? We have a group who do loop-de-loops off the back deck, and then refuel at the feeder by my office downstairs.
I'm with you on #1.
Posted by: Anne | Wednesday, July 18, 2012 at 01:24 PM
I saw some purple nail polish today that almost made me give in. I might have to give it a try...
And thanks, I think, for yet another book series obsession.
Posted by: Lorette | Wednesday, July 18, 2012 at 01:52 PM
Thanks for the author - I've caught up on all my favorites and needed a new trail to follow.
Substitute beer for wine in #1, and make #7 into "Sheep that actually stay in their pens", and I'm right there with you...
Posted by: gayle | Friday, July 20, 2012 at 07:17 AM
Essie Penny Talk is on my toes right now. I got mine at Ulta when I got my hair cut last Friday.
Posted by: Barbara S | Wednesday, July 25, 2012 at 08:51 PM