Nothing Gold

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay. -Robert Frost

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Location: Arlington, Virginia, United States

I am a white American middle class suburban housewife trying desperately to tell herself that that is not who she is. One time I was a glowing young ruffian. Oh my God it was a million years ago.

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

On a Few Great Things

Here are a few of my favorite things in no particular order. Some of them are universal and some are probably a little strange.

1. When It's a Small World stops running through your head and you finally fall asleep.

2. A winter-time picnic on the living room floor that consists of dungeness crab, steamed clams, crusty buttered french bread and white wine.

3. The feeling you have when you are about to tell someone really good news.

4. My sweetheart's dimples.

5. Waking up in a sleeping bag on a crisp Mount Rainier morning and you smell bacon that someone else got up to cook. Then you snuggle up in your sleeping bag for five minutes before putting on a sweatshirt and going to eat bacon.

6. Ice Cream Snow.

7. The way my son's tiny arms feel around my neck when he gives me a great big hug for no reason.

8. The feeling that occurs, including the barely suppressed giggles and skipping, when you go through the archway to Main Street, USA, Disneyland and read, "Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy.

9. Seeing your child chew and swallow food. This hasn't actually happened to me, but I imagine it would be pretty great.

10. Being proven right.

11. Being naked in the woods when you are sure no one else is around.

12. A new pair of jeans.

13. The feeling you get when you do something that's not a big deal to help a stranger, but it feels like a big deal, such as helping him/her get his/her car out of the snow.

14. Getting a package in the mail.

15. When you're pretty sure you've found the lowest possible price for a rental car online and then you find one for $50 less.

16. When a stranger is really nice to you.

17. When you're using the bathroom at someone else's house and there is no toilet paper and just as you're thinking, "oh, crap", you find a roll in the back of the cupboard.

18. Seeing a deer.

19. Babies laughing.

20. Getting thirty minutes to yourself.

21. When you spend a lot of time cooking something and it turns out really good and you get lots of compliments on it.

22. When you get your film developed and there is a picture of you that you secretly think you look really good in.

23. Jalapeno chips, ranch dressing, and champagne.

24. Looking at photos you haven't seen in a long time.

25. When you can take a 3 hour nap.

26. When my son takes a 3 hour nap and instead of cleaning, I read the whole time.

27. Taking a 10 day road trip with a girlfriend to San Francisco with $100 each and a cooler full of Diet Coke, peanut butter, jelly and bread.

28. Sitting around a fire with some family and friends, drinking Coronas, listening to mellow tunes, and hoping you didn't get a sunburn from being on the boat all day.

29. Good Margaritas.

30. When you're playing Risk (missions version) and your heart speeds up a little because you realize you will probably be able to win on your next turn.

31. When you come in from playing in the snow and your fingers and toes really sting from the warmth and your mom makes hot chocolate with marshmallows.

32. When you laugh so hard with the girls that your abdomen hurts even though it's 2 am and you really ought to get to sleep.

33. Going to a church where you feel comfortable contributing and you are actually growing closer to God every week that you go.

34. Not having homework on Sunday nights.

35. Getting unexpected presents.

36. Slip 'n' Slide.

37. Swimming in the ocean/running from waves/looking at the ocean. The ocean.

38. The weird fishy smell of the Seattle waterfront. Seriously, I love that smell.

39. Halloween.

40. When you're having a rough day and you forget about the mess and add to it by building a fort in the living room and playing in it with your toddler.

I reserve the right to add to this list as I think of things today.

8 Comments:

Blogger [REDACTED] said...

I'm reading this when there were 29 things listed. I think it's a great list. Where can I get some jalapeno chips around these parts though?

10:18 AM  
Blogger QueenieCarly said...

Blogger randomly sent me on to your page. I've only had a few minutes to check it out, but I love the way your posts are written and I'm looking forward to having time to read more!

11:06 AM  
Blogger Maggie said...

You can get jalapeno chips at the grocery store, dearest. They just won't be Tim's Cascade jalapeno chips.

11:48 AM  
Blogger Maggie said...

Also, thanks Carly-Ann. Please see #16.

11:53 AM  
Blogger Mike Stavlund said...

I'm really feelin' the no homework on Sunday night thing. That was so depressing every week. Nice one.
And the package in the mail. Sweet.
Oh, and The Brick's dimples, now that you mention it.

1:25 PM  
Blogger Sonja Andrews said...

I think #3 and #32 and the one about your boy taking a long nap and reading instead of cleaning are the best. I love this list. It makes me smile ...

4:21 PM  
Blogger kate said...

Watching a little kid chew and swallow is the cutest thing I have been able to think of for about a year now. And the feeling of those little arms around the neck, squeezing, is definitely the best feeling. And the laughter is the best sound...
I also love reading someone else who loves the things about Seattle that I love, too. I LOVE that smell. The tar-treated docks. The fish. The salty air. The freshness. All of it.

10:34 AM  
Blogger Maggie said...

Leah,(pace slc is you right?)
I thought about putting one specifically about you, but I figured that a lot of them are kind of already about you. I'm sure you know which ones.

11:11 AM  

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