[2020-10-11] Awesome things
Ten years ago, my staff gave me The Book of Awesome. In the book, author Neil Pasricha presents 100+ "tiny little moments [that] make an awesome difference in many of our rushed, jam-packed lives." His list includes having a whole row to yourself on the plane, hitting a succession of green lights, and arriving at your bus stop just as the bus comes around the corner.
I thought of this book the other day when my sister asked me: "How many 'feel good things' have you discovered about yourself so far? I bet you could start a list."
So today, in keeping with Thanksgiving and in response to Kathleen's question, I share my first list of awesome things.
Taking off your coat for a long car ride in the winter
In January 2019, my sister joined me for a 20-hour round trip to Kapuskasing, Ontario, when we took my son there for an articling placement. Before we started, Kathleen told me that she never wears a coat on a long drive in the winter. I had never thought of doing such a thing, but it was a brilliant idea. So we took off our coats, piled them in the back seat, jumped into the warm car and enjoyed an unencumbered—though very long—trip.
Cooking with loved ones
I love cooking with loved ones. It can be an extra pair of hands in a pinch, a second opinion ("does this look done to you?") and a way to cut the time to make any recipe in half. For our Thanksgiving dinner, I suggested that each of us bring a dish. Mel made roasted butternut squash soup and homemade bread. That first course set the tone for a delicious meal. Shane made salt-and vinegar roasted potatoes: yummy. I made a honey-mustard glazed ham, roasted Brussels sprouts and roasted cauliflower. And yesterday, I made chocolate-coconut bars for dessert. Chris, who cooks for us every day, got the night off, which was our thanks to him.
Knowing the name of an object in the night sky
Chris is fascinated by astronomy. Everything I know about the universe is thanks to him. So if I can look up to the night sky and identify anything there, it's because he's pointed it out to me on a previous occasion. The latest object he noted is Mars, which is really bright right now. He explained that this is the closest Mars has been to Earth since 2008. From space.com: "October is the month of Mars. Like a glowing coal it stands out in the eastern sky during the evening hours, especially during the first half of the month when it will glow brighter and appear bigger at any time until September 2035."
Having a hankering for something and realizing that you have all the ingredients to make it
We are a household of cooks and bakers. We love great food and find that homemade is almost always best. We find and try new recipes all the time. The best—the ones that elicit an "Oh my God, that's good" exclamation on first bite—make it into our recipe file. You know that feeling when you find a recipe, want to make it right away, and then happily discover that you have everything you need to make it? That feeling is awesome.
Parallel parking for the first time because you watched how your daughter did it
I learned to drive on a 3/4-tonne, standard-transmission truck, with a stick shift. My mom taught me to drive, which consisted primarily of her saying "drive." I figured most things out by trial and error or observation. But I never really learned to parallel park. Years later, when my daughter was learning how to drive, I saw how she had learned to parallel park in driver's ed. A few months later, we took a day trip to Westport, one of those old-fashioned towns where people park on the streets. And for the first time in my life, or at least many years, I parallel parked, thanks to my having watched my daughter do it umpteen times. That was awesome!
Discovering a song that is intensely satisfying
Every once in a while, I come across a song that I absolutely fall in love with. Three that readily come to mind are "Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles, "Driving Wheel" by Chris Robinson Brotherhood and "Breathless" by William Prince. I can't explain why one song moves me and another just sounds good and a third sounds awful. I just know a song that feels awesome when I hear it.
Getting up early after a good night's sleep and having a whole day in front of you
I've been trying to go to bed earlier these days. So when my old dog barked at 5:45 this morning to go out, I was ready to get out of bed. I dressed warmly and headed out the door with Freddie. We wandered around for a bit, and I snapped the photo below of the approaching sunrise. It felt wonderful to be rested and to have a whole day before me.
Other awesome things
Here are a few other things that I find awesome. The meal I eat at home when we've considered getting takeout because we don't want to cook but come up with something great nonetheless. Never losing my favourite pair of gloves. The first snow of the season—it never fails to excite me. That point in doing a jigsaw puzzle when the remaining pieces almost place themselves. Occasions when the thing I'm shopping for is on sale. A pull-through space in the parking lot. Using up food in the fridge before it spoils. Having a Queen-sized duvet all to myself (one bed, two duvets, three times the peace).
Our bring-a-dish approach to Thanksgiving was a success. It fit with the feeling we all had of being very lucky to be together as a family. From our house to yours, Happy Thanksgiving. May you recognize the many awesome things in your life.
