Metatalktails: Love February 9, 2019 5:40 PM Subscribe
Good Saturday evening, MetaFilter! This week, in honor of Valentine's Day, I want to hear about something you love! A book, a painting, a person, a crayon color, a smell, a TV show -- anything at all as long as you love it!
As always, this is a conversation starter, not limiter! We'd love to hear everything that's up with you! (See? That's something I love, to kick off the thread!)
As always, this is a conversation starter, not limiter! We'd love to hear everything that's up with you! (See? That's something I love, to kick off the thread!)
I love my mom, I love my dad, I love my chilhuacle negro pepper plant! It's such a trooper! It's getting buckets of rain poured on it and it just keeps trucking. Dad apparently talks to it when he goes outside, so maybe that's why it's such a survivor. As soon as the rains clear a little bit I'll be following the sage advice I got on askme as to it's care, but for now all good little neanderthals are inside creatures or else we'll melt.
We have been getting small breaks in the rain here in San Francisco, enough for me to do a little maintenance here and there and pick some Bok Choy.
Then we had a day that was positively sunny and I got to work! I had bought some new pots for tomatoes come April, and I had to lug them up to their new positions. Also moved the bench around in preparation for the new beds, and planted a new oregano plant. I... hope that little guy is doing ok because it has been raining non-stop all day today and I have... concerns.
I had a surprise in the carrot bed, one or two were ready for eating a month early! That was a yummy surprise. The funny thing is, all the rain that's washing away the nutrients in the other beds is probably really good for the carrots. To much nitrogen is the enemy of tasty roots, so the soil getting drenched is good news for the tasty-ness of my carrots all waiting and growing. Can I amend my earlier statement- I LOVE CARROTS.
Thanks very much to purpleclover who dropped me a tasty tip on cucumber types that are best in SF and I bought my seed packets a little early. I've never actually grown cucumbers so I will definitely be casting around for advice. Here's hoping telegraph improved is the way to go. I also got a packet of Boston Pickling, and as long as I was ordering, a couple packets of zucchini seeds. It's gonna be a bit before they go into the ground, but I know from experience that the closer you get to planting time, the busier the seed companies get- best to order early. Also in that link is a look at a book I got on vegetables that is truly amazing. (Vegetables by Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix early 90s published) Just page after page of full color photographs of every veggie variety that can grow in temperate weather. The book is from England which is also known for not the hottest of summers, so I think tomorrow I'm gonna pour myself a glass of wine and then pour over the pages to see if any possibilities jump out at me. It was used and old so it was super cheap, I just had to wait a bit for it to be shipped.
Last summer I had two surgeries so proper gardening was something of an afterthought by necessity, even after I swore that that was the year! but you know, man proposes, god disposes etc etc. But with a clean bill of health in 2019 I'm trying to be really on top of my growing schedule and plantings so even though this month will be a slow one in terms of physical work, I'm getting all my charts and info and seeds together so that everything works smoothly. Well, as smoothly as vegetable gardening in San Francisco can be! I expect weather shenanigans.
BRING IT!
...
DON'T BRING IT I'M SORRY MOTHER NATURE DON'T PUNISH ME.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 6:08 PM on February 9, 2019 [16 favorites]
We have been getting small breaks in the rain here in San Francisco, enough for me to do a little maintenance here and there and pick some Bok Choy.
Then we had a day that was positively sunny and I got to work! I had bought some new pots for tomatoes come April, and I had to lug them up to their new positions. Also moved the bench around in preparation for the new beds, and planted a new oregano plant. I... hope that little guy is doing ok because it has been raining non-stop all day today and I have... concerns.
I had a surprise in the carrot bed, one or two were ready for eating a month early! That was a yummy surprise. The funny thing is, all the rain that's washing away the nutrients in the other beds is probably really good for the carrots. To much nitrogen is the enemy of tasty roots, so the soil getting drenched is good news for the tasty-ness of my carrots all waiting and growing. Can I amend my earlier statement- I LOVE CARROTS.
Thanks very much to purpleclover who dropped me a tasty tip on cucumber types that are best in SF and I bought my seed packets a little early. I've never actually grown cucumbers so I will definitely be casting around for advice. Here's hoping telegraph improved is the way to go. I also got a packet of Boston Pickling, and as long as I was ordering, a couple packets of zucchini seeds. It's gonna be a bit before they go into the ground, but I know from experience that the closer you get to planting time, the busier the seed companies get- best to order early. Also in that link is a look at a book I got on vegetables that is truly amazing. (Vegetables by Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix early 90s published) Just page after page of full color photographs of every veggie variety that can grow in temperate weather. The book is from England which is also known for not the hottest of summers, so I think tomorrow I'm gonna pour myself a glass of wine and then pour over the pages to see if any possibilities jump out at me. It was used and old so it was super cheap, I just had to wait a bit for it to be shipped.
Last summer I had two surgeries so proper gardening was something of an afterthought by necessity, even after I swore that that was the year! but you know, man proposes, god disposes etc etc. But with a clean bill of health in 2019 I'm trying to be really on top of my growing schedule and plantings so even though this month will be a slow one in terms of physical work, I'm getting all my charts and info and seeds together so that everything works smoothly. Well, as smoothly as vegetable gardening in San Francisco can be! I expect weather shenanigans.
BRING IT!
...
DON'T BRING IT I'M SORRY MOTHER NATURE DON'T PUNISH ME.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 6:08 PM on February 9, 2019 [16 favorites]
There’s a great horned owl at the raptor center I volunteer at who is extremely vocal. When I walk by him in the morning I say “Hello! Can I get a hoot-hoot?” and he looks at me and hoots back and I love that owl.
posted by lepus at 6:23 PM on February 9, 2019 [56 favorites]
posted by lepus at 6:23 PM on February 9, 2019 [56 favorites]
My kids, my husband, (most of) my family, my friends, my dog, my kitties.
I also probably excessively love Vietnamese iced coffee.
On preview, I now love that great horned owl.
posted by cooker girl at 6:24 PM on February 9, 2019 [10 favorites]
I also probably excessively love Vietnamese iced coffee.
On preview, I now love that great horned owl.
posted by cooker girl at 6:24 PM on February 9, 2019 [10 favorites]
The love very much on my mind at the moment is our small, shy, sweetheart of a torbie who we found out this week has inoperable cancer. (Apologies, I'm too heartbroken to pay the cat tax. She looks a lot like this girl.) We don't know how much time we have left with her, so every belly rub and every piece of kibble she eats is a gift. Please give extra hugs to your critters from us. ❤
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 6:26 PM on February 9, 2019 [31 favorites]
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 6:26 PM on February 9, 2019 [31 favorites]
Orange Dinosaur Slide, I'm so so sorry. We had a small, shy torbie named Katie who was just the best little bundle of crazy. I hope your girl has more quality time than you think, and I'm hugging my menagerie for you right now.
posted by cooker girl at 6:28 PM on February 9, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by cooker girl at 6:28 PM on February 9, 2019 [4 favorites]
I love rocks and minerals. I have tons of quartz crystals, but I also have many mineral specimens, and can talk about them all day long. I have loved them since I was a child, when I would often go through my parents' encyclopedia, which only had a few pages in color, and some of those were gemstones, and those were my favorite., and I remember my mother joking about how could I pay $5 for a rock, when I visited the Boston Museum of Science and bought a tiger eye at the gift shop.
I like to go out digging for tourmaline, that is, we pay $15 a bucket to sift though mine dumps, and we sort through, looking for gems. I've found a few nice pieces and lots of specimens. It's lots of fun, and we'll go back again this year.
I'd really love to get a benitoite specimen, that's pretty rare. It's only found in California.
I have so many things, quartz with hematite inclusions, very rare. Gypsum desert rose, which only happens when the reservoir evaporates. Fulgurite, which is created when lightning strikes sand and turns it into glass. Moldavite, I have that, including a feathering version.
I also love cooking and I do it a lot, but I'd have to say rocks and minerals are my first love.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 6:30 PM on February 9, 2019 [16 favorites]
I like to go out digging for tourmaline, that is, we pay $15 a bucket to sift though mine dumps, and we sort through, looking for gems. I've found a few nice pieces and lots of specimens. It's lots of fun, and we'll go back again this year.
I'd really love to get a benitoite specimen, that's pretty rare. It's only found in California.
I have so many things, quartz with hematite inclusions, very rare. Gypsum desert rose, which only happens when the reservoir evaporates. Fulgurite, which is created when lightning strikes sand and turns it into glass. Moldavite, I have that, including a feathering version.
I also love cooking and I do it a lot, but I'd have to say rocks and minerals are my first love.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 6:30 PM on February 9, 2019 [16 favorites]
I love waking up to sunlight streaming through the windows. I rarely get to enjoy it as I need to be up for work or something else before sunrise nearly all days of the week (yes, even weekends sigh). Plus, East Coast living. I noticed that starting my mornings with warmth and light really makes a difference in my productivity and happiness levels for the whole day. Or at least until the afternoon. Sunsets almost always put me in a melancholy mood.
I am also smitten with my new niece. She’s so precious, with the chubbiest cheeks and the pudgiest tummy. I get so emotional when I think of how much I love her at times, and that makes me wonder and marvel at the magnitude of love her parents must feel for her.
Also, roses. The edible kind. Somehow, rose tea and pastries taste of happiness to me.
posted by theappleonatree at 6:34 PM on February 9, 2019 [5 favorites]
I am also smitten with my new niece. She’s so precious, with the chubbiest cheeks and the pudgiest tummy. I get so emotional when I think of how much I love her at times, and that makes me wonder and marvel at the magnitude of love her parents must feel for her.
Also, roses. The edible kind. Somehow, rose tea and pastries taste of happiness to me.
posted by theappleonatree at 6:34 PM on February 9, 2019 [5 favorites]
Ugh, I spent much of the day cleaning out my kitchen cabinets, which was long overdue but tedious. I love being done with that task for awhile, and will steadfastly ignore the other things I should be cleaning, at least until tomorrow.
I have ingredients to make Valentine's treats inspired by this askme, so thanks to angrycat and everyone who contributed ideas. I'm more of a savory cook than a dessert person, but I'm feeling sweet this week. I love being excited about new recipes.
posted by the primroses were over at 6:53 PM on February 9, 2019 [6 favorites]
I have ingredients to make Valentine's treats inspired by this askme, so thanks to angrycat and everyone who contributed ideas. I'm more of a savory cook than a dessert person, but I'm feeling sweet this week. I love being excited about new recipes.
posted by the primroses were over at 6:53 PM on February 9, 2019 [6 favorites]
BACON DIAMONDS
posted by clavdivs at 6:53 PM on February 9, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by clavdivs at 6:53 PM on February 9, 2019 [5 favorites]
I love heading down a trail when I don't know how far it goes or what it leads to. For similar reasons I also love settling into bed with a new book and starting to read.
posted by Redstart at 7:07 PM on February 9, 2019 [11 favorites]
posted by Redstart at 7:07 PM on February 9, 2019 [11 favorites]
Oh Redstart, yes! Snuggling under the covers with a new book is one of life’s greatest joys.
posted by theappleonatree at 7:15 PM on February 9, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by theappleonatree at 7:15 PM on February 9, 2019 [4 favorites]
I love my partner. She's the best. I also love my cat. Best cat ever. I'm also loving this current glass of wine, my first and last for the night.
posted by deezil at 7:22 PM on February 9, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by deezil at 7:22 PM on February 9, 2019 [5 favorites]
I love my 15 year old blundstone boots. They are perfectly broken in, scuffed up, drops of paint in places. I’ve worn them all over the world and through countless adventures, home improvement projects, and punk rock shows (both on stage and off). They are the perfect map of all the manly man things I’ve done in my adult life and are still perfectly wearable. Some days I wear them with a button down shirt and a tie to my office job, because those boots are the person I really am and you can’t buy the wear and tear they bear from any fancy store.
I guess my kids are ok too.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 7:41 PM on February 9, 2019 [14 favorites]
I guess my kids are ok too.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 7:41 PM on February 9, 2019 [14 favorites]
I love the smell of my mother's neck. She's 86 years old and her skin is so comforting to me. I also love the smell of books and of the sea. Feeling nostalgic tonight I guess.
posted by SyraCarol at 7:45 PM on February 9, 2019 [9 favorites]
posted by SyraCarol at 7:45 PM on February 9, 2019 [9 favorites]
I love the way small children are bad at talking. My oldest thought "snuggle" was "nuggle" for the longest time and I was like DON'T YOU DARE CORRECT HIM at everyone. My middle child may still think the singular of "clothes" is "clo" -- like, "Hey sweetie, go throw those clothes in the laundry basket." "Mom! There is just one clo!"
Last week I smiled down at my 2 year old and she pointed at the corner of my mouth and said "Uh oh! Wrinkle!" and I was pretty taken aback.
Today we were sitting on the couch and she pointed at my knee and said, "Uh oh! Wrinkle!"
"Oh, no, sweetie, that's a freckle."
"YETH! WRINKLE!"
"FRECKLE."
"WRINKLE!"
She clearly could not hear the difference between what I was saying and what she was saying and from now on I'm calling my actual wrinkles "freckles." And I love both my freckles and my wrinkles, as I've come by both honestly!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 7:58 PM on February 9, 2019 [30 favorites]
Last week I smiled down at my 2 year old and she pointed at the corner of my mouth and said "Uh oh! Wrinkle!" and I was pretty taken aback.
Today we were sitting on the couch and she pointed at my knee and said, "Uh oh! Wrinkle!"
"Oh, no, sweetie, that's a freckle."
"YETH! WRINKLE!"
"FRECKLE."
"WRINKLE!"
She clearly could not hear the difference between what I was saying and what she was saying and from now on I'm calling my actual wrinkles "freckles." And I love both my freckles and my wrinkles, as I've come by both honestly!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 7:58 PM on February 9, 2019 [30 favorites]
I love this illustration a friend did of Eowyn at the Gates of Meduseld, part of his 1994 Tolkien Calendar. I'm saving up to buy it from him.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:05 PM on February 9, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:05 PM on February 9, 2019 [7 favorites]
My dog, my child, my Westy diesel, my soon to be over so sick of it 'career', this place, oldest friends, Mother Nature, education, good food, relatively good health, and lots of other things to be thankful and loving for.
posted by Afghan Stan at 8:06 PM on February 9, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by Afghan Stan at 8:06 PM on February 9, 2019 [5 favorites]
I love a lot of things and when I get started on a list of them it’s hard to stop. I start to feel a vague sense of guilt about everything I leave out.
Once, when I was seven, I made the disastrous decision to take a doll, who was having a bad day, for a bike ride. That afternoon ended with trussed up stuffed animals dangling from my handlebars and a wagon with heaps of dolls hitched to the back.
So you may not be limiting the conversation, but I’m going to have to. I’ll go with my two favorite things I discovered from Metafilter this year.
Blue shadows asked for poetry recommendations and yesbut suggested Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times. I am about to read it a second time.
Somewhere on the blue there was a thread about boat songs and someone mentioned Mary Ellen Carter which I did not know and now listen to a half dozen times a week. It is perfect house cleaning music! (My life is sad these days. I should have better things to do to that song than clean house.)
Even better, somebody linked to a version of it by his band, Pirates for Sail. I loved it so much I bought the album. You guys, I love Pirates for Sail! You can’t be sad when listening to them.
posted by diamondsky at 8:13 PM on February 9, 2019 [10 favorites]
Once, when I was seven, I made the disastrous decision to take a doll, who was having a bad day, for a bike ride. That afternoon ended with trussed up stuffed animals dangling from my handlebars and a wagon with heaps of dolls hitched to the back.
So you may not be limiting the conversation, but I’m going to have to. I’ll go with my two favorite things I discovered from Metafilter this year.
Blue shadows asked for poetry recommendations and yesbut suggested Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times. I am about to read it a second time.
Somewhere on the blue there was a thread about boat songs and someone mentioned Mary Ellen Carter which I did not know and now listen to a half dozen times a week. It is perfect house cleaning music! (My life is sad these days. I should have better things to do to that song than clean house.)
Even better, somebody linked to a version of it by his band, Pirates for Sail. I loved it so much I bought the album. You guys, I love Pirates for Sail! You can’t be sad when listening to them.
posted by diamondsky at 8:13 PM on February 9, 2019 [10 favorites]
I love this place, all of the individual members and the community that we create.
I love the city I live in currently. Elgin, IL - Chicago suburb but with lots and lots of history. Was pretty rough in the 1990s , much better now but still with a bad rep. Has a beautiful river, amazing library, thriving arts scene, I could go on and on. I love it so much.
I love Gritty (the Philadelphia Flyers mascot who is off the chain)
I love my career. EHS (Environment, Health and Safety) management is pretty thankless, but can be fun and is very important.
I love my 3 dogs and 1 cat, who are all very different but equally loveable.
General chitchat... I went to a fundraising gala thing a few weeks ago and won some silent auction items, one of which was a gift card to a local spa. I used it today on a facial and a hot stone massage, which was transcendent. I've never had a facial, and the last massage I got was like 15 years ago. I'm kind of kicking myself for missing out for this long! I'm not sure I'd do both at the same time again, but am definitely going to incorporate spa treatments into my self care plan more often. Afterwards I used another gift card I won to a local Italian chain place and had a very indulgent dinner (steak frites & chocolate cake (add those to my list of loves. I love steak.)).
And, Valentine's Day is the -last- holiday in a long stretch of them (starting from my birthday Nov 6 , Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, his birthday, our anniversary, now V Day) that have been painful to go through since separating from my husband. Only 5 more days, then that is all over. Praise be to jeebus. It's been a ride, that's for sure.
posted by Fig at 8:25 PM on February 9, 2019 [37 favorites]
I love the city I live in currently. Elgin, IL - Chicago suburb but with lots and lots of history. Was pretty rough in the 1990s , much better now but still with a bad rep. Has a beautiful river, amazing library, thriving arts scene, I could go on and on. I love it so much.
I love Gritty (the Philadelphia Flyers mascot who is off the chain)
I love my career. EHS (Environment, Health and Safety) management is pretty thankless, but can be fun and is very important.
I love my 3 dogs and 1 cat, who are all very different but equally loveable.
General chitchat... I went to a fundraising gala thing a few weeks ago and won some silent auction items, one of which was a gift card to a local spa. I used it today on a facial and a hot stone massage, which was transcendent. I've never had a facial, and the last massage I got was like 15 years ago. I'm kind of kicking myself for missing out for this long! I'm not sure I'd do both at the same time again, but am definitely going to incorporate spa treatments into my self care plan more often. Afterwards I used another gift card I won to a local Italian chain place and had a very indulgent dinner (steak frites & chocolate cake (add those to my list of loves. I love steak.)).
And, Valentine's Day is the -last- holiday in a long stretch of them (starting from my birthday Nov 6 , Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, his birthday, our anniversary, now V Day) that have been painful to go through since separating from my husband. Only 5 more days, then that is all over. Praise be to jeebus. It's been a ride, that's for sure.
posted by Fig at 8:25 PM on February 9, 2019 [37 favorites]
Orange Dinosaur Slide, I'm so sorry.
posted by lazuli at 8:33 PM on February 9, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by lazuli at 8:33 PM on February 9, 2019 [1 favorite]
I love this poem. I first read it a few months ago, and I just keep thinking about it.
A Speech at the Lost and Found
Wislawa Szymborska
I lost a few goddesses while moving south to north,
and also some gods while moving east to west.
I let several stars go out for good, they can’t be traced.
An island or two sank on me, they’re lost at sea.
I’m not even sure exactly where I left my claws,
who’s got my fur coat, who’s living in my shell.
My siblings died the day I left for dry land
and only one small bone recalls that anniversary in me.
I’ve shed my skin, squandered vertebrae and legs,
taken leave of my senses time and again.
I’ve long since closed my third eye to all that,
washed my fins of it and shrugged my branches.
Gone, lost, scattered to the four winds. It still surprises me
how little now remains, one first person sing., temporarily
declined in human form, just now making such a fuss
about a blue umbrella left yesterday on a bus.
posted by lazuli at 8:34 PM on February 9, 2019 [26 favorites]
A Speech at the Lost and Found
Wislawa Szymborska
I lost a few goddesses while moving south to north,
and also some gods while moving east to west.
I let several stars go out for good, they can’t be traced.
An island or two sank on me, they’re lost at sea.
I’m not even sure exactly where I left my claws,
who’s got my fur coat, who’s living in my shell.
My siblings died the day I left for dry land
and only one small bone recalls that anniversary in me.
I’ve shed my skin, squandered vertebrae and legs,
taken leave of my senses time and again.
I’ve long since closed my third eye to all that,
washed my fins of it and shrugged my branches.
Gone, lost, scattered to the four winds. It still surprises me
how little now remains, one first person sing., temporarily
declined in human form, just now making such a fuss
about a blue umbrella left yesterday on a bus.
posted by lazuli at 8:34 PM on February 9, 2019 [26 favorites]
Homo neanderthalensis! I'm excited for the cucumber experiment! Boston Pickling is a very solid choice for cooler weather too. (Is San Francisco too cool? Let's find out!)
posted by purpleclover at 8:48 PM on February 9, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by purpleclover at 8:48 PM on February 9, 2019 [3 favorites]
Marie Mon Dieu, come visit me in Colorado. I'll take you mineral hunting on Mt. Antero and then take you to my super secret location(s) nearby.
I love our public lands!
posted by barchan at 8:55 PM on February 9, 2019 [9 favorites]
I love our public lands!
posted by barchan at 8:55 PM on February 9, 2019 [9 favorites]
Babies. Especially my babies when they were babies. I found a photo I'd been specifically looking for of my PITA daughter and my friend Maria's daughter from when I was doing my field work. They're both growed up now! It just fills my heart with saudades.
posted by drlith at 9:05 PM on February 9, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by drlith at 9:05 PM on February 9, 2019 [10 favorites]
I love my grandmother's 1950's diamond ring my mom gave me in December, almost offhandedly, when I said I wanted a ring. It's a big emerald cut stone. Never married, never even come close, but I've always loved diamond rings and never got around to buying myself one. It's gorgeous and classic and I love it. Also, more so, my big boy cats! They are the best and give me much joy.
posted by soakimbo at 9:09 PM on February 9, 2019 [9 favorites]
posted by soakimbo at 9:09 PM on February 9, 2019 [9 favorites]
Anyone who knows me, knows I love my daughter more than anyone or anything in the whole wide world. I talk about her all the time; every topic somehow relates back to her. She is just 21 but 10 days ago she traveled alone to Italy, where she has been exploring Milan, Bologna, and Rimini (did I mention that she's doing this alone!) and making her way to Urbino where she'll live and attend University for the next 5 months. While I don't love social media, I do appreciate Instagram and Facebook for helping me to watch over my daughter as she travels (alone) 8 time zones and an ocean away.
P.S., I also love Boo Radley, my kitty, who is currently curled up on my lap and keeping me company.
posted by kbar1 at 9:10 PM on February 9, 2019 [13 favorites]
P.S., I also love Boo Radley, my kitty, who is currently curled up on my lap and keeping me company.
posted by kbar1 at 9:10 PM on February 9, 2019 [13 favorites]
I love my Sweetie!
I love my three children!
I love Carvel Ice Cream!!!!!
posted by AugustWest at 9:50 PM on February 9, 2019 [6 favorites]
I love my three children!
I love Carvel Ice Cream!!!!!
posted by AugustWest at 9:50 PM on February 9, 2019 [6 favorites]
Lovely thread to read.
I'm going to be boringly Valentine's-oriented and say I love my husband. You could call him in some ways a very ordinary middling person, but I am constantly struck by his ability for kindness, sensitivity to other people's needs and moods, and open-mindedness. Quite a while back on the blue there was a thread where someone mentioned the characteristics of one "male ideal" which stuck with me because they describe my husband so well: strong, generous, emotionally sensitive, calm.
Other things I love, out of many--the bone-deep satisfaction of reading a really good book; moments in music that give me thrills and chills, make me cry, and remind me that everything matters and is worth it, even so.
posted by huimangm at 9:51 PM on February 9, 2019 [8 favorites]
I'm going to be boringly Valentine's-oriented and say I love my husband. You could call him in some ways a very ordinary middling person, but I am constantly struck by his ability for kindness, sensitivity to other people's needs and moods, and open-mindedness. Quite a while back on the blue there was a thread where someone mentioned the characteristics of one "male ideal" which stuck with me because they describe my husband so well: strong, generous, emotionally sensitive, calm.
Other things I love, out of many--the bone-deep satisfaction of reading a really good book; moments in music that give me thrills and chills, make me cry, and remind me that everything matters and is worth it, even so.
posted by huimangm at 9:51 PM on February 9, 2019 [8 favorites]
There is quite a nice bat that seems to live in the tree outside my bedroom window. Every night I hear FLAP FLAP FLAP as it goes off to do bat things, and it makes me happy.
posted by lollusc at 10:08 PM on February 9, 2019 [37 favorites]
posted by lollusc at 10:08 PM on February 9, 2019 [37 favorites]
Also, cheese. I love cheese.
posted by lollusc at 10:12 PM on February 9, 2019 [17 favorites]
posted by lollusc at 10:12 PM on February 9, 2019 [17 favorites]
Smartwool socks, because it's cold outside and this is the only wool that I can wear without itching.
Halo Top light ice cream, because it doesn't upset my stomach (yes, I am inconsistent).
Lots of yarn and hooks and crochet idea books.
And my husband and daughters, of course.
OH -- we've passed the solstice! It will be warm again. Someday. Really. Happens every year.
Looking forward to the first forsythia in bloom... beautiful, beautiful golden blooms.
And long walks at the lake... yes!
posted by TrishaU at 10:25 PM on February 9, 2019 [5 favorites]
Halo Top light ice cream, because it doesn't upset my stomach (yes, I am inconsistent).
Lots of yarn and hooks and crochet idea books.
And my husband and daughters, of course.
OH -- we've passed the solstice! It will be warm again. Someday. Really. Happens every year.
Looking forward to the first forsythia in bloom... beautiful, beautiful golden blooms.
And long walks at the lake... yes!
posted by TrishaU at 10:25 PM on February 9, 2019 [5 favorites]
I mean, I love my kid and my friends and family and perfectly ripe nectarines and what my bedroom curtains look like when the sun is coming up, and things. But right now what I REALLY love is my gas fireplace. We’re having a too-much-for-Seattle amount of snow this week, and when my power went out last night I just got up, turned on the fireplace, and went back to sleep, and everything was fine. The fireplace looks kind of silly in the room it’s in and I’ve been sad that it doesn’t crackle or smell good, but all is forgiven.
posted by centrifugal at 11:37 PM on February 9, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by centrifugal at 11:37 PM on February 9, 2019 [7 favorites]
I have so much love - I am (mostly) unashamedly governed by my passions both positive and negative, I shall focus on what I am loving right now.
I am loving the weather. It was 25-26 celsius today. I hate the heat, but I hadn't realised how weeks and weeks for 30+ temps had really effected my mood and patience. I slept like a baby last night (helped by a 20km run, admittedly), rose early today, filled with joy. I mowed, I whippersnipped, I cut down some unwanted and frankly presumptuous trees, I did some weights, I washed and hung out and took down a bajillion clothes. And I was happy doing all of it, because it was so nice outside.
I cajoled the kids into joining me. My eldest is starting to move her love of nature from theoretical to practical, much to my delight. She found a lizard, it lost its tail, she excitedly held the twitching tail.
I blocked YouTube on their tablets as I cannot stand any more videos of children being precocious and shrill (things, I never thought I would say: "Please can you watch Netflix? Something with like a story and an arc, please?"). I installed some new educational apps, and they have been very taken with them. I don't think they even realise YouTube is blocked yet. For this parent, that is a success.
Watching how much they love each other is a delight. My youngest started kindergarten this week (warning: extreme cuteness). They have played with each other exclusively at all the lunches and at after school care. Hard to say who is more excited.
Finally, I love the tacos I made for dinner. I took a gamble with the salsa, and it paid off magnificently. Spanish onion, parsley, cucumber, peach, danish feta, lime juice. The flavours balanced brilliantly.
What a great weekend. This is close to my platonic ideal of a weekend.
posted by smoke at 12:06 AM on February 10, 2019 [30 favorites]
I am loving the weather. It was 25-26 celsius today. I hate the heat, but I hadn't realised how weeks and weeks for 30+ temps had really effected my mood and patience. I slept like a baby last night (helped by a 20km run, admittedly), rose early today, filled with joy. I mowed, I whippersnipped, I cut down some unwanted and frankly presumptuous trees, I did some weights, I washed and hung out and took down a bajillion clothes. And I was happy doing all of it, because it was so nice outside.
I cajoled the kids into joining me. My eldest is starting to move her love of nature from theoretical to practical, much to my delight. She found a lizard, it lost its tail, she excitedly held the twitching tail.
I blocked YouTube on their tablets as I cannot stand any more videos of children being precocious and shrill (things, I never thought I would say: "Please can you watch Netflix? Something with like a story and an arc, please?"). I installed some new educational apps, and they have been very taken with them. I don't think they even realise YouTube is blocked yet. For this parent, that is a success.
Watching how much they love each other is a delight. My youngest started kindergarten this week (warning: extreme cuteness). They have played with each other exclusively at all the lunches and at after school care. Hard to say who is more excited.
Finally, I love the tacos I made for dinner. I took a gamble with the salsa, and it paid off magnificently. Spanish onion, parsley, cucumber, peach, danish feta, lime juice. The flavours balanced brilliantly.
What a great weekend. This is close to my platonic ideal of a weekend.
posted by smoke at 12:06 AM on February 10, 2019 [30 favorites]
Dammmmmn, smoke, you were not kidding about the extreme cuteness. I am shook.
posted by charmedimsure at 12:49 AM on February 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by charmedimsure at 12:49 AM on February 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
I love my purple-threaded Doc Martens. I love our home. I love living with my man; it’s just so freaking fun. I dress in a simple style; solid colours, all jewel-tones. But I compulsively buy earrings — have almost six dozen pairs. So Mr. lemon_icing built twisty earring trees that wouldn’t look out of place in Mirkwood forest. I love my unicorn narwhal knee socks and sea foam green Kate Spade bag.
I love cooking. I love my container pots garden. I had enough basil from the garden to make pesto. I’m thinking about making kimchi from the radishes on the balcony. Even the roaring cicadas are delightful.
posted by lemon_icing at 1:30 AM on February 10, 2019 [9 favorites]
I love cooking. I love my container pots garden. I had enough basil from the garden to make pesto. I’m thinking about making kimchi from the radishes on the balcony. Even the roaring cicadas are delightful.
posted by lemon_icing at 1:30 AM on February 10, 2019 [9 favorites]
I love the way small children are bad at talking. My oldest thought "snuggle" was "nuggle" for the longest time and I was like DON'T YOU DARE CORRECT HIM at everyone.
I love this too! Little eirias used to say “nonice” instead of “notice” and I wanted to nuggle her every time. :) And “vehicle” became “venicle.”
I love graphs. I love reading them, I love making them, I love reading wonky criticism about them, I love when coworkers come to me and say “help, I have this interesting result but I have no idea how to graph it.” I love that my kid has picked up on this and now when she wants to make me happy she begs to cuddle while flipping through the infographic book Mr. eirias bought me for my birthday.
All the pets and scritches to your torbie, Orange Dinosaur Slide.
posted by eirias at 2:36 AM on February 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
I love this too! Little eirias used to say “nonice” instead of “notice” and I wanted to nuggle her every time. :) And “vehicle” became “venicle.”
I love graphs. I love reading them, I love making them, I love reading wonky criticism about them, I love when coworkers come to me and say “help, I have this interesting result but I have no idea how to graph it.” I love that my kid has picked up on this and now when she wants to make me happy she begs to cuddle while flipping through the infographic book Mr. eirias bought me for my birthday.
All the pets and scritches to your torbie, Orange Dinosaur Slide.
posted by eirias at 2:36 AM on February 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
I love my nieces who are staying with me this weekend, and who are (worryingly) quiet downstairs right now.
I love my family, my house, you lot, my stepdaughter’s new baby, tiny things, people who share space and time with me - like I regularly get waves of love for the people on the bus with me - and the beauty of nature.
But I love my husband with a depth that hurts my heart sometimes. When we met some deep-down part of me said “There you are. I’ve been waiting.” I never believed in soulmates til I met him, or eternal love. Now I listen to songs and read poems and I think “Aaaah, I get it now.” Like this feeling cannot be temporal. It is unpossible. I read His Dark Materials years ago, and they were just meh, but when I was looking for a reading for our wedding I came across this and it kind of sums it up:
“I will love you forever; whatever happens. Till I die and after I die, and when I find my way out of the land of the dead, I’ll drift about forever, all my atoms, till I find you again… I’ll be looking for you, every moment, every single moment. And when we do find each other again, we’ll cling together so tight that nothing and no one’ll ever tear us apart. Every atom of me and every atom of you… We’ll live in birds and flowers and dragonflies and pine trees and in clouds and in those little specks of light you see floating in sunbeams… And when they use our atoms to make new lives, they won’t just be able to take one, they’ll have to take two, one of you and one of me.”
posted by billiebee at 3:24 AM on February 10, 2019 [27 favorites]
I love my family, my house, you lot, my stepdaughter’s new baby, tiny things, people who share space and time with me - like I regularly get waves of love for the people on the bus with me - and the beauty of nature.
But I love my husband with a depth that hurts my heart sometimes. When we met some deep-down part of me said “There you are. I’ve been waiting.” I never believed in soulmates til I met him, or eternal love. Now I listen to songs and read poems and I think “Aaaah, I get it now.” Like this feeling cannot be temporal. It is unpossible. I read His Dark Materials years ago, and they were just meh, but when I was looking for a reading for our wedding I came across this and it kind of sums it up:
“I will love you forever; whatever happens. Till I die and after I die, and when I find my way out of the land of the dead, I’ll drift about forever, all my atoms, till I find you again… I’ll be looking for you, every moment, every single moment. And when we do find each other again, we’ll cling together so tight that nothing and no one’ll ever tear us apart. Every atom of me and every atom of you… We’ll live in birds and flowers and dragonflies and pine trees and in clouds and in those little specks of light you see floating in sunbeams… And when they use our atoms to make new lives, they won’t just be able to take one, they’ll have to take two, one of you and one of me.”
posted by billiebee at 3:24 AM on February 10, 2019 [27 favorites]
I love the city I live in currently. Elgin, IL - Chicago suburb but with lots and lots of history. Was pretty rough in the 1990s
Whoa! I used to live in Elgin, for many years, and it was during the 1990's. What I wouldn't give for some Beef Villa right now!
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 4:26 AM on February 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
Whoa! I used to live in Elgin, for many years, and it was during the 1990's. What I wouldn't give for some Beef Villa right now!
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 4:26 AM on February 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
Marie Mon Dieu, come visit me in Colorado. I'll take you mineral hunting on Mt. Antero and then take you to my super secret location(s) nearby.
Barchan, I would love to do that! I've only been to Colorado once, and it was more like driving through, not much stopping.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 4:27 AM on February 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
Barchan, I would love to do that! I've only been to Colorado once, and it was more like driving through, not much stopping.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 4:27 AM on February 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
Orange Dinosaur Slide, soft touches to your torbie...
Homo neanderthalensis, I so adore following your garden!
lepus, your Horned Owl friend!
lollusc, your bat friend!
Marie Mon Dieu, another crystal and rock lover here, but I have never dug for them.... I will be having to pack up my crew for a move soon... postponing that because I want them around me as long as possible.
Everyone who has mentioned or quoted poems or poetry, this makes me feel at home here. I am in love with poetry right now, both poetry I read and the process of writing poems. I only recently joined Twitter and have gratefully immersed myself in the voices of poets there. For a long time it seemed poetry was a forgotten zone in the cultural landscape and now I find myself inside a flood of it and I cannot tell you how good that feels.
I am loving the possibilities alive in this coming move; I believe I will be in a much better place very soon and may even be able to find and participate in a live poetry crit group which I really want right now.
posted by luaz at 4:27 AM on February 10, 2019 [10 favorites]
Homo neanderthalensis, I so adore following your garden!
lepus, your Horned Owl friend!
lollusc, your bat friend!
Marie Mon Dieu, another crystal and rock lover here, but I have never dug for them.... I will be having to pack up my crew for a move soon... postponing that because I want them around me as long as possible.
Everyone who has mentioned or quoted poems or poetry, this makes me feel at home here. I am in love with poetry right now, both poetry I read and the process of writing poems. I only recently joined Twitter and have gratefully immersed myself in the voices of poets there. For a long time it seemed poetry was a forgotten zone in the cultural landscape and now I find myself inside a flood of it and I cannot tell you how good that feels.
I am loving the possibilities alive in this coming move; I believe I will be in a much better place very soon and may even be able to find and participate in a live poetry crit group which I really want right now.
posted by luaz at 4:27 AM on February 10, 2019 [10 favorites]
I love Lake Michigan.
I love tart cherries.
I love my cat to distraction.
I love all cats.
I love the smell of sun-baked pine straw.
I love edible wild plants.
I love birds.
I love cold mountain streams that carve little bathtubs out of the rock over the years. Especially when it's really really hot outside.
Mostly I love my cat.
posted by Stewriffic at 5:09 AM on February 10, 2019 [13 favorites]
I love tart cherries.
I love my cat to distraction.
I love all cats.
I love the smell of sun-baked pine straw.
I love edible wild plants.
I love birds.
I love cold mountain streams that carve little bathtubs out of the rock over the years. Especially when it's really really hot outside.
Mostly I love my cat.
posted by Stewriffic at 5:09 AM on February 10, 2019 [13 favorites]
I love all of you. And nightrecordings most.
posted by Fizz at 6:25 AM on February 10, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 6:25 AM on February 10, 2019 [10 favorites]
I love a smell I’m never going to smell again. Growing up in Kalamazoo meant access to the Galley, a sub shop on the outskirts of the Western Michigan University campus. By the time I left town, they had sandwiches numbered up to 32, all sorts of quality meats and cheeses. My favorite was the #29, roast beef and corned beef with provolone, seasoned with Italian seasoning, pepper, oil and vinegar, wrapped in white butcher paper that the vinegar and oil would leave translucent grease spots on. Microwaved in its butcher paper swaddling, the perfect scent of the meat, the pickles, the cheese, the seasoning, it was one of the most perfect food smells I can even imagine, and it’s still there in my mind, I can still smell it when I think about it. The Galley’s building was torn down years ago for a parking lot, and they tried to make a go of things in the strip mall across the street, sharing a place with a coin laundry of all things, though it didn’t last. Every time I was back in town, I made it a point to go there and get the best damn sandwich of all time. I’d take it away in its plain brown paper bag, and when I got back to the car, just open the bag and take a deep breath. Man, I loved that place.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:42 AM on February 10, 2019 [17 favorites]
posted by Ghidorah at 6:42 AM on February 10, 2019 [17 favorites]
Wordshore, I knew what I'd be seeing even as I was clicking on it.
I love your consistency!
posted by cooker girl at 6:44 AM on February 10, 2019 [6 favorites]
I love your consistency!
posted by cooker girl at 6:44 AM on February 10, 2019 [6 favorites]
These days I am loving ice cream— hand packed Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel ice cream from Oberweis Dairy. It is without a doubt the best ice cream I’ve ever had. Pure decadence! I am trying to resist the urge to have some for breakfast.
posted by bookmammal at 7:10 AM on February 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by bookmammal at 7:10 AM on February 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
So far I am also loving my new job. It's only been three weeks that I've been doing it full time (internal transfer, so there was some "working both jobs" time for a while), and I can tell that I am likely to get to the point eventually where I need something a bit different, but, for now -- I'm working for people who appreciate my intelligence and problem-solving abilities, and now when I find a problem I am given time and resources to solve it, rather than just having to Chicken-Little around and hope that someone with some actual power/authority takes me seriously enough to fix it. I've been getting good feedback from the people I'm working with that I'm helpful, and I get to start training staff in a couple weeks, which both terrifies and delights me, which I think is a good combination for new(ish) things. (I wish I were starting with one of the 5- to 6-person groups, rather than a 40-person group, but we'll see how it goes.) And, overall, I know that if I'm successful in my work of helping fix some of the MAJOR problems the agency has been having in how we're documenting services, we'll be able to focus better on serving clients and get out of this stupid cycle of people feeling like documentation is somehow diametrically opposed to providing client care. That is my Pollyanna-ish hope right now.
posted by lazuli at 7:41 AM on February 10, 2019 [8 favorites]
posted by lazuli at 7:41 AM on February 10, 2019 [8 favorites]
When I was young I had a plan for my life. The job I'd hold, the man I'd marry, when the kids would come along, the house we'd end up in, the shore house I'd have, the big life I was going to live. Of course, life had a different plan for me. The 1st marriage didn't work, the kids never came, the house came late, the shore house...yeah that's not in the cards at all. But so help me, I love the little life I live now. I have an amazing husband, a warm home with a sunny yard, a job that challenges me, and every configuration of dogs and cats I've had has been the best configuration of dogs and cats I've ever had. And I love my family, weird and flawed as they all are.
I love the beach, any beach. (preferably warm) I love staring out at the ocean's expanse because it makes any problem feel small and manageable. Some summer days I'll drive out with just a chair, a towel, a book, and a thermos. I love reading.
I love dog noses.
posted by kimberussell at 7:56 AM on February 10, 2019 [19 favorites]
I love the beach, any beach. (preferably warm) I love staring out at the ocean's expanse because it makes any problem feel small and manageable. Some summer days I'll drive out with just a chair, a towel, a book, and a thermos. I love reading.
I love dog noses.
posted by kimberussell at 7:56 AM on February 10, 2019 [19 favorites]
My daughter called my freckles “sprinkles.” Pretty apt. She also described a unicorn before she knew the word as a “horse with a party hat.”
I love listening to my kids practice the piano. My sister played the clarinet and so my childhood had a soundtrack of clarinet scales and exercises. Listening to my kids noodle around on the piano gives me the same homey feeling.
posted by Liesl at 8:33 AM on February 10, 2019 [14 favorites]
I love listening to my kids practice the piano. My sister played the clarinet and so my childhood had a soundtrack of clarinet scales and exercises. Listening to my kids noodle around on the piano gives me the same homey feeling.
posted by Liesl at 8:33 AM on February 10, 2019 [14 favorites]
I love being alive (even if the casual observer might reasonably suspect otherwise), I love my family (even the relatives I refuse to speak to anymore), I love having a job (even if I don't always love doing my job), and I love being able to sit and write about anything that occurs to me. I love to stand out on a clear night and name all the major stars of the constellation Orion. I love being in the woods. I love tea and coffee and hot chocolate and bread and cheap vodka and cigarettes and pissing in the dark and remembering nightmares. I love sometimes remembering exactly how things happened fifty years ago and sometimes forgetting what I did yesterday.
posted by pracowity at 9:04 AM on February 10, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by pracowity at 9:04 AM on February 10, 2019 [7 favorites]
I love the spring and fall skies where I now live. Summer is (mostly) unchanging blue skies, day after day, and winter is (mostly) unchanging grey. But in spring and fall, there's all this constant shift and turmoil and big, dramatic cloud formations, and it'll be almost black in the west and patches of blue in the east and totally different ten minutes later, and huge fronts sweeping through. I love watching it the way some people love listening to opera, I guess, and on a really good, operatic-weather day, I'll park in a far corner of a big local shopping-center lot, well away from trees and mountains and other obstructions, and get out and just watch the weather go by overhead.
posted by Kat Allison at 9:42 AM on February 10, 2019 [8 favorites]
posted by Kat Allison at 9:42 AM on February 10, 2019 [8 favorites]
I finished reading Trevor Noah's Born a Crime last night and wow I love it. It is a tremendous book and I highly recommend it (with a warning for child abuse and domestic violence). On a tangent to that, I got more intensely back into reading over the semester break, but when classes started up, I decided I probably didn't have time between my full-time job and taking two master's classes to read for pleasure. However, I realized that I was actually getting super stressed out not having anything to read for joy, and I've loved having a personal book from the library to dig into in my downtime.
Oh also surprise! I love my dog.
posted by obfuscation at 9:55 AM on February 10, 2019 [7 favorites]
Oh also surprise! I love my dog.
posted by obfuscation at 9:55 AM on February 10, 2019 [7 favorites]
I love the fact that I have friends. For the first time in my thirty years, I have an amazing group of supportive, artistic, loving friends. We get together and play games and readnplays and do theatre things. I love having people I my life that I can text anytime I’m feeling sad or lonely and know that they will have my back.
I love my pretty kitty Pippa!
I love my family even when they are jerks. My mom is pretty much the best!
I love that even when my job sucks it’s pretty great. I’m a second year school librarian and I love my students and my school. Even this week when I was super grouchy and over everything, it’s still pretty darn great.
I love that in one week, I get a WHOLE WEEK off from work!
I love that I’m involved with theatre again and playing roles I never thought I’d get to. And people trust me with them! And I’m doing behind the scenes things too which is satisfying.
I went from having very little life to being busy all the time (which I don’t necessarily love because by nature I’m a lazy homebody) but it’s crazy and great and wonderful.
I mean, I’m still eating like garbage and not exercising and am pretty tired all the time and the country is in a horrifically bad place right now, but other that, things are pretty darn good.
posted by firei at 10:34 AM on February 10, 2019 [8 favorites]
I love my pretty kitty Pippa!
I love my family even when they are jerks. My mom is pretty much the best!
I love that even when my job sucks it’s pretty great. I’m a second year school librarian and I love my students and my school. Even this week when I was super grouchy and over everything, it’s still pretty darn great.
I love that in one week, I get a WHOLE WEEK off from work!
I love that I’m involved with theatre again and playing roles I never thought I’d get to. And people trust me with them! And I’m doing behind the scenes things too which is satisfying.
I went from having very little life to being busy all the time (which I don’t necessarily love because by nature I’m a lazy homebody) but it’s crazy and great and wonderful.
I mean, I’m still eating like garbage and not exercising and am pretty tired all the time and the country is in a horrifically bad place right now, but other that, things are pretty darn good.
posted by firei at 10:34 AM on February 10, 2019 [8 favorites]
These dang cats. Also my partner, my wonderful siblings and remaining parent.
And arranging music. And making bonsai chile plants!
posted by aspersioncast at 10:43 AM on February 10, 2019 [2 favorites]
And arranging music. And making bonsai chile plants!
posted by aspersioncast at 10:43 AM on February 10, 2019 [2 favorites]
I love my dad. While putting his watch outside to charge (WHY) in slippers (WHY) he tripped and fell. (ITS WET OUT WHY DIDN'T HE ASK ME TO DO IT) He bonked his face (OH GOD) on one of the wood planters and has scraped on his face and arm- his arm is so scraped up I think he might need stitches, but me and mom are assessing. It's a very good thing he had his phone with him, to call me to get him up. I love my dad.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 10:52 AM on February 10, 2019 [12 favorites]
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 10:52 AM on February 10, 2019 [12 favorites]
I love my dog who is currently out in my back yard boinging around like Tigger in about 7" of fresh powder. I took him on a hike yesterday and he was doing his Tigger thing down the trail, and we were there early so first tracks, and his tracks look like
:: :: :: :: ::
and I was very amused to think of the confusion this was going to cause all the amateur naturalists who came after us. It is seriously the cutest fucking thing ever. He does it in the tall grass in summer too.
posted by HotToddy at 10:57 AM on February 10, 2019 [8 favorites]
:: :: :: :: ::
and I was very amused to think of the confusion this was going to cause all the amateur naturalists who came after us. It is seriously the cutest fucking thing ever. He does it in the tall grass in summer too.
posted by HotToddy at 10:57 AM on February 10, 2019 [8 favorites]
Ah crap my track illustration didn't work. Picture those little squares spaced out across the entire line.
posted by HotToddy at 10:58 AM on February 10, 2019
posted by HotToddy at 10:58 AM on February 10, 2019
And check it out, I just learned that the proper word for Tiggering is "stotting."
I'm done now.
posted by HotToddy at 11:09 AM on February 10, 2019 [10 favorites]
I'm done now.
posted by HotToddy at 11:09 AM on February 10, 2019 [10 favorites]
I love the opening chords to Shelter from the Storm by Bob Dylan. A slice of sharp cheese with a bit of honey or jam on top. Sitting in a dark bar with a goblet of wine. When a book I'm really excited to read meets my expectations.
But the thing I love most is hearing my kid laugh. It's the best fucking sound in the world.
posted by lyssabee at 11:52 AM on February 10, 2019 [5 favorites]
But the thing I love most is hearing my kid laugh. It's the best fucking sound in the world.
posted by lyssabee at 11:52 AM on February 10, 2019 [5 favorites]
Things I love right now: singing in a band, a variety of cats (one of which lives with me), the people with whom the rest of those cats live, and knowing that the life that brought me to know singing in a band, those cats, and those people was made by me. I had help and privilege and weirdness and a good bit of oh holy fucking shit that brought me to the point at which I could build it, but build it I did.
In other news, Richard E. Grant in Can You Ever Forgive Me? looks exactly like my evil ex-boyfriend J will look in about 10 years' time. Still a really good movie.
posted by wellred at 1:54 PM on February 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
In other news, Richard E. Grant in Can You Ever Forgive Me? looks exactly like my evil ex-boyfriend J will look in about 10 years' time. Still a really good movie.
posted by wellred at 1:54 PM on February 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
I love learning new words. Like 'stotting'.
posted by luaz at 1:57 PM on February 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by luaz at 1:57 PM on February 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
Mom’s taking dad to the ER so they can clean him up after his fall. I love my Dad.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 2:18 PM on February 10, 2019 [13 favorites]
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 2:18 PM on February 10, 2019 [13 favorites]
H. neanderthalensis, I'm so sorry. I hope everything turns out all right.
I love the complete silence I sometimes experience at 3:30 or 4 am. I would rather be asleep then, but I tend to wake up for some reason, and the only compensation I get for it is a silence so nearly complete that I can only realize then how much noise I am surrounded by every day. The T isn't running; the roads are empty; the drunks have generally passed out; the birds (such as they are in the winter) aren't stirring yet. I like to lie there and examine the quality of the silence, to try to tell how complete it truly is compared to the rural silences of Mississippi and Vermont. There seems to be a deep grey-brown sort of sound, a low presence, from towards the center of the city, but I couldn't describe it, couldn't even call it a "hum."
Right now I'm in the midst of a deep and mostly private grief. I can't really go into it right now, but it's not on the socially approved list of griefs; it's listed under "professional disappointments" instead. But I feel completely broken by it. I want to cry at some sudden time every day, and I can't, because ... I don't know why. I'm afraid something has been taken away from me that I will never get back, not by this one bad break but by a combination of everything that has happened in the last three years. I am afraid that my light has gone out.
posted by Countess Elena at 2:39 PM on February 10, 2019 [23 favorites]
I love the complete silence I sometimes experience at 3:30 or 4 am. I would rather be asleep then, but I tend to wake up for some reason, and the only compensation I get for it is a silence so nearly complete that I can only realize then how much noise I am surrounded by every day. The T isn't running; the roads are empty; the drunks have generally passed out; the birds (such as they are in the winter) aren't stirring yet. I like to lie there and examine the quality of the silence, to try to tell how complete it truly is compared to the rural silences of Mississippi and Vermont. There seems to be a deep grey-brown sort of sound, a low presence, from towards the center of the city, but I couldn't describe it, couldn't even call it a "hum."
Right now I'm in the midst of a deep and mostly private grief. I can't really go into it right now, but it's not on the socially approved list of griefs; it's listed under "professional disappointments" instead. But I feel completely broken by it. I want to cry at some sudden time every day, and I can't, because ... I don't know why. I'm afraid something has been taken away from me that I will never get back, not by this one bad break but by a combination of everything that has happened in the last three years. I am afraid that my light has gone out.
posted by Countess Elena at 2:39 PM on February 10, 2019 [23 favorites]
Homo neanderthalensis, I hope your dad’s okay! That’s one of my greatest worries, the thought of seeing my parents get hurt in any way. I’m relieved that it sounds like your dad acquired only superficial injuries and that he’ll be up and well soon.
billiebee, I’d been feeling dejected about spending yet another Valentine’s Day without a partner and had been exhausted trying online dating again, but your post managed to ignite the tiniest spark of hope in me. It’s been so long that I’d forgotten how it is to be in love. I’m sending out my wish and prayer to the universe now that I get to experience the same kind of love you’ve described.
posted by theappleonatree at 2:40 PM on February 10, 2019 [6 favorites]
billiebee, I’d been feeling dejected about spending yet another Valentine’s Day without a partner and had been exhausted trying online dating again, but your post managed to ignite the tiniest spark of hope in me. It’s been so long that I’d forgotten how it is to be in love. I’m sending out my wish and prayer to the universe now that I get to experience the same kind of love you’ve described.
posted by theappleonatree at 2:40 PM on February 10, 2019 [6 favorites]
Countess Elena, I’m sorry you’re going through something that’s causing you that much sadness. I don’t really know how much help an online stranger could offer, but I hope thoughts of good wishes and prayers to an unknown entity/the universe/all of what’s good in this world could help you somehow.
posted by theappleonatree at 2:46 PM on February 10, 2019 [9 favorites]
posted by theappleonatree at 2:46 PM on February 10, 2019 [9 favorites]
I love weekend mornings now that I've dedicated that time to reading for pleasure. I used to lay in bed and fret about all the tasks that need to get done on my day off of work. Now, I wake up and grab my novel off my makeshift nightstand and don't even think about errands and chores until I've had my fill of words. Only when I can't concentrate anymore because my belly is too grumbly do I get out of bed to fix breakfast and start my day.
Household chores have certainly suffered a bit because of my newfound reading time but boy is it worth it!
posted by sweetpotato at 3:07 PM on February 10, 2019 [8 favorites]
Household chores have certainly suffered a bit because of my newfound reading time but boy is it worth it!
posted by sweetpotato at 3:07 PM on February 10, 2019 [8 favorites]
That feeling when you wake up too early and realize you can go back to sleep.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 4:45 PM on February 10, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 4:45 PM on February 10, 2019 [10 favorites]
Homo neanderthalensis, hope your Papa is fine real soon!
Countess Elena, I just want to say I empathize with what you expressed -- I have had something maybe similar where a loss everyone seemed to think I should get over easily enough, well, it was like you say, a deep grief, something being dismantled in my core... I hope there is peace for you in those deep night waking hours, I have loved those times of silence also.
posted by luaz at 4:47 PM on February 10, 2019 [7 favorites]
Countess Elena, I just want to say I empathize with what you expressed -- I have had something maybe similar where a loss everyone seemed to think I should get over easily enough, well, it was like you say, a deep grief, something being dismantled in my core... I hope there is peace for you in those deep night waking hours, I have loved those times of silence also.
posted by luaz at 4:47 PM on February 10, 2019 [7 favorites]
I love love love that a real good friend of mine has recently been reprieved from a decades-long landlord oppression, as in, landlord really wanted to evict him and he was unable to move though he tried, it was brutal and long lasting and looming doom and now! help has arrived and everything has changed and I am so relieved. There was nothing I could do, really, for all that time but send a few bucks every now and then -- we are on opposite coasts -- well, and listen but he never talked about it all that much.
So. One big bad old drama done done done! Whew!
posted by luaz at 4:51 PM on February 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
So. One big bad old drama done done done! Whew!
posted by luaz at 4:51 PM on February 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
I always loved the periwinkle crayon the best.
Countess Elena I hope you have someone close who can hear you and help you through. May your light rise again.
posted by Oyéah at 4:58 PM on February 10, 2019 [8 favorites]
Countess Elena I hope you have someone close who can hear you and help you through. May your light rise again.
posted by Oyéah at 4:58 PM on February 10, 2019 [8 favorites]
I love my magic wand. It's a humble battered wand that I have daily open carried for 15 years. It's worn and chipped but has character from being lovingly handled for many years. It has a special power of bringing glowing eyes and smiles to children (and some adults). I mainly use it to gently prod the weather in a desirable direction or amplify my wishes for restoring health to the sick and restoring happiness to the troubled.
I am not very adept at talking to people that I don't know. but the wand always makes it easier. I'm always delighted when someone notices it and asks, "Is that a MAGIC wand???" Yes, it is!
posted by a humble nudibranch at 5:00 PM on February 10, 2019 [15 favorites]
I am not very adept at talking to people that I don't know. but the wand always makes it easier. I'm always delighted when someone notices it and asks, "Is that a MAGIC wand???" Yes, it is!
posted by a humble nudibranch at 5:00 PM on February 10, 2019 [15 favorites]
It took me most of that comment to discern that it wasn’t about a Hitachi Magic Wand... which of course would also be deserving of love.
posted by obfuscation at 5:29 PM on February 10, 2019 [18 favorites]
posted by obfuscation at 5:29 PM on February 10, 2019 [18 favorites]
I was in Milwaukee for a couple weeks visiting my brother, who was in the hospital with a life-threatening infection. Some mutual friends opened their house to me and, after a hard day, sat me down in front of their PS4 and the game Journey. It's a great game. I especially love the soundtrack, though its emotional impact is probably doubled because of the association in my mind with that dark period.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 7:49 PM on February 10, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 7:49 PM on February 10, 2019 [5 favorites]
I love this picture of toddler me with my grandma. I try to be the kind of badass she was clearly setting me up to be.
posted by ActionPopulated at 8:07 PM on February 10, 2019 [18 favorites]
posted by ActionPopulated at 8:07 PM on February 10, 2019 [18 favorites]
I too love so much and so many. I love my weird little cat who plays furiously with his catnip banana and then almost immediately loses it in another dimension so we have to buy him another one. I love my best friend who I work with who I get to see every day and her beautiful sweet face and voice and how she is my powerful witch-sister and we create our lives and our intentions together. I love that I love her husband so much and we've gotten so close now that the last time I talked to him on the phone he said "Love you" as we were saying goodbye. I love that my wife makes the perfect pancake. I love the way I feel when she comes walking toward me when we meet somewhere and my insides light up like Christmas trees. I love my work and the children I work with who tell me I'm their best friend and call me theirs. "My Hedder," I am often called, and I love that. I love fucking cookie butter, too much. I love that I live in a home now where I feel more comfortable than I ever knew I could. I love the feeling of falling in love. I love my intuition and where it takes me. I love asterite and lepidolite and strawberry obsidian. I love flickering candles and washing my hair and holding someone when they need you to. I love poetry. I love stillness.
posted by fairlynearlyready at 8:14 PM on February 10, 2019 [9 favorites]
posted by fairlynearlyready at 8:14 PM on February 10, 2019 [9 favorites]
Countess Elena, I hear you! Life can sometimes keep kicking us in the nethers, over and over until we feel that we've had enough. I sometimes forget that joy and love can sometimes come from the smallest and seemingly most meaningless things: a cat swiping at sunbeams; a spiderweb; a tree covered in ice; a good book; a belly laugh; finding cloud creatures; making something with your own two hands; art; design; nudibranch's magic wand; fried eggs on toast; a surprisingly delicious and exactly-how-you-like-it apple; your favourite songs from twenty years ago; re-reading a book that you read when you were a child; a cozy bed nest of plump pillows and soft blankets; watching a storm with all of the thunder and lightning; lying on the grass and looking at all the busy lives of the plants and insects; climbing a tree; getting lost but not really; old posters; the smell of a second-hand bookstore, people-watching (people are such a cabaret!). These things can fix my head when I remember to think about the things that I love.
posted by ashbury at 9:08 PM on February 10, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by ashbury at 9:08 PM on February 10, 2019 [5 favorites]
I love libraries. My heart always lifts when I walk into one. Shelf after shelf of books, and you can read any of them! When I was a kid, I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and decided to do like Francie and read every book in the library. So just like her, I went in alphabetical order, working my way through the YA/children's fiction section at Burke Branch.
I never finished reading all of the YA and kids' fiction, let alone all the books the branch had, but trying was fun anyway. That particular library is very small, and the bottom floor is YA/kids and the top floor is everything else. That bottom floor was my FAVORITE place as a child. Having all those books around was spectacular, and the children's librarian was very kind. If there's a heaven, that's what mine would look like.
Actually, some guy chatted me up at the library a few weeks ago, and I don't know how to feel about it. I was flattered. He was gentlemanly. But I also kind of feel like, eh. Libraries are my happy place. I don't want them to be yet another meat market. I gave the guy my number at the time but ghosted him later, and now I feel weird going back to the library but...I mean obviously I have gone and will go back all the time. Like I said, not sure how I feel about it really. He didn't do anything wrong but I also wish it hadn't happened.
posted by rue72 at 10:09 PM on February 10, 2019 [13 favorites]
I never finished reading all of the YA and kids' fiction, let alone all the books the branch had, but trying was fun anyway. That particular library is very small, and the bottom floor is YA/kids and the top floor is everything else. That bottom floor was my FAVORITE place as a child. Having all those books around was spectacular, and the children's librarian was very kind. If there's a heaven, that's what mine would look like.
Actually, some guy chatted me up at the library a few weeks ago, and I don't know how to feel about it. I was flattered. He was gentlemanly. But I also kind of feel like, eh. Libraries are my happy place. I don't want them to be yet another meat market. I gave the guy my number at the time but ghosted him later, and now I feel weird going back to the library but...I mean obviously I have gone and will go back all the time. Like I said, not sure how I feel about it really. He didn't do anything wrong but I also wish it hadn't happened.
posted by rue72 at 10:09 PM on February 10, 2019 [13 favorites]
I love traveling, and I love being home. I had a whirlwind of travel this past week: 5ish hour boat ride out of the forest, 3ish hour motorcycle ride from Sukadana to Ketapang, flights back to Jakarta, a day of meetings, and then I flew 8 hours from Jakarta to Tokyo where Metafilter's Own Gotanda spent the day wandering around showing me awesome things in Tokyo! It was incredibly kind and I'm so pleased I got to wander around with someone who knows what's up! Then I had 13 hours of flight time back to Boston, and now I am homeeeeeeee!
I've spent a lot of time this weekend being confused about what time it is and enjoying that I once again can unsneakily eat pork and drink alcohol. I also went and saw a production of Ragtime this afternoon - one of my very favorites.
Then when I was coming home, I ended up walking behind a group of assholes from Patriot Front who were putting up posters. I lingered far enough behind them that I felt safe then pulling their posters down as I walked behind them, but this is the second time in two months that I've pulled down fascist bullshit from this particular hate group in my neighborhood and it makes me really angry. So I'm just going to watch these two videos of my favorite song from Ragtime over and over.
posted by ChuraChura at 10:17 PM on February 10, 2019 [11 favorites]
I've spent a lot of time this weekend being confused about what time it is and enjoying that I once again can unsneakily eat pork and drink alcohol. I also went and saw a production of Ragtime this afternoon - one of my very favorites.
Then when I was coming home, I ended up walking behind a group of assholes from Patriot Front who were putting up posters. I lingered far enough behind them that I felt safe then pulling their posters down as I walked behind them, but this is the second time in two months that I've pulled down fascist bullshit from this particular hate group in my neighborhood and it makes me really angry. So I'm just going to watch these two videos of my favorite song from Ragtime over and over.
posted by ChuraChura at 10:17 PM on February 10, 2019 [11 favorites]
Dad's home from the ER. The verdict is stitches! All the x-rays and tests came back negative, no broken finger or shoulder or brain or cornea. His face looks a fright though. I knew he'd get a shiner but that's not so bad, its the area around the scrape on his chin that blew up with purple bruises. They re-bandaged his arm gash and put stitches in his finger and splinted it up. He looks like he went 10 rounds- but he's emerged victorious. All is well- I love my dad. Thanks to everyone for the kind words- this has been one hell of a day.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 12:04 AM on February 11, 2019 [24 favorites]
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 12:04 AM on February 11, 2019 [24 favorites]
Glad it was nothing more serious, Homo neanderthalensis!
posted by eirias at 1:20 AM on February 11, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by eirias at 1:20 AM on February 11, 2019 [3 favorites]
Really glad to hear he's mostly okay, homo neanderthalensis.
posted by smoke at 2:06 AM on February 11, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by smoke at 2:06 AM on February 11, 2019 [2 favorites]
I love long drives... which is good, because in less than a week I'll be renting a car and driving all my stuff from the Bay Area to DC. I have no idea where to sleep or eat, and as much as I'd like to be freewheeling about everything, it's a little stressful doing it with all my worldly possessions (a coworker told me her friend's things were stolen on a very similar drive, during a quick bathroom break). I've never done a long drive like this by myself (my longest solo drive was three days, up the west coast when I was 21); I've heard it can be psychologically weird, especially in the long stretches of open country.
On the plus side, I'm taking the southern route, which means I'll get to drive through parts of the country I've never been to, or have hardly spent time in. I drove across the country years ago, further north, and I'm excited to see new places this time. The whole trip does feel weirdly symbolic of new beginnings and all that. We'll see how I feel after five days of solo driving, but I'm sure it'll be memorable, at least.
I wish the route went far south enough to visit New Orleans again, but I'll settle for Nashville. Sightseeing will be limited, though, so I'll have to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame another time.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 2:34 AM on February 11, 2019 [6 favorites]
On the plus side, I'm taking the southern route, which means I'll get to drive through parts of the country I've never been to, or have hardly spent time in. I drove across the country years ago, further north, and I'm excited to see new places this time. The whole trip does feel weirdly symbolic of new beginnings and all that. We'll see how I feel after five days of solo driving, but I'm sure it'll be memorable, at least.
I wish the route went far south enough to visit New Orleans again, but I'll settle for Nashville. Sightseeing will be limited, though, so I'll have to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame another time.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 2:34 AM on February 11, 2019 [6 favorites]
Homo neanderthalensis, sounds like a hell of a day, but I'm glad your dad is OK.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 2:36 AM on February 11, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 2:36 AM on February 11, 2019 [2 favorites]
i don't know how i feel about valentine's day, but here's a glitchy creature i painted for my videogame!
cw: spooky flying head pixel art
posted by yaymukund at 3:26 AM on February 11, 2019 [3 favorites]
cw: spooky flying head pixel art
posted by yaymukund at 3:26 AM on February 11, 2019 [3 favorites]
HN, I'm glad he went to get checked over and that he's ok -- thanks for the update! I hope the rest of the week is nice and uneventful :)
posted by Fig at 4:38 AM on February 11, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Fig at 4:38 AM on February 11, 2019 [1 favorite]
I love my favorite Mefite (hi honey!)
posted by each day we work at 5:27 AM on February 11, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by each day we work at 5:27 AM on February 11, 2019 [2 favorites]
I'm glad for this thread because I'm feeling a little out of touch with my loving side right now. Countess Elena's fear that their light has gone out really struck a chord with me. I feel stuck professionally, relatively secure but bored, no idea where else I could go, anxious about my competency and health, anxious about my parents aging to the point that it's hard to enjoy spending time with them because I find myself looking for little signs of aging and memory loss. Homo neanderthalensis reminds me it's possible to love and be present for this.
I do love the choir I sing with. And I love our director, a man with a deep, commanding voice who is nonetheless shy and awkward at times, but also funny. I love the music I get to sing.
I have a friend coming to visit this weekend and, my friend being who she is, she's finding the most interesting, beautiful aspects of my boring epithet of a home state and I'm starting to get excited about them with her. We're going to have an adventure when she gets here.
I love and fear my stacks of beautiful art and craft supplies and all the ideas I have for them, and I can feel myself edging towards actually doing some long-procrastinated stuff.
posted by bunderful at 6:03 AM on February 11, 2019 [13 favorites]
I do love the choir I sing with. And I love our director, a man with a deep, commanding voice who is nonetheless shy and awkward at times, but also funny. I love the music I get to sing.
I have a friend coming to visit this weekend and, my friend being who she is, she's finding the most interesting, beautiful aspects of my boring epithet of a home state and I'm starting to get excited about them with her. We're going to have an adventure when she gets here.
I love and fear my stacks of beautiful art and craft supplies and all the ideas I have for them, and I can feel myself edging towards actually doing some long-procrastinated stuff.
posted by bunderful at 6:03 AM on February 11, 2019 [13 favorites]
I recently did a course of antibiotics to see if it would help my RA and it did - I'm not in remission by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm moving around better than I have in a few years, to the point where I could jump up and down with happiness if I wanted to though mostly I'm just starting to do some yoga. The antibiotic gave me enough of a change that having to stop my immunosuppressant is probably not going to be a disaster, which is good because there isn't another one I can take.
I have enough more energy that I made muffins this week and have ideas about how to improve that recipe in the future. Not being exhausted all the time is amazing.
I love my cats and my roommate's cats. One of them is sitting on my lap right now, purring, and I woke up with my two demanding snuggles.
I love my heated mattress pad. I love drinking tea and watching the snow fall though I am less excited about wading through the snow to get to the bus stop this morning.
Finally, I love my Hitachi magic wand, which I do not carry around with me or wave at strangers though now I am thinking about drawing a comic with a superhero who does.
posted by bile and syntax at 6:11 AM on February 11, 2019 [11 favorites]
I have enough more energy that I made muffins this week and have ideas about how to improve that recipe in the future. Not being exhausted all the time is amazing.
I love my cats and my roommate's cats. One of them is sitting on my lap right now, purring, and I woke up with my two demanding snuggles.
I love my heated mattress pad. I love drinking tea and watching the snow fall though I am less excited about wading through the snow to get to the bus stop this morning.
Finally, I love my Hitachi magic wand, which I do not carry around with me or wave at strangers though now I am thinking about drawing a comic with a superhero who does.
posted by bile and syntax at 6:11 AM on February 11, 2019 [11 favorites]
I love the life I get to live in the fucked up, crazy, stupid, beautiful and ugly city that I now live in. It took me 45 years to find my home but Chicago is it.
posted by srboisvert at 6:23 AM on February 11, 2019 [11 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 6:23 AM on February 11, 2019 [11 favorites]
I love my safe, quiet home. It is almost exactly everything I need in a home.
I love my husband so, so much. We just celebrated our 19th anniversary last week and it has been a trip.
I love my doggos.
I love my friends, they are few, but they are incredible, funny, caring, generous humans.
Dad-in-law died last week of pneumonia, secondary to Alzheimer's. We've been caring for him for 7 years. He was a terrible, angry bipolar narcissist when he was "well." After he started deteriorating, he became a kind, pleasant, generally all-around contented guy with a smile on his face. It was a weird thing having the last 4 years of him being so sweet, but it left us with mostly happy memories, so I'm grateful. Mom-in-law died in October of a brain tumor that was undiagnosed until 3 days before she died. Both husband and I have been laid off since December. My parents are estranged. We are alone now and have no bio family, but I am not truly sad about it. I am grateful we have each other and our chosen family.
posted by Sophie1 at 6:53 AM on February 11, 2019 [20 favorites]
I love my husband so, so much. We just celebrated our 19th anniversary last week and it has been a trip.
I love my doggos.
I love my friends, they are few, but they are incredible, funny, caring, generous humans.
Dad-in-law died last week of pneumonia, secondary to Alzheimer's. We've been caring for him for 7 years. He was a terrible, angry bipolar narcissist when he was "well." After he started deteriorating, he became a kind, pleasant, generally all-around contented guy with a smile on his face. It was a weird thing having the last 4 years of him being so sweet, but it left us with mostly happy memories, so I'm grateful. Mom-in-law died in October of a brain tumor that was undiagnosed until 3 days before she died. Both husband and I have been laid off since December. My parents are estranged. We are alone now and have no bio family, but I am not truly sad about it. I am grateful we have each other and our chosen family.
posted by Sophie1 at 6:53 AM on February 11, 2019 [20 favorites]
For everyone who's struggling, *hugs* if you would like them.
posted by lazuli at 7:21 AM on February 11, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by lazuli at 7:21 AM on February 11, 2019 [6 favorites]
I love my wife and our life together.
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:25 AM on February 11, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:25 AM on February 11, 2019 [6 favorites]
I love my Memaw, who is about to turn 89. She's lost a lot in the past year. She's frail now. Memaw has stopped calling anyone by name, because she doesn't remember who is who. Still, she always has a kind word for my children when we go to see her, and always has some bit of encouragement for them. It's really quite something to watch. She barely seems to register what's going on in front of her, but then my daughter will say something about school, and Memaw will lift her head and make eye contact long enough to say "Well, it does get frustrating, I know, but you just push right past those bullies and show them what you're made of." Or "Things get hard in the upper grades, but read your books and do your work and you'll be just fine." (She was a teacher--she has lots and lots of school advice.) And then she'll say "I love you." Always "I love you"--even though she's not completely sure to whom she is expressing that love.
I've thought about that a lot, as we walk through her final...years? Months? Maybe weeks now. She had almost no energy at all when we saw her last month. I think about what an extraordinary thing it is for a person to be so full of kindness that even when she's lost almost everything else--when she needs someone to bring her food, cut her meat, walk her to the bathroom, change her clothes--even then she still speaks encouragement by default. She still teaching me in this last phase. I hope someday, when I'm in her place, I leave like this. "Thank you, dear. You can do it. You can handle everything life sends your way. You know I'm cheering for you. So long. Good night. I love you."
posted by Pater Aletheias at 9:00 AM on February 11, 2019 [28 favorites]
I've thought about that a lot, as we walk through her final...years? Months? Maybe weeks now. She had almost no energy at all when we saw her last month. I think about what an extraordinary thing it is for a person to be so full of kindness that even when she's lost almost everything else--when she needs someone to bring her food, cut her meat, walk her to the bathroom, change her clothes--even then she still speaks encouragement by default. She still teaching me in this last phase. I hope someday, when I'm in her place, I leave like this. "Thank you, dear. You can do it. You can handle everything life sends your way. You know I'm cheering for you. So long. Good night. I love you."
posted by Pater Aletheias at 9:00 AM on February 11, 2019 [28 favorites]
I love my dog. I love my family, especially my mom who has worked so hard to be a more open and accepting person. I'm really proud of her and hope I have that trait. I love my brother, who always tells me he loves me on the phone even when he's at work or volunteering. I love my friends, who I'm missing dearly since I just moved to a new place.
posted by lucy.jakobs at 9:41 AM on February 11, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by lucy.jakobs at 9:41 AM on February 11, 2019 [3 favorites]
My sleek Kelpie-Whippet came to us from an even remoter part of the world than my current town - from Wave Rock to Perth - almost 15 years ago. On the afternoon we first met her, she dashed around and found a leaf to give us. We named her Blossom because she has a white flower on her chest, and we like to think she was always giving us bouquets. She’s never stopped dashing around looking for a gift whenever either of us walked through the door, after a day at work or after a five minute absence. I’ve clocked her racing my partner on his motorbike at over 45kms an hour on our street, and her ‘happy laps’ at top speed around our local bush park left onlookers gasping. She had six puppies with a dingo gentleman caller, and we kept one: Clyde, a mongrel mix we dubbed dippet or Whingo.
I love these little fuckers so much. Clyde is as dingo as they come, crafty, quick and keen to drape himself on the highest outcrops in any room or yard. Ten minutes ago he traversed a fortress at the base of my stairs designed to keep him from lying on my bed during his outrageous shedding season. Over a chair, he balanced on its thin back, jumped onto an open tread stair n up he’s trotted. (If he was writing this right now he’d be saying how much he loves me)
Blossom’s got a bad diagnosis last week. Now an elderly lady with a few organs failing, she’s got little time left with us. No more hooning along the coast, river or enjoying the bush block. I’ve hauled my swag out of the loft n most nights sleep on the floor downstairs so I can be with her all hours. These moments will be memories soon enough and just thinking about it makes my throat ache with feeling.
I just can’t think there’s a purer love than what we feel for a beloved pet.
posted by honey-barbara at 10:06 AM on February 11, 2019 [18 favorites]
I love these little fuckers so much. Clyde is as dingo as they come, crafty, quick and keen to drape himself on the highest outcrops in any room or yard. Ten minutes ago he traversed a fortress at the base of my stairs designed to keep him from lying on my bed during his outrageous shedding season. Over a chair, he balanced on its thin back, jumped onto an open tread stair n up he’s trotted. (If he was writing this right now he’d be saying how much he loves me)
Blossom’s got a bad diagnosis last week. Now an elderly lady with a few organs failing, she’s got little time left with us. No more hooning along the coast, river or enjoying the bush block. I’ve hauled my swag out of the loft n most nights sleep on the floor downstairs so I can be with her all hours. These moments will be memories soon enough and just thinking about it makes my throat ache with feeling.
I just can’t think there’s a purer love than what we feel for a beloved pet.
posted by honey-barbara at 10:06 AM on February 11, 2019 [18 favorites]
We had a scare with my two-year-old son last night that involved 911 and poison control and I am so so so thankful that he is okay. Could have been very bad. I’m still so wound up that it’s hard to concentrate on work this morning.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 10:26 AM on February 11, 2019 [13 favorites]
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 10:26 AM on February 11, 2019 [13 favorites]
I love insects. Really. Also arachnids.
posted by amtho at 10:44 AM on February 11, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by amtho at 10:44 AM on February 11, 2019 [4 favorites]
I love the times when my wife and daughter and I are driving home after a dinner out or a trip to the mall or something, and everyone is laughing and being goofy with our private in-jokes. I will miss those times once the kid goes off to college this fall, even though I think I am ready for her to fledge from the nest.
I love my Friday night glass of Irish whiskey, sitting alone in the living room, watching all the old episodes of "What's My Line" on YouTube. I'm up to 1959 now, and about halfway through my bottle of Redbreast 12-year.
I love a big steaming bowl of pho from the place in Lowell that makes the best broth.
I love making a new recipe that I've found and have been looking forward to all week and having it come out just the way I thought it would.
I love my hot shower every morning, especially on the cold days.
posted by briank at 12:17 PM on February 11, 2019 [5 favorites]
I love my Friday night glass of Irish whiskey, sitting alone in the living room, watching all the old episodes of "What's My Line" on YouTube. I'm up to 1959 now, and about halfway through my bottle of Redbreast 12-year.
I love a big steaming bowl of pho from the place in Lowell that makes the best broth.
I love making a new recipe that I've found and have been looking forward to all week and having it come out just the way I thought it would.
I love my hot shower every morning, especially on the cold days.
posted by briank at 12:17 PM on February 11, 2019 [5 favorites]
Hugs to anyone who would like them.
I love my husband, who when I fell on Friday and sprained my ankle (for the second time in three months) came outside and picked me up, and then insisted I go to urgent care, and waited on me(patiently! who knew I was so scattered and left things everywhere) and took care of all of the animals all weekend. (plus ran all of the errands!)
I love my (now passed away, last month, and I still want to cry cry cry about it) thirteen year old rabbit, who was the most special and social of rabbits. He would greet everyone and anyone could pet him, and he was almost always willing to eat whatever food you brought him. I would go and sit with him every morning, and he would lay next to me and let me pet him for as long as I would stay.
We have foster bunnies, a pair of them, and they are so very adorable, but so very different. I am glad my bunny room can be put to use and make space for the house rabbit society to rescue more rabbits, and am happy to have them to take care of, but it's a bit of culture shock.
I love all the valentines from mefitess (and hope that mine make it in time - I sent them to Valentine, NE for postmarking, but am worried they aren't arriving yet!) and also all the other mail I'm receiving this month!
posted by needlegrrl at 12:18 PM on February 11, 2019 [8 favorites]
I love my husband, who when I fell on Friday and sprained my ankle (for the second time in three months) came outside and picked me up, and then insisted I go to urgent care, and waited on me(patiently! who knew I was so scattered and left things everywhere) and took care of all of the animals all weekend. (plus ran all of the errands!)
I love my (now passed away, last month, and I still want to cry cry cry about it) thirteen year old rabbit, who was the most special and social of rabbits. He would greet everyone and anyone could pet him, and he was almost always willing to eat whatever food you brought him. I would go and sit with him every morning, and he would lay next to me and let me pet him for as long as I would stay.
We have foster bunnies, a pair of them, and they are so very adorable, but so very different. I am glad my bunny room can be put to use and make space for the house rabbit society to rescue more rabbits, and am happy to have them to take care of, but it's a bit of culture shock.
I love all the valentines from mefitess (and hope that mine make it in time - I sent them to Valentine, NE for postmarking, but am worried they aren't arriving yet!) and also all the other mail I'm receiving this month!
posted by needlegrrl at 12:18 PM on February 11, 2019 [8 favorites]
Shakedown the dog is the top of my list.
posted by dobbs at 2:31 PM on February 11, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by dobbs at 2:31 PM on February 11, 2019 [3 favorites]
I'm one of those cranks who think the word "love" is overused, but I will tell you what I'm grateful for:
posted by Sheydem-tants at 3:29 PM on February 11, 2019 [7 favorites]
- Always being able to find something fun to do on Valentine's Day, and not hating the day any more
- Being able to look out my patio door in the morning and see the sun rising over the Atlantic, currently with winter-shrouded boats in the foreground
- Writing for a living again after a hiatus of more than a decade. BTW my company is looking for another tech writer, HMU if you're interested
- Having almost complete faith in my own judgment for the first time in my life (I'm in my fifties)
- Being sober AND abstinent from compulsive overeating
- The courage in the search for truth that I hear in some of my recovery meetings
- My Buddhist pastoral counselor
- Being able to work remote from Tucson, AZ for a couple of weeks next month
- Some of my vinyl records: Buffy Sainte Marie, the Staple Singers, Rhiannon Giddens, Mary O'Dowd
- Spending time in Duluth, MN last summer
- The Shrunken Planet show, Saturday mornings on WFMU
- The tuxedo tomcat who lives up the street
- Metafilter and my other online communities
posted by Sheydem-tants at 3:29 PM on February 11, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by DigDoug at 1:43 PM on February 12, 2019 [2 favorites]
I am definitely hormonal but I love this AskMe and I totally started to cry reading it.
posted by wellred at 6:17 AM on February 13, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by wellred at 6:17 AM on February 13, 2019 [3 favorites]
I love my wife, I love my son, I love my parents and my dog. I love the fact that my previously broken heart could heal and memories can now make me smile instead of coil up in pain. I love that, whatever happens in this world,I have had a big enough taste of the good life that, now in my 50s, I will not feel that anything that comes my way could be unfair.
posted by InkaLomax at 6:58 AM on February 13, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by InkaLomax at 6:58 AM on February 13, 2019 [5 favorites]
I love how whenever I start writing a comment I manage to be about 90 degrees off-topic. Just about every time.
But I've taken care to put away the self-deprecating sarcasm for the below (mostly):
I'll just be myself and say I still love writing, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, music-- mostly classical and pop--, my family, books-- though I only fancy myself a bibliophile--, quiet places, the sciences and humanities, and ... I'm pretty sure there's more.
I would appreciate a hug. But I'm not very good at asking for them.
posted by redrawturtle at 2:06 AM on February 14, 2019 [6 favorites]
But I've taken care to put away the self-deprecating sarcasm for the below (mostly):
I'll just be myself and say I still love writing, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, music-- mostly classical and pop--, my family, books-- though I only fancy myself a bibliophile--, quiet places, the sciences and humanities, and ... I'm pretty sure there's more.
I would appreciate a hug. But I'm not very good at asking for them.
posted by redrawturtle at 2:06 AM on February 14, 2019 [6 favorites]
Well, crap. 110 is the number of episodes LoGH is. (It's an anime... well, OVA, to be specific--) I swear I don't run into these things on purpose; it's really quite bewildering when it happens. (I didn't look at the comments count before this...! Why does this always seem to happen-- Confirmation bias; still!
Retreating now, before things get even stranger.)
posted by redrawturtle at 2:14 AM on February 14, 2019
Retreating now, before things get even stranger.)
posted by redrawturtle at 2:14 AM on February 14, 2019
redrawturtle, I was going to memail you a hug, but you have memail disabled, so I hope you spot this: here’s a hug!
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 4:51 AM on February 14, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 4:51 AM on February 14, 2019 [1 favorite]
*hugs*, redrawturtle.
posted by lazuli at 6:16 AM on February 14, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by lazuli at 6:16 AM on February 14, 2019 [1 favorite]
I love this wonderful, weird place! *hugs* to those who want them, smiles of appreciation to those who don't.
I love my goofy boys and my sassy wife. I love our silly pets. I love our extended family, and I try to not take any of them for granted.
I love music -- listening to it, dancing to it, acquiring it, subjecting others to it. Fun fact: my 4 year old son was recently sad when I went to pick him up from daycare, because, as he told one of his teachers, "dad plays weird music in his car." Mission accomplished :)
I also love reading, and sharing what I read, and I love that MetaFilter has reintroduced me to reading proper novels (shout out to Tournament of Books club, and jacquilynne for starting the Indigenous Book Club). My family now goes to the library every few weeks, checks out a few more books, and I often pick up something random from the free books bin, so my reading list is longer than I can manage, which I consider to be a decent sort of problem to have :)
posted by filthy light thief at 10:54 AM on February 14, 2019 [3 favorites]
I love my goofy boys and my sassy wife. I love our silly pets. I love our extended family, and I try to not take any of them for granted.
I love music -- listening to it, dancing to it, acquiring it, subjecting others to it. Fun fact: my 4 year old son was recently sad when I went to pick him up from daycare, because, as he told one of his teachers, "dad plays weird music in his car." Mission accomplished :)
I also love reading, and sharing what I read, and I love that MetaFilter has reintroduced me to reading proper novels (shout out to Tournament of Books club, and jacquilynne for starting the Indigenous Book Club). My family now goes to the library every few weeks, checks out a few more books, and I often pick up something random from the free books bin, so my reading list is longer than I can manage, which I consider to be a decent sort of problem to have :)
posted by filthy light thief at 10:54 AM on February 14, 2019 [3 favorites]
Having almost complete faith in my own judgment for the first time in my life (I'm in my fifties)
It definitely took me until almost 35 to really listen to myself, somehow. I still let the vicissitudes of life drive me perhaps too much, but I'm finally choosing things for myself.
This year, I chose to be by myself on Valentine's Day, and I don't actually feel alone. I love that I made a decision. I didn't want to be anyone's obligatory or pro forma Valentine's Day date. Instead, I got a friend's recommendation of a great place to treat myself in my neighborhood, and I've been trading photos and messages with friends all evening. I'm not checking boxes for anyone but myself!
And, Valentine's Day is the -last- holiday in a long stretch of them (starting from my birthday Nov 6 , Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, his birthday, our anniversary, now V Day) that have been painful to go through since separating from my husband. Only 5 more days, then that is all over. Praise be to jeebus. It's been a ride, that's for sure.
I really feel you on this, Fig. I just did my best to go out with friends most nights over the holidays, then leaned more heavily than usual on online friends all over for cheer and support the past month. I'm separated and in another city again (NYC crew, we should meet up again soon), and I feel like I'm only just starting to breathe again. I'm just glad to have made it to this point!
So if I've been a bit quiet the past couple weeks, that's why. Much love to everyone here!
posted by limeonaire at 5:11 PM on February 14, 2019 [4 favorites]
It definitely took me until almost 35 to really listen to myself, somehow. I still let the vicissitudes of life drive me perhaps too much, but I'm finally choosing things for myself.
This year, I chose to be by myself on Valentine's Day, and I don't actually feel alone. I love that I made a decision. I didn't want to be anyone's obligatory or pro forma Valentine's Day date. Instead, I got a friend's recommendation of a great place to treat myself in my neighborhood, and I've been trading photos and messages with friends all evening. I'm not checking boxes for anyone but myself!
And, Valentine's Day is the -last- holiday in a long stretch of them (starting from my birthday Nov 6 , Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, his birthday, our anniversary, now V Day) that have been painful to go through since separating from my husband. Only 5 more days, then that is all over. Praise be to jeebus. It's been a ride, that's for sure.
I really feel you on this, Fig. I just did my best to go out with friends most nights over the holidays, then leaned more heavily than usual on online friends all over for cheer and support the past month. I'm separated and in another city again (NYC crew, we should meet up again soon), and I feel like I'm only just starting to breathe again. I'm just glad to have made it to this point!
So if I've been a bit quiet the past couple weeks, that's why. Much love to everyone here!
posted by limeonaire at 5:11 PM on February 14, 2019 [4 favorites]
Awww, and a woman in hijab just randomly stopped by my table and wished me happy Valentine's Day. So sweet! 💖
posted by limeonaire at 5:14 PM on February 14, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by limeonaire at 5:14 PM on February 14, 2019 [2 favorites]
Amazingly, and to my perverse delight, my divorce decree was entered yesterday, Valentine's Day. I love that. But what I really came in to say is that the Valentine's exchange thread is closed so I'm just popping in to say I loooooove all the wonderful creative cards and little extras that were thrown in! My mantel is festooned with hearts and my washing machine has a MF "Everybody needs a hug" magnet! Yay! So much fun!
posted by HotToddy at 6:19 AM on February 15, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by HotToddy at 6:19 AM on February 15, 2019 [6 favorites]
Every time I travel, it seems like I bring back a head cold along with the usual souvenirs. (Seriously, four trips since October, and I've not brought back a cold along with me from ONE of them.) So, I wound up skipping work on Valentine's Day after I got there and realized I was too sick to people. I was coughing so badly that I twigged my asthma and basically felt kinda Scrooge-y and gross.
So I ducked out of work early, went home, and took a nap. This startled the beau a little bit, but hey, whatever. He's super into Valentine's, and did the flowers, candy, booze, card present thing, along with a magnet that had a cheery little smiley sun image on it and it read, "FUCK THIS I'M GOING BACK TO BED." It was cute and sweet and a little bit swear-y, which is kinda me, and felt about right for my mood.
Then there was BBQ and Arsenic and Old Lace, so overall, I think it worked out all right. I think I've finally turned the corner on the cold today, but I do miss breathing through my nose.
posted by PearlRose at 1:46 PM on February 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
So I ducked out of work early, went home, and took a nap. This startled the beau a little bit, but hey, whatever. He's super into Valentine's, and did the flowers, candy, booze, card present thing, along with a magnet that had a cheery little smiley sun image on it and it read, "FUCK THIS I'M GOING BACK TO BED." It was cute and sweet and a little bit swear-y, which is kinda me, and felt about right for my mood.
Then there was BBQ and Arsenic and Old Lace, so overall, I think it worked out all right. I think I've finally turned the corner on the cold today, but I do miss breathing through my nose.
posted by PearlRose at 1:46 PM on February 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
DOT, Jr. this morning:
🎵 Cardigan, cardigan 🎵
🎵 Time to put on my cardigan 🎵
(Sung to tune of Spider-Man theme)
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:29 AM on February 16, 2019 [2 favorites]
🎵 Cardigan, cardigan 🎵
🎵 Time to put on my cardigan 🎵
(Sung to tune of Spider-Man theme)
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:29 AM on February 16, 2019 [2 favorites]
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posted by adamvasco at 5:47 PM on February 9, 2019 [12 favorites]