Things I Love

I'm doing this challenge that I happened to see in a bullet journaling group I'm in (one day I'll get back to doing that too). You can find it here: Boho Berry Challenge January Check-In. I'm not doing the days in order. That gets boring. I may skip some days too. Today, I wanted to focus on things I love. I don't do that enough and there's so much negativity in the world sometimes that talking about the things that make us happy is almost an anomaly. And one thing I do want to try and do more is be more positive and focus on the positives. So, here is my unedited, thrown together list of however many I come up with before heading to bed:

1. My girls. Both of them have their own uniqueness about them and I love different things about each of them. I love how my oldest is starting to think more and more and get a better grasp on the world. I love how my youngest is developing a quirky sense of humor. I love seeing how alike they are and how different both right now and when they were each a certain age. I'm looking forward to seeing how they grow and develop and how they will tackle the challenges of growing up and becoming adults.

2. Books. I do not know what I would do without books. Since I was 7 years old and able to read chapter books, they have taken me to many a world, stretched my mind, made me think, made me wonder. I see the imagination of the writers behind those books and am enthralled, sometimes envious. My own writings sometime struggle to come out but someday I hope to do more of it. Until then, there are always books to dive in and wade through. And while some people might despise them, having a tablet makes it much easier for me to carry hundreds of books without the need for renting another house. Not to mention, it's much easier to stash in my pure!

3. Coffee. That sweet, sweet elixir of life that gets me through the day (especially since I add creamer and sugar to my coffee). Probably the best thing is to sit on a quiet morning when no one is up and drink and just enjoy that first hot sip that goes down just right. And while I enjoy frappes and cold brew coffee as well, there's nothing better on a cold winter's day than a steaming mug of hot coffee with flavored creamer. Divine.

4. Solitude. The older I get, the more I enjoy those moments of just being by myself. Whether it's sitting alone in the living room with a mug of coffee or lying down in my room listening to music, there's something to be said for having that bit of time to myself. I know when I start to feel frazzled that I'm not getting enough time to myself so I work hard to find a way to have that time because it is  my way of getting the self-care I need.

5. Music. Music has a way of moving me, of becoming part of traditions as well as memories both good and bad. I enjoy a variety of music from different genres and ages and play depending on my mood. Some songs are ones I go to if I am in a certain mood. Others I go to when I want to relax. There was a time when playing the piano was also very soothing for me but it's been so many years since I have done that. I do miss playing and singing, both things I did a lot more of when I was younger. Now my children are the one doing the singing and the playing. I hope someday they get the joy out of it I used to and I hope they are able to stick with it.

That's five which I think is a pretty good start. I have to say though that another thing I love is warm blankets on a cold night like tonight when the windchill is expected to reach -30 and the air temperature below 0. It's a good night for warm, fuzzy socks too!