9

WEAVING. There is nothing like weaving. Yes, the beginning is tedious, but you make something that you have really done so much of and have control over every element. Not only that, but people get really impressed, even when it's the easiest plainweave project that you've ever done.

8

AVOCADOS! I love avocados! I like them the most with olive oil, salt, and paprika. Yum! Nothing improves my mood like a seasoned avocado.

7

IKEA! I spent time there today and let me tell you, there's nothing better than wandering through model homes for the afternoon and then going home to face the flat-packed truth.

6

FALLING ASLEEP TO THE SOUND OF RAIN. Growing up in Seattle, this is one of the sounds that is most familiar and comforting to me. The other night we had a rain storm, and I slept like a baby.

5

SKUNKS. Okay, this seems like a weird choice. It's mostly just that I like that there's an animal out there that does such a good job of being itself that nobody wants to mess with it. We humans try to modify everything, and the skunk just goes along doing its own thing, being a skunk. Nothing wrong with that... as long as you keep a safe distance. Also, baby skunks are the cutest. 'Nuff said.

4

FINLAND. I love this country and I love talking about it. What other country does business deals in the sauna AND has bike bridges? None, that's which. Extra points for having an ice cream flavor called 'supertiger.'

3

PAMPERING. I love to be pampered, but I especially love pampering myself. Appearance and hygiene wise, I am low maintenance. Five minute shower without conditioner and a quick shave and soap is all I need. Making myself feel special becomes so easy because of this - putting lotion on my hands feels like a luxury. All time best? Haircuts. They wash and massage my head, and then basically play with my hair for an hour. Every single time I leave that place I feel the most relaxed.

2

THE SMELL OF CRAYONS. I don't know what it is, but the smell of crayons is the best. Maybe it's a wax thing, because I also love the smell of unscented candles (and beeswax ones, oh my goodness) but I just can't get enough. Give me a box of crayons and I will be happy for days.

The beginning

I've been depressed. Medicine = helping a little, but not as much as it needs to. Unfortunately, writing about things that make me grumpy cheers me up, but also leaves me with kind of a negative attitude... not exactly what I'm looking for. A friend (ok, and my therapist) suggested that I make lists of things that I like. I'm not sure how game for this I am, but everything is better in blog format! Here we go.

EATING. I love eating. I love cooking, but I mostly love it because I get to eat what I make. Taste is definitely the most important sense (which actually makes smell most important because they are so linked) and if my stomach didn't get full and gaining weight wasn't a possibility, I would just eat all the time. So. good.