LIFE: 2013 Favorites

As I reflect on 2013, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Absolutely, positively thankful for my health, happiness, family, and friends. I am grateful for the year that I have had with all its ups and downs and curves and twists. I have a full, meaningful life that gets better and better as I appreciate it more. The years are going by faster than ever, and I continue to learn to take deep breaths and take each moment and experience as it comes. 

When I was little, my sister, Katie, and I would play a game where we made a huge list of our favorite things (color, name, flower, song, actor/actress, etc.). We did these lists all the time and they were constantly changing. I don’t think anything on those lists would be the same as it is now. Everything changes. I wish I still had copies of all the lists we made over the years. In honor of the game we used to play, I’ve listed some things that made me especially happy in 2013.

SONG: “Sirens” by Pearl Jam, “Wildfire” by John Mayer

I love “Sirens” because of these lyrics: “Oh, it’s a fragile thing/This life we lead/If I think too much I can get overwhelmed by the grace/By which we live our lives with death over our shoulders.”

“Wildfire” makes me feel like I am on a road trip.

TV SHOW: Nashville

I love the music and escapism of Nashville.

MOVIE: World War Z, Star Trek Into Darkness, Fruitvale Station, Now You See Me, The Hunger Games Catching Fire, Sound City, 42, 20 Feet from Stardom, Blackfish

We watch movies one to two times a week at home. I have lots more movies from 2013 to see still, but so far, these are the top ones.

RESTAURANT ITEM: Sofrito Tacos from Chipotle

I would rather eat these shredded tofu tacos than almost anything else. Delicious.

BLOG: Keepin’ it Kind

Kristy’s Cauliflower Buffalo Pizza got me hooked on her site. I love blogs and read a lot of them, but Keepin’ it Kind is the first one I usually check out.

FOOD PRODUCT: Sukhi’s Indian Spice Mixes and Kite Hill Cheese

Sukhi’s spice mixes are available on Amazon and on their website. They make for an easy dinner and have the perfect amount of spice and flavor. Kite Hill is a nut-based gourmet cheese that tastes delicious. If you find it in a supermarket near you, grab it and give it a try. Usually it is not by the fake, vegan cheeses, instead I have found it near real bries and goat cheeses.

ARTICLE: Bill McKibben’s Rolling Stone piece “Obama and Climate Change: The Real Story”

Frustrating and eye-opening. This article hit me in gut for numerous reasons. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

YOUTUBE: What Does the Fox Say?

This video is so bad, but I love it. We have foxes in our backyard – they make a yip yip noise.

PODCASTS: Real Time with Bill Maher

I listen to a lot of podcasts on my commute, but I always look forward to Real Time. Maher makes me laugh so hard that I cry.

DRINK: Moscow Mule with Fever Tree Premium Ginger Beer and lots of lime

The Fever Tree Ginger Beer is KEY to the execution of this drink.

POEM: Mary Oliver’s “Luke” in her new collection “Dog Stories”

Oliver’s poems embrace simple pleasures and her new collection celebrates one of my favorite parts of the world…dogs.  My favorite line of the poem “Luke”:

“we long to be—
that happy
in the heaven of earth—
that wild, that loving.”

HABIT: Getting up early

Who would have thought that I would ever love being an early riser? I love getting up before the sun rises and starting the day in the dark.

YOGA POSE: Malasana

I could do this pose all day. When will I be able to do a handstand?

CHEERS to a happy, healthy, peaceful 2014!