A few favorite things on this first day of the year

My son’s five month old kitten, named Wrecker.  A tiger striped lover who has been purring on my neck all day.  Jack is Not Pleased and I will have to take him for an extra long walk or something tomorrow. 

Flicker’s Most Interesting Photos.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/97515640@N00/3153290954  I subscribed when Therese Walsh told me about it, and it really is the most peaceful thing in my day sometimes.  There it is, waiting for me to take three seconds and look at beauty. 

Broccoli.  Steamed broccoli with a little butter and kosher salt. 

My local YMCA, where they have amazing yoga teachers, and Nia classes, and I can walk there in twenty minutes, so it is even extra exercise.

Christopher Robin. Really, a man who will go to Target, buy your book, wrap it in pink paper and put it in a bag on the table so you find it (complete with BreakOut Book! sticker) when you come home is a keeper.  He counted copies and knew that I would ask if it was on an endcap. 

You guys.  Seriously.  It’s like going to the park and finding friends any time of day or night.  Thanks.

Your turn. What are some of your favorite things today?

11 thoughts on “A few favorite things on this first day of the year

  1. Tapsi

    Roughly 10am at my desk, a cup of coffee and a cigarette in hand. The sun is angled just so, flooding my little alcove with exactly the right amount of light – the smoke swirls around me, the coffee warms my cold hands and the music soothes. A very happy new year to you Barbara, and yeah, the no smoking thing didn’t work out unfortunately!

  2. The snow the snow the snow in Montmartre! Honestly, snow makes me giddy and it’s so wonderful to sit here with a cup of coffee, the tree lights still on and the cats curled up, and enjoy the white calm. The buses can’t run up the hill and there are only a few cars and I’m listening to Sarah McLachlan and just totally enjoying the day.

  3. My big orange tiger kitty who went with us to LA this time to spend Xmas with the family and impressed us all with his ability to travel.

    My new electric throw which is keeping me (and aforesaid orange kitty) deliciously warm.

    The beach–especially the Central California beach with the birdlife and plantlife.

    Reading with–and being read to by–the DH. We are on our second book in as many weeks.

    Def my internet friends who keep me from being lonely even though I’ve moved to a place where I don’t know anyone.

  4. Barb

    Sitting side by side on the couch with my husband after breakfast reading, drinking coffee, quiet, with my sweet dog sitting on my lap.

  5. Barbara

    Oh, Tapsi, how well I remember those moments. Mmmm, I did so love to smoke! 🙂 I also love not smoking now, and when the time comes, you’ll do it.

  6. You keeping me up half the night reading. Does that count? 😉 Loving the new book! I don’t like posole (I know, I know), but reading about it is making me homesick for my great aunts in Albuquerque at Christmas and New Year’s nonetheless.

    Going to see an arty film in Dallas (Rachel Getting Married, in this instance) and eat at a fondue restaurant with my husband tonight definitely counts. I’ve been saving up thinking and stomach space all day.

  7. Scarlet

    My kids – who are hardly kids anymore. Getting phone calls from my 20 year old son just to talk, getting text messages from my 18 year old daughter saying “I miss you already” when she has just passed through airport security on the way back to college. And my 16 year old daughter and her boyfriend who tried so hard to talk me into going to the planetarium with them tonight – “I swear Mamma, we don’t need to be alone! Come with us. It’s more fun.” I mean really, who could ask for more?

  8. Barbara

    Julie, I haven’t seen Rachel yet, but I love the art house movie, too. Although, I may have to rethink our friendship if you don’t like posole!

    Scarlet, that’s so sweet!

  9. Yvonne Erwin

    Oh my gosh, I read this and I started to cry. What it all comes down to, favorite things today or not, is what are you grateful for on this first day of a brand new, untarnished, ribbon wrapped, happy faced adorned, year?

    I loved my January 1st in all its simplicity. My office was closed. I stayed home, lit a fire and cooked. It was cold here, no snow but just plain old frigid, and so, I stayed inside and did what I do, and what I love to do, besides write (did some of that too) and that is, cook. Typical new year’s fare. You know, I have never been able to make black eyed peas taste good. Just can’t no matter how I try but we had some of those and a bone-in ham, and a potato gratin, a spinach salad and a really, I mean grotesquely good, sickenly perfect, cheesecake. For the love of….well, something.

    It was good!

    But that’s not really it. I don’t care about all the trappings. I hope I’m more than that….What am I grateful this new year? I feel something, down deep, that the tribulations of the past three years have ended. My God, I’ve been put through the fire these past few years but I feel like I’ve walked over the coals and I’ve emerged on the other side. I didn’t feel this way with the dawn of 2008 but I have to say, that somehow, I do, now, in 2009. So hopeful I am, and so very, very grateful.

  10. My favorite thing on this New Year’s Day was reading your book. I loved it! BTW I found it at my local superstore and it was on an endcap. There were five or six copies;-)

  11. Barbara

    Cindy, thanks so much for the endcap report!! And I’m so happy to hear that you loved it. 🙂 🙂

    Julie, I forgot to say thank you to YOU. Thanks for telling me. It does mean the world to me. It’s agonizing when a new book first comes out.

    Yvonne, yes, a good day.

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