Because there’s so much out there to enjoy! Why not seize a chance to celebrate life’s little pleasures!? In no particular order, and leaving out the big stuff (husband, friends, family, etc), here’s what’s getting me giddy these days:
1) Vegan Donuts. They are my pregnancy kryptonite.
2) The RadioLab podcast from WNYC. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a radio show done in the style of This American Life, but it’s all about the mystery and magic of science. Perfection!
3) Ethiopian Food. I’d never eaten it before I moved to Portland, and I can’t believe I lived so long without Injera and Berbere.
4) Learning that my son has hair (via ultrasound). WOW! Little wonderful wisps on his perfect little head.
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5) The song ‘New Resolution’ by The Heartless Bastards. I know it came out in like, 2006, but I’m completely enamored with it and can’t get it out of my head. It works so well for the new year and all.
6) The teapot I got for my birthday, which is lime green and lovely, and sure beats the little sauce pot we’ve been using for almost 6 months!
7) And speaking of, I’m drinking a ton of lemon ginger tea these days. I take it with maple syrup and real lemon juice. It’s medicinal and sooo relaxing.
8) Harley’s lower lip, which sticks out all funny-like. It’s hard to capture on film but I assure you, it’s *hysterical*.
9) Knowing that the crocus bulbs are ripening underground, all over Portland, and that soon they’ll be popping up from every sidewalk crack to tell us it’s springtime. The wee crocus is my favorite spring flower.
10) In the meantime, the Petrichor (which is also, as it so happens, my all-time favorite word)
11) Secondhand baby clothes! Especially those with animal ears and animal feet. I’m sort of obsessed. My son will end up wearing nothing but ducks and monkeys, I swear. Ha!
12) The Origin Of Love. Plato (yes *that* Plato) conceived of the myth itself, but Hedwig and The Angry Inch brought it to life! It’s so very beautiful. Incidentally, if you haven’t seen the film, WATCH IT. It’s in my top 5, easily.
13) Taquería Los Gorditos, which was our absolute favorite take-out food cart, recently opened a real restaurant. I’m not even kidding, I ate more of my meals from there than not, in the first 2 weeks they were open. Having a go-to eatery that brings you so much pleasure is PRICELESS. And these beans and rice are like gold my friends, gold I’m telling you. I swear this baby is built entirely of vegan burritos. (Damian want’s to make a baby blanket that looks like a giant tortilla, so we can wrap the baby up like a burrito. Genius, no!!? We’re gonna be millionaires . . . )
14) My ever-growing collection of houseplants. I want them everywhere, on every counter top and in every nook and cranny. So essential in winter – and they’re even good for you!
15) Baking soda. Need. I. Say. More? (I do need? Okay – lately I’ve been using my baking soda for heartburn relief, carpet cleaning, toilet deodorizing, and mildew scouring, among others)
16) Subversive artwork, a la Banksy. I don’t agree with everything he does or says, but I certainly appreciate his presence in the world! (and most of his stuff is just RAD, as evidenced above)
17) Getting packages in the mail! Ahhh, bed rest. It can be so terribly boring. But between the Holidays, the baby stuff, and my birthday, I’ve been getting bunches of boxes and it’s SO FUN!
18) Dreaming of produce. I can’t wait for late spring/summer and all the bounty that it brings. Overflowing farmers markets, eating a high-raw diet, and growing my own tomatoes. I like to flip through recipes and plan out all the amazing new dishes I’m going to develop. Yes, I’m a food geek! (and thus I want this so bad! HA)
19) Portland. I can’t even begin to tell you why, I don’t have the time.
20) Wearing my tutu. No joke, it brings me endless amounts of joy and reminds me of the ‘fairy slip’ I practically lived in as a child. I’m thinking of giving birth in it.
21) On the sartorial tip, lets include Big Clunky Boots and Stripey Long Socks. These classics will never get old and will alway make me happy.
22) Truly embarrassing reality TV addictions. I refuse to admit what I’ve been watching, but it is sinfully delicious and I am horribly hooked. I plead the bed rest defense.
23) Getting a ‘real’ hair cut. After years of drunken DIY snipping with friends, it’s somewhat of a luxury to go to a professional. Especially at my favorite spot, where the styling is super cheap and they give you free beer while you wait. (another reason for #19)
24) A precious sip of Damian’s Chianti. I actually had a whole glass of Syrah on my birthday, enjoyed very slowly over a long dinner. But those little tastes of my husband’s wine here and there, those have been such a treasure through this pregnancy.
25) Bertrand Russell. I’ve been reading his ideas and writings, which are still so relevant. What a mind, what a mind.
26) A good soak in the tub. I’ve always been a bath person, but with the big belly it’s just extra extra fun. Plus it takes the pressure off the ol’ back!
27) Tom Waits. Always and forever, no list of things I love would be complete without him. A primer: Damian had me listen to this song when he confessed his feeling for me. I walked down the aisle to this song (which is ‘our song’) at the wedding. And when our son is old enough for his own room, the lyrics to this song will be stenciled on the wall.
28) Finding out that Brian Greene, the quantum physicist and author I’ve had a total geek crush on for years and years, and maybe one of the smartest people alive, is A VEGAN!!! Oh, *swoon*
29) The impending birthday of Bonzai Aphrodite. I can’t believe it’s been a year already! And at the same time, I can’t believe its only been a year. I have worked so hard, and learned so much, and connected to so many amazing people here. This blog has grown into something more beautiful than I ever imagined, and in only 12 short months. Imagine what the next year will bring!
Now it’s your turn my dears – what little things are tickling you these days?
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http://www.notimeatall.com Amycat
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http://thegreengeek05.wordpress.com Courtney
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April
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http://gabriel.nagmay.com Gabriel Nagmay
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Cary M
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http://kpapoulias.blogspot.com/ Kathryn
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Staar
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Kelly
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Kelly
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http://sara-and-company.tumblr.com Sara
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Tenise Rae
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Minna
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http://kpapoulias.blogspot.com/ Kathryn
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http://lisatlantic.blogspot.com Lisatlantic
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http://sara-and-company.tumblr.com Sara
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http://kpapoulias.blogspot.com/ Kathryn
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http://katehateseverything.blogspot.com Kate from SB
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Helen
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http://myspace.com/tirscatha Lenn