Comfort List

Katherine Center is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. I've read all three of her novels. I also enjoy her blog. The stories aren't necessarily great literature. They are, however, told in a way that's easy to read and full of a kind of every woman's truth. In the Bright Side of Disaster she writes of having and caring for a newborn baby with such exactitude that I think my breasts filled and my nipples hurt just from reading about the effects of breast feeding!

In Get Lucky and her blog Center writes of making a comfort list. Of course I can't remember why the character in the book went through the exercise - no surprise there! But I remember thinking this is something I should do to. In these rather stress-filled days, when actually grabbing a piece of comfort pie and eating it on the run might be all I can do to catch a few moments of coziness I think it is good to have a list to refer back to, so here's my version of a Comfort List, things that are soothing to ME. Anyone want to bet what #1 will be?

1. Naps (Who wins?)
2. Well-worn/loved quilts
3. Clean sheets
4. My favorite pillow (that is falling apart but I can't bear to part with it)
5. Sweetie lying across my middle while I scratch his back
6. Fresh brewed iced tea
7. A Coke from McDonalds
8. A hot shower
9. A dip in the pool
10. A baby's laugh
11. A cat in my lap
12. A phone date with Linda Lu
13. A letter in the mail
14. Writing a letter
15. Sharpies
16. Mood (New Age) music
17. The sight, the smell and feel of bolts of fabric lined up by color
18. Sitting in a rocking chair with a new born baby asleep in my arms
19. Cary Grant movies
20. The sound of the ocean
21. A summer rain
22. My kid's
23. A whale's song
24. Fresh cut flowers that smell good
25. When my Sweetie stops what he's doing just to hold me tight
26. A good book and time to read it
27. A juicy orange
28. Spying a rainbow after that summer shower
29. Butterflies
30. Christmas carols
31. Wandering through Reddi Arts without a watch on
32. A facial by Angie
33. Birds singing
34. The quiet stillness inside a church
35. Old pictures
36. Reading others' blogs
37. Writing
38. The smell of lavender fresh from the garden
39. Spaghetti sauce kissed by homegrown basil
40. Roses
41. Dark black African women whose heads are wrapped in bright colors
42. Polka dots
43. Patent leather Mary Janes
44. Swimming in my Sweetie's t-shirt
45. A big dining table covered in food, surrounded by family and conversation
46. My father's watch
47. My mother's beads
48. My wedding ring
49. Gardenias
50. Floating in the pool after everyone else has gone to bed.

Center said that just making the list was comforting in its own right. I have to agree.
What's on your comfort list?

Wishing for you a day full of things that soothe your soul,
Merry ME


Books by Katherine Center:
Get Lucky
Everyone is Beautiful
Bright Side of Disaster

Comments

Molly said…
i have Get Lucky and started reading it, but had to put it down and haven't picked it back up yet. glad to see your review.

thinking about you and your dad
July 24, 2010 at 10:29 PM
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