Cross-country skiing at Pineridge Ski Center on a day after a beautiful snow. If Norman Rockwell were around, he’d be painting there. Gi-normous trees covered with just the right amount of snow, fluffy white snow to ski on, and the right amount of hills to make us laugh as we wipe-out, if our skis go in the opposite direction that our brain is telling them to go.
Being at the ocean. From the rocky coast of Maine down to sweltering Florida, give me some good books, sand to run my hands through as I’m reading (very weird but I do it all the time … maybe because I’m think of ‘like sands through the hourglass, so are the Days of Our Lives’).
Sitting on my front porch, first thing in the morning, or at night, in my wooden rocker with a Mary Higgins Clark book (all books are acceptable, she’s just my favorite). When we had our house built, I wanted to have a wooden porch with rockers on it so I could literally curl up with a good book and a cup of coffee. Autumn nights are the best!
Reconnecting and reminiscing with friends. Lately it seems like a lot of paths cross have made me reminiscent of some really wonderful memories. And even though lives have taken us in different directions, sometimes it’s just good to have that coming home feeling.
Movie nights with my daughters. Get me any old chick flick or tear-jerker movie, or even a comedy, throw in some Homestyle popcorn, a glass of Zinfandel (hot chocolate for my daughters) and plop myself on the couch.
Taking a walk on a crisp autumn day in the evening, after the leaves have started to fall. I enjoy walking. I take walks everyday, just a peaceful time to think, sometimes just about nothing. The association with the autumn and leaves probably is because I get transported in time, and I can see my brother and our friends, jumping into huge piles of leaves … and even more fun seeing my kids play in the leaves.
The smell of cinnamon or the smell of sauce cooking. Really, simply just that – the savory aromas. Those two scents can make my mouth water and make me feel relaxed. There are some days, when I need to smell that scent – so it’s time to bake (or cook). When all else fails, Yankee Candle comes to the rescue.
Thanksgiving morning. We celebrate Thanksgiving at our house with both families. I do all the prep the day before, so Thanksgiving day is normally just putting things in the oven. But the aroma of the turkey and other foods cooking, while I’m watching the Macy*s Thanksgiving Day parade and making my plan of attack for Black Friday brings me feeling of comfort.
Christmas Eve. The traditions, family, friends. In my family, Christmas Eve has always been the big celebration of Christmas. Christmas Day was a different type of celebration. Christmas Eve is spent with the whole family – dinner, mass and gift exchange. There isn’t a single year that has gone by that I don’t that feeling of, ‘yes, this is exactly where I want to be.’ Even with all the exhaustion of activities leading up to the day and activities of the day, it’s just a homey comfortable feeling.
And the number one feeling peacefulness, warmth and contentment?
Big hugs. I’m from a family of huggers – it’s in the blood.
No comments:
Post a Comment