NINE LOVES!

So - nine loves.  I'm going to first remove Shae and family and friends from the equation... let's be real - those are given.  LOVE THEM.  I'm thinking 9 less obvious loves.  You already know about the freshly cut toe nails.  I will also exclude those.

1. The smell of wood fires in winter.  Slowly, all the woodstoves are sneaking out of my life... but I won't soon forget the sound of crunching, packable snow under my feet, the nagging sniffle of an "I've been outside too long" nose... as it catches that first whiff of toasty dry heat.  Mm.

2. Baths that drag on so long that I drain some and reheat with scorching hot water.  It's never as hot as it is when I first get in - hot enough that your foot tingles as you set it in... and you sloooooowly ease yourself in... but the top up - that's bliss.  It's like a long hug.

3. Sliding my hand under the shirt of someone I like in that liiiiiiike kinda way.  Ohhhhhh racy, right?  It SERIOUSLY gives me the best thrill - it's so damn personal.  It always feels so cozy!  It always feels so connected.   Love it.

4. Memories of hopping out from the Skootamatta River and onto the hot rock to bask in the sun until dry - and repeat.  I was preteen - and it was pre-skin cancer, pre-wrinkle worries, pre-obligations, pre-should be doing laundry, pre-what do my thighs look like...  free.  The laziest most self indulgent free of my life.

5. Tied to 4 - love that I grew up in the country.  Love that I don't mind swimming in rivers and lakes, can catch a frog, and know of awesome ways to kill an entire week outdoors for FREE.  love that summer months will always be tied to wild strawberries, blackberry season, and the miracle that is the overwhelming joy of seeing your first dragonfly after bug season.

6. Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk

7. The first sentence of my daughter's day.  She never fails to surprise me with it - she's always mulling over something important to her in those first few minutes.  I'll be sad for the loss of those first couple of minutes of the morning when she someday decides to stay in her own bed every night.

8. Campfires with a beer, a hoodie, and some funny people.  The good funny - the one's that say silly things and have wicked stories to tell.

9. Eating someone else's cooking.  Its magic!  Some incredible act always transforms things like, "spaghetti" into "Oh my GAWD!  WHAT IS IN THIS...SPAGHETTI?  HEROIN?  I CAN'T STOP LOVING THIS SPAGHETTI".

It's absolutely conversely related to (I can't stop questioning my phrasing there - add love of language slaughtery - oh.  there I go again...) my hate-on for cooking my own food.  Baking - yes.  Cooking - hellsf*ckingno.

Aaaaaaaanyhooooooow... feed me.