Wants & Thanks

Recently I discovered Pinterest. I spend a lot of time browsing tidbits of fairy tale lives and planning my wedding, decorating the nurseries of my yet-to-be-conceived children, and wishing my kitchen looked like this:










































But then I actually try many of the recipes and I realize that while it might not be quite as charming, my kitchen is really functional and clean and new and big and I am in heaven when I'm in it. Also, you can keep Ryan Gosling, because once in awhile in the right lighting, my boyfriend kinda looks like a distant relative of his, and I'll bet he's a way better snuggler. Point being, I spend a lot of time daydreaming about cool shit, but I am really, stupidly, droolingly happy with my real life...which is pretty cool.

In celebration of said happiness, I present to you a short list of things that keep me feeling warm and bright while the days get shorter and the rain threatens to turn to snow:

- Scrabble. Not chex mix (my mom & grandma call chex mix scrabble, and now that I think of it, I'm not sure if I've ever heard anyone else call it that. Anyone?) - the American classic board game turned online game, which is also available and installed as an app for Android. You can play seemingly infinite games at any given time.

- The bodily configuration that Ryan and I finally mastered, which allows both of us to be comfortable at the same time while facing the tv from what is heralded as the World's Worst Couch. An added bonus is that in this configuration, our respective feet are located in close proximity to each other's hands, providing a convenient platform for footrubs!

- Cooking. I've always liked to cook, but I've been more or less obsessed for the past 6 months or so. It has become an effortless passion, with endless possibilities and practical to extravagant applications. I think it is equally composed of my desire to be a foodie and hone my palette into something sophisticated and my innate desire to nourish and nest and wear pretty aprons.

- The approaching holiday season. I've felt kind of "meh" about the holidays ever since I started being too cool for them, around high school, and then stressed out about the family and financial aspects that developed later, and I think that's a bummer because what I've been remembering these past couple weeks is that I really like Christmas. And Thanksgiving. This year I won't be visiting a nursing home. I won't be scared to see my sick dad or disappointed if I don't. I won't have any looming thoughts of this being the last holiday I spend with anyone. It's bittersweet, and it's relieving. This year I will pull out my decorations the day after Thanksgiving and we'll buy a few new ones and I will sit back and watch Home Alone and soak up the first of many wonderful holiday seasons on this side of my life.

- I don't want to make anyone puke or anything, but I can't wrap up this list without mentioning the enormous swelling in my chest that is Ryan. He is one of those crazy forces that I've read about and seen occasionally and truly believed in, but never directly experienced. I know I have a great life and a million zillion things to be thankful for, but he makes breathing seem magical. Also, he's a really good kisser.

Cheers!