Hi friends, I hope you’re hanging in there. Yesterday, my new boss emailed and asked me to name my 10 favorite things. That’s a pretty wide open question so I named the top ten things I thought of (and found a few of them in a lovely birthday basket on my desk today!). I’m going to expand that list to 42 because that’s how many I am today.
In no particular order…
Disney Villains (especially Ursula)
Dark Chocolate
Sparkling Water
Plants
Charcuterie Boards
Giraffes (Highlight of my life was feeding giraffes in Kenya. Magical!)
The color green
Reading (mostly books by women because most of my required reading in school was dead white guys and I’ve learned enough about their perspective already, thanks)
Bamboo
Big Soft Pretzels. I’ve heard that liking a food cannot be your whole personality- but if it could - big soft pretzels would be mine.
Coffee
Talking about race & culture
Broadway shows
Spicy ahi poke
The Nightmare Before Christmas overlay on The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland
Podcasts. Especially Pantsuit Politics and The Popcast with Knox & Jamie
The Chicks. I’m not ready to make nice either, y’all.
Greek food. Give me all the olives and cheese and pita and hummus etc etc
Koalas
Saying the thing everyone is thinking but won’t say out loud.
My friend Evan’s crafting & niche pop culture reels on Instagram. I don’t know what he’s talking about most of the time but I literally LOL (@_evandodson)
Orchids
Smooth writing pens
Rain (literally the worst part of living in SoCal is the fact it. does. not. rain.)
Live music.
Ethically made clothes and things. Am I wearing a $5 tank top from Target right now? Yes, but overall most of my wardrobe is either Fair Trade or made in the USA (how’s THAT for patriotism!?) If you’re curious, I’m generally wearing: Mien Studios, Sseko/Noonday Collection, or something from my Seams Better box.
Halloween. Blame it on a repressed childhood at the height of Satanic Panic but I am a grown a$$ woman and will have at least 2 different costumes and decorate with cobwebs, spiders and bats because it’s fun!
Trader Joe’s.
Equal rights for everyone. Ev.ry.one.
Really cold drinks (sorry, Europe)
Gardening. This is my most expensive interest but I really really enjoy it.
The ocean. Sand is meh but the ocean is worth it.
Tattoos
Fresh baked bread
My kids using new words correctly. (bittersweet because they’re growing up so fast but their vocabulary is always entertaining)
Dancing. Am I great at it? Not at all. Do I care? Not even a little.
Churros from Disneyland (and the time Bianca said communion words when we shared one).
Allbirds shoes. They’re pretty much the only thing I own now.
The Mystery of God and the evolution of my understanding.
Loud belly laughs
Changing my mind about things and admitting when I’m wrong. (it’s not pleasant but it’s so good for my humanity)
The people I get to love who love me in return. It really is the best thing. (especially Rufio, Bianca & Xander. y’all make me crazy but I wouldn’t want to be sane if it meant there was no you)