Today on Facebook, I saw a great question: what things do you like? 

I chimed in with a few things, and it was great to read other people’s responses. 

As the thread grew, it got me thinking about how important it is to be a fan of stuff, of things, of feelings and people and to name those things. There’s got to be something dopamine-y about liking and listing things, don’t you think? 

To wit, here’s an off the cuff, non-exhaustive list of things I like. 

1. Dappled light. Oh my heart. I like, love, dappled light. 
2. Lying in bed with my eyes closed, knowing I can stay there for a few more minutes, or another hour, depending on the day of the week.  
3. Coffee. 
4. Personal growth. I like people who are on the road to becoming their own BFF. I do.
5. Driving up into the hills near my home. Turning off the highway and around the first bend always, always lowers my blood pressure. Lush ferns, trees so tall you can’t see the tops of them, and #1 on this list… heaven. 
6. Line drawing. 
7. Books. Preferably stacked. 
8. Podcasts. I am enjoying Women Of The Hour with Lena Dunham, and I hope Invisibilia will be back. 
9. Those big, crackly plastic blue bags from IKEA. They’re great for so many things after you’ve toted your newest IKEA purchases home. 
10. Even numbers. Always have, always will. Writing 2017 and turning 49 this year, not my faves. 
11. I like ideas. Ideas hold so much possibility and promise, even when they’re half formed and fuzzy. 
12. Lisa Congdon. She’s not a thing, obviously, but she is a super inspiring artist and illustrator. Check out her thoughts on living a good life on her blog. 
13. Song lyrics. I’m thinking about handlettering a bunch of lyrics throughout the year. 
14. Fresh bread. Butter. Cheese. Okay, that’s three-in-one. What can I say? They make a great combo. 
15. Maggie updates on Beth’s blog. I kind of adore Miss Maggie. Is that weird? 
16. Courage. It doesn’t have to be the made-the-news kind to be impressive. Mostly, courage doesn’t make the news, it just happens quietly all around us. People speaking up for themselves, or taking an art class, or putting the urgent off to deal with what’s really important, they’re all acts of courage. 
17. Doing the dishes. There’s something so gratifying about hot sudsy water and a dripping rack of squeaky clean dishes.
18. Chocolate. I’m slowly working my way through a bag of choc-orange Lindt Lindor balls and they are SO GOOD! 
19. The sounds of the Australian Open, having the tennis on in the background today has been aurally pleasing. Squeak, thunk, thwack, out! 
20. Wattle Park in Melbourne. Four decades ago, my mum would pack us all into the car for adventures at Wattle Park. It seemed massive, an endless place to run around and play. I’m convinced I used to see John Newcombe playing tennis there. Do you think I really did? 

 

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