These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...
I really like getting away from home. Running away is a nice way to distract myself and take pleasure in the simple things that I forget that I enjoy. So, since I'm sitting here with the quiet pleasure of some uninterrupted time with the computer, I'm going to list these "simple things" that make me happy, so that I don't forget later:
*Long drives: When I used to live in Tennessee, I would love to take road trips. My most frequent was to Gatlinburg, which was a two hour drive, but I also took trips out to see friends in Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, and Virgina. Something about getting out on the freeway, turning on the music, and just driving away was very soothing. I could think, or not think, for as long as I wanted. Things seemed to get clearer as the miles flew by. Distance and understanding seemed synonymous to me. I haven't made many trips since I moved home, but now that I've reconnected with my long-lost friend, traveling might become more regular for me again. That would be nice.
*My long-lost friend: She was my very best friend in junior high and high school. I have so many memories of us spending time together. She was the first person I was able to label as "best friend" and really understand what that means. After high school, I moved away to go to college and she got married and started her family. We didn't really have much in common any more and we just sort of lost touch with one another. But she was never far from my thoughts. I always wondered what she was up to, how things turned out for her, if she was happy with the choices she had made. A few months before our high school ten year reunion, she contacted me. We reconnected via e-mail and myspace and I finally got the chance in March to visit and meet her very large and beautiful family. And now I'm here again and enjoying just being around her, spending time talking, joking, laughing, and being silly like old times. I'm so happy to get back something that was so special that I feared had been lost to time.
*Scrapbooking: I now have friends who are creative and understand the process of making something like scrapbooks and cards. I no longer have to do these things by myself and what fun it turns out to be to sit and share stories of the pages you are working on with someone who is doing the same. It's nice to have reasons to take pictures again. It makes me feel alive and happy; something else I thought I had lost to time.
*Having a two-year-old snuggle in my lap because he's tired and fussy and fighting sleep: My friend's youngest kid is adorable. He's got blond curly hair and big brown eyes that rival Mr. E for the most beautiful eyes ever. He's like a Precious Moments Baby. He calls me "Mia", which I find so cute (I usually don't take to nicknames), and he crawls up to sit with me while we watch a movie or wants me to carry him when he's tired of walking instead of getting back into his stroller. Last night, we were watching videos of when the kids were very little and Precious Moments was sitting in my lap trying his hardest to not fall asleep. He wanted so much to stay up with the bigger kids, but he was so very tired. He's the cutest thing ever and knowing how quickly they grow, I'm sad to live so far away.
*Long weekends: Being Memorial Day weekend and working for the government means that I already was entitled to a three-day weekend. Because I had the vacation time and nothing was happening at work, I took Friday off too, making it a four-day weekend. I am currently sitting on the first of my two-days of Sunday. How nice to know that I do not have to return to work tomorrow. I still have another day to play.
And now, since my friend has been so kind as to allow me to invade her home for several days, I am going to spend some time picking up the house for her while she and her children are away at church. That way when they all get home, the kitchen and living room will be all tidy and clean, giving her a chance to relax a little.
It's the very least I can do for my friend.
*Long drives: When I used to live in Tennessee, I would love to take road trips. My most frequent was to Gatlinburg, which was a two hour drive, but I also took trips out to see friends in Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, and Virgina. Something about getting out on the freeway, turning on the music, and just driving away was very soothing. I could think, or not think, for as long as I wanted. Things seemed to get clearer as the miles flew by. Distance and understanding seemed synonymous to me. I haven't made many trips since I moved home, but now that I've reconnected with my long-lost friend, traveling might become more regular for me again. That would be nice.
*My long-lost friend: She was my very best friend in junior high and high school. I have so many memories of us spending time together. She was the first person I was able to label as "best friend" and really understand what that means. After high school, I moved away to go to college and she got married and started her family. We didn't really have much in common any more and we just sort of lost touch with one another. But she was never far from my thoughts. I always wondered what she was up to, how things turned out for her, if she was happy with the choices she had made. A few months before our high school ten year reunion, she contacted me. We reconnected via e-mail and myspace and I finally got the chance in March to visit and meet her very large and beautiful family. And now I'm here again and enjoying just being around her, spending time talking, joking, laughing, and being silly like old times. I'm so happy to get back something that was so special that I feared had been lost to time.
*Scrapbooking: I now have friends who are creative and understand the process of making something like scrapbooks and cards. I no longer have to do these things by myself and what fun it turns out to be to sit and share stories of the pages you are working on with someone who is doing the same. It's nice to have reasons to take pictures again. It makes me feel alive and happy; something else I thought I had lost to time.
*Having a two-year-old snuggle in my lap because he's tired and fussy and fighting sleep: My friend's youngest kid is adorable. He's got blond curly hair and big brown eyes that rival Mr. E for the most beautiful eyes ever. He's like a Precious Moments Baby. He calls me "Mia", which I find so cute (I usually don't take to nicknames), and he crawls up to sit with me while we watch a movie or wants me to carry him when he's tired of walking instead of getting back into his stroller. Last night, we were watching videos of when the kids were very little and Precious Moments was sitting in my lap trying his hardest to not fall asleep. He wanted so much to stay up with the bigger kids, but he was so very tired. He's the cutest thing ever and knowing how quickly they grow, I'm sad to live so far away.
*Long weekends: Being Memorial Day weekend and working for the government means that I already was entitled to a three-day weekend. Because I had the vacation time and nothing was happening at work, I took Friday off too, making it a four-day weekend. I am currently sitting on the first of my two-days of Sunday. How nice to know that I do not have to return to work tomorrow. I still have another day to play.
And now, since my friend has been so kind as to allow me to invade her home for several days, I am going to spend some time picking up the house for her while she and her children are away at church. That way when they all get home, the kitchen and living room will be all tidy and clean, giving her a chance to relax a little.
It's the very least I can do for my friend.