1. This French music cd that Paul gave me for Valentine's Day. I've listened to it nearly every day since then. Even the kids are starting to waltz and make French-sounding humming noises. That alone makes it something worth loving. (Oh yeah, it also came from Starbucks, but we're going to overlook that point.)
2. Authentic chai tea from Earthbound Arts, a local shop with all manner of wonderful pottery, felt, soaps, paper art, hand-blended teas. I always liked chai tea, but never loved chai until I had this chai. I don't know if it's the fresh spices, but the taste is so much richer. Mmmm...
3. Figuring out this knitting thing. I'm tackling learning to purl now that I've gotten the knit stitch down pretty well. Purling doesn't come as natural to my fingers, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it.
4. Reading The Secret Garden with Elizabeth. On the nights that Paulie and Philip are with their mom, Elizabeth and I have been reading The Secret Garden together. I especially love the illustrations in this version that I stumbled upon at the Strand in NYC last year. Elizabeth is captivated with Mary's interaction with the bird and the small growth she discovers in the garden, probably because Elizabeth has been similarly drawn to nature since she was small.
5. Reading This Organic Life in my spare (ha!) time. There is something fascinating to me about this couple who purchases their homestead based on the gardening potential. The house is merely a secondary, if necessary, consideration. Joan Gussow's journaling of preparing the land, testing various crops, and adventures in razing the existing house and eventually building an new house are endlessly fascinating to this suburban mom. Maybe one day I'll actually have the time to devote to gardening, especially for food, that I desire.
I hope you have a peaceful weekend and find something to love in it.
I love The Secret Garden and Strand is my all time favorite NYC bookstore! Your list is great fun.
ReplyDeleteYour knitting looks great! I made a washcloth...in the shape of a parallelogram.... and I just haven't had the gumption to go at it again. I love the idea of knitting but just can't bring myself to start another project!!!! I want to take a class to learn "the fast way." You know...in all my spare time. :)
ReplyDeleteJoy, thank you for helping me find your blog by commenting on mine! You have a beautiful way of looking at life. I hope you don't mind if I 'pull up a chair' and add you to my favorites.
ReplyDeleteWonderful list!
ReplyDeleteThe purl will come... it will! Keep at it!
I am in the middle of reading The Secret Garden to my girls....such a lovely story! My daughter just finished reading A Little Princess, another good one. I will have to check out Organic Life, sounds like a good book. BTW, when my girls needlefelt, I have them hold down the wool with a chopstick, while the other hand is doing the felting. It has worked pretty well.
ReplyDeleteYay for purling! I just learned how to knit myself in November. The purling gave me so much trouble (I was learning from a book) that it took one evening of a solid 4 hours before it finally made the transition from book to head to fingers AND resembled a purl stitch.
ReplyDeleteYours looks great and I hope you come to enjoy knitting as much as I have in the short time I've been doing it. =)