Things that I Love

There are a few reasons for this post... One being that Maggie did this on her blog and I liked reading it, another being that I'm on a roll with these random fact things, another being that I read this "If you understand the great plan of happiness and follow it, what goes on in the world will not determine your happiness." (Boyd K. Packer) on Suzy's blog and remembered that while the world is a difficult place and each day is a battle, there are a lot of things I am happy about, and finally, when I walked outside today I saw the weather and my little heart overflowed with joy and filled me with an unstoppable desire to write about it. And that was quite the run-on sentence.
I just read this,

"Maybe if we re-invent whatever our lives give us,
we find poems. Check your garage, the odd sock
in your drawer, the person you almost like, but

not quite.

And let me know."

And it made me want to think of things that I find joy or poetry in, that maybe others don't. So we'll see if I can think of anything original.

1. As previously mentioned, I love today's weather. I love gray skies, the darker the better I say. Today for some reason seems like the perfect combination of bad weather elements. The sky is a cool gray; the wind is bitingly cold, but gentle at the same time. It's not an annoying, blowing my hair into my face wind, it's more like an adventurous wind. As I climbed into my car there was just the lightest spattering of rain beginning to fall. I hope the weather's still like that when I walk home today. I can't express the joy this weather fills me with.

2. I shouldn't read other peoples lists of what they love before writing my own, because then I just think of all the things on their list that I agree with and I don't come up with anything original. So I'm copying Maggie's #1--Snail Mail. Getting letters in the mail is the best thing ever, especially from missionaries :) But if you're not a missionary, don't let that stop you from sending a letter my way.

3. I love going out to breakfast, or eating breakfast with friends, or any kind of special breakfast thing. It's awesome. Some of my favorites are going to Kneaders with friends, or the waffle breakfast we used to have when I was in young womens, or making big breakfasts when we go camping. Standing there in the cold, trying to will the fire to warm you, watching the sun come up, scrambling eggs and frying bacon....ah, I want summer to come.

4. Early mornings. I'm not always very good at getting up early, but when I do my whole day goes better. I love being up and being productive. In the winter, this isn't as fun, because I get ready for the day all while dreading actually opening the door and facing the bitter cold wetness. In the summer, however, early mornings are divine. The very best is when I go camping, because I get up with the sun--it's impossible not to. And then you get to watch all of nature awake, and you feel the dew on the grass and the sun peeking over the mountains and hear the birds chirping and you just breathe in the fresh air and think about the adventures the day holds.
5. I LOVE cuddling with my baby brother. The best, and I know this is sad, is when he's either really tired or feeling sick, because then he'll just fold right into your arms and lay his head against you and that feeling of being needed and knowing that he trusts you is just the best ever. I also love when he's being hyper and he'll imitate whatever you do. He's hilarious, seriously all the other Larsen personalities packed into one tiny body.
6. Airplanes. I love flying, because it feels so adventurous. It happens so rarely, it always means I'm headed off to something new and therefore something exciting. I love the stomach-drop feeling as the plane takes off, last time this happened I just giggled, I couldn't hold in the joy that it brought me. The stranger next to me and I shared a kindred spirit moment.
7. Rain. This is somewhat related to the first one, but I just really love the rain so it deserves a number all its own. I love the sound of the rain against the window, I love the feel of rain against my skin. I love to go running in the rain and listen to Billy Joel (piano man, vienna, she's always a woman, and scenes from an italian restaurant are my favorites). I like riding in the car in the rain and just watching everything go by.
8. I love watching chick flicks for just the little things--the way his eyes go soft when he looks at her, the way his jaw tightens when he can't have her, the way his voice catches when he's hiding how he feels. I know I'm a sap :) Example, my very favorite scene from My Best Friend's Wedding is the one in the restaurant where everyone else is singing "I say a little prayer for you" but the camera keeps going back and forth between Michael and Julianne and you just see all the sadness in his eyes.
9. I love movie endings that catch you by surprise, and I love artsy movies. The best examples of both of these are from my French and Italian Cinema class I took last winter (it was so random, but one of the best classes I've taken, we just watched movies all the time). Three of my favorites from that class were Purple Noon, which had a total surprise ending, which I am dying to give away but I won't; Amelie, which was very artsy and quirky and starred Audrey Tautou, who I love; and my all time favorite from the class, "A la folie...pas du tout" (or in english, He loves me, he loves me not), which also starred Audrey Tautou. Oh. My. Gosh. This movie was amazing. After I saw it I couldn't stop going on about it and, you guessed it, giggling with unsuppressable joy. Oh my gosh again. You have to see it. And when you do, invite me over.
10. Witty Banter. I just liked using that phrase, which reminded me of another love, Jane Austen language :) I love being funny and sarcastic back and forth with someone. Some of the best people to do this with are my brother Daryl, and my coworker, Adam (I hope you're happy, I included you in my blog). It makes me feel so smart, quick-witted, and funny. And I love it when I think I'm funny. That was basically 3 loves packed into one.
11. Speaking Franglish. My french, sadly, has been somewhat neglected in recent years, but I remember enough of it to speak some crazy Franglish. This consists of using the french words you remember and inserting english words for ones you don't remember, and saying it all with ugly american R's. I do this with Camille and Isabelle, and basically anyone else who is willing to stoop to my french level.
12. New books. I love new books--the look, the feel, the smell, the thought of all the wondrous things hiding inside, as yet undiscovered by me. Borders and Barnes and Noble are some of my favorite places because of this. The combined smell of the new books and the coffee make me feel sophisticated, somehow.
13. I like weird smells, but more when they're faint odors, rather than overpowering smells. Examples: skunks, gasoline, really old buildings, unusual cologne, laundry detergent (this one I like strong, it reminds me of living in Boston and doing laundry at the laundromat. Er, watching my mom do laundry.)
14. I like visiting my family on Sundays, because I know exactly what I will find at home. Mom will be in the kitchen cooking something delicious, Dad will be either napping or setting up personal interviews with all the kids, and the kids (if not being interviewed by dad) can almost invariably be found in the basement, watching The Waltons. It's so comforting to be able to come home and just fit right back into the place I occupied before I moved out.
15. In an effort to come up with refreshingly original examples, I have over heated my brain and smoke is coming out my ears. So that's all for now, I will probably edit this to include more later.