The List Lady

I’m an odd amalgamation of free-spirited, crunchy-granola-earth mother and Type-A, follow-all-the-rules list maker. It makes for an interesting life. Lists relax me, they release some stress, and in many cases they’re actually pretty fun. So because I really need to start this week on a calm, relaxed note (Novel-writing and Thanksgiving baking in the same week? I shudder at the thought!), here are some of my fun lists.

Things I Miss About Autumn in the East:

• The smell of wood smoke when I step outside.
• Leaves in bright colors.
• Hiking amongst said leaves.
• Flannel sheets
• Hot soup as a necessity to warmth.
• Boots, gloves, hats, scarves.
• Hay rides and bon fires.
• S’mores at said bon fires.
• Watching White Christmas and Meet Me in St. Louis with my mom.
• That cozy evening feeling when it’s cold and dark outside.
• Watching Big Ten football with my dad.

Writing Necessities:

• A hot beverage, preferably tea.
• Candles
• Solitude
• White noise or calming music. (Damien Rice, various classical artists, Explosions in the Sky, and Norah Jones are among my favorites.)
• A handy thesaurus, just in case.
• Being totally ready: hair done, teeth brushed, dressed as though I were going to see people, etc. (I’m always more productive this way.)

Things I Miss About Being a Kid:

• Getting lost in a book all day because I had nothing else to do or worry about.
• Not caring about what other people thought.
• Discovering amazing things, like science and literature and art, for the first time.
• Halloween. It was so much better as a kid.
• Being innocent to the world.
• Visiting my grandparents.
• The exhilaration of Christmas morning.
• School. (Not even kidding!)
• The comfort of having my parents in charge, not me.
• Having my own room

Things I Liked as a Kid that Make Me Smile When I Remember Them:

• Barbies; Beanie Babies; Doodle Bear; Polly Pockets; the game Trouble; jump rope and tag at recess; playing dress-up; running through the sprinkler; the Columbus Zoo; tea parties; finger painting
• The Muppet Show; Reading Rainbow; Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood; Bill Nye the Science Guy; The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show; Letter People; Shelly Duvall’s Fairy Tale Theatre
• Muppet Treasure Island; The Wizard of Oz; Pete’s Dragon; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Babes in Toyland; The Sound of Music; Mary Poppins; Brigadoon
• Nancy Drew; The Wind in the Willows; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Rabbit Hill; Dusty Mole, Private Eye; Alice in Wonderland; Heidi; The Twenty-One Balloons; Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH; From the Mixed-UP Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Things I’m Excited About:

• Thanksgiving: parade, food, all of it!
• Christmas!!!
• The Hobbit movie
• Getting a Christmas tree on Friday.
• Colder weather
• Skyping with my family this week.
• Finishing this novel. NaNoWriMo, I am ready for you to be over!
• My birthday
• The bubble bath I’m taking tonight.
• The book I’m reading. Deborah Harkness is just fantastic!

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