I won’t be able to write from the grave
so let me tell you what I love:
oil, vinegar, salt, lettuce, brown bread, butter,
cheese and wine, a windy day, a fireplace,
the children nearby, poems and songs,
a friend sleeping in my bed—
and the short northern nights.
-Fanny Howe
A la Fanny Howe: what are the things you love right now?
Let me tell you what I love, at 40 years old, a mother to two, a loving wife, and a daily communicant with the blank page:
My son’s freckles, the salvation of trees outside my studio window, a sandwich with my Dad,
a clear sentence, a cloudy day, my children pedaling around the cul de sac outside our home,
a long sit in the sun after a four mile run, my mother’s voice, the redbirds in our yard,
an hour-long phone call with my sister, the hard work that pays off, the friends who say: “tell me everything,”
notes from my daughter left on my work desk, raw oysters and champagne, reading in bed above the sheets but beneath the comforter,
the mug my husband fills with hot water to pre-warm it for my coffee, the neighbors who turn out to be guardian angels, the right word,
vinegar, the primacy of my children’s joy, the promise of morning,
my husband and my husband and my husband, and the outrageous joy of being loved by him daily
benedictions, all —
and together, quite possibly, the meaning of life
Post-Scripts.
+There are many ways to say I love you.
+What has surprised you most about getting older?
+What’s something weird that you love about your significant other?
Shopping Break.
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+If you keep coming up dry on what to get your bestie or your sister, just get them an Ugg slipper. What we all really want and love — trust. I own and love the platform Tazz, and I also really love the look of these, too.
+I wore these earmuffs to the skating rink over the weekend and Mr. Magpie said he loved them?! I paired with this red puffer jacket from Varley, which I have been stopped by women about multiple times! It almost looks velvet (but isn’t).
+Back to Apparis and slippers: how cute are these? Apres ski vibes.
+Speaking of winter sports: these are our favorite winter parkas for the kids for skiing/skating/snow fun.
+And I just got this fun sherpa tote for schlepping loose mittens, spare socks, sticker books, snacks, etc to and from the ice rink.
+What I bought my bestie: Hermes nail polish, Dior cuticle balm (we both LOVE manicures / talking nails), and my favorite dry shampoo.
+Rhone’s DreamGlow collection caught my eye — have a polished vibe somewhere between Spanx and Varley for those of us looking for dressier athleisure.
+Dolce Vita sent me a pair of their waterproof suede boots and I’m very impressed. I love the shape of the bootie — elongating, flattering, and perfect for pairing with wide leg jeans. Plus: waterproof! Look much more expensive than they are.
+I initially got these with the intent of giving my MIL (we love to play this one card game called O Hell), but now I have them in my living room by the game table! Pretty enough to double as decor.
+This Talbots cape is giving Alice Walk vibes for half the price.
+Snagged this cute seashell print mini from La Maregold — already loosely shopping for our Disney trip this spring.
+Still love this scoat from Gap!
This prompt is so timely! I wrote 2 of these lists on Thanksgiving; please forgive the length, ha! And DITTO on the vinegar XO
Neighbors who hold the elevator door
Foggy mornings
The undulating sounds of a busy classroom full of ideas and bursting creativity
Forehead kisses
Magazines in print
A baby gripping your finger
Crosby gulping down water after a walk
Old letters that have somehow survived all my many moves
My signature orange-y red nail polish
Candles in a church
India
Lists… mine and other peoples
The guy who threw me a peace sign after I waved him through the cross walk
John filing the car with gas so I don’t have to do it, in the morning before work
Coming out of my surgery and immediately saying to the nurse, John? Where’s John? And he put his hand on my forehead and said, I’ll go get him right now
Coming out of my surgery, period
Teachers
Libraries
A waitress who calls you sweetie
The luxury of time to stare out the window
Georgia O’Keefe
Jenny Holzer
Bodegas
Stinky cheese I remembered to keep at room temperature
Waking up from a bad dream, confused, then seeing John sleeping next to me
Richard Price’s new novel
The sparkle and triumph in one of my little students eyes when they Figure It Out
Watching a stranger give up their seat to another stranger in public transit
Iced coffee all year round
Jay-Z’s Black Album
Growing up in Santa Fe
A text from John’s dad, because my dad is long gone
Wendell Berry
Cy Twombly
Every woman who has gone before me
Every man who says “enough”
John’s mom saying “we love you honey.”
Peonies in the middle of winter
Friends who become family and family who become friends
The 4 year-olds who run into the classroom and say, Jessica! I gotta tell you sumpin!
Margaret Atwood
Sleep… just sleep
Jen, gosh, the gut punch and the reverence of this! I’m actually midway an essay myself trying to articulate this exact thing from the prompt at the end of Almost Famous where the budding journalist says to the rockstar, “So, Russell, what do you love about music?” And Russell responds, “To begin with…everything.” Ahhhh!!!
For me, right now,
– Cream and local honey in my morning coffee, in a French ceramic mug, bundled in flannel and eking out the manna, hand-in-hand with slowly waking up
– The spots on our neighbour’s beagle’s nose and how his ears soften when he looks in your eyes
– Stacks of notebooks on my desk, a new one added incrementally as morning pages are written and written and written, tangible evidence of commitment and art and growth
– Pictures and videos of my nieces and nephews playing together and the sweetness of being these tiny people, immersed in childhood, flushed cheeks and noise and the joy of being alive
– Discovering songs that capture a feeling I haven’t been able to articulate or that immediately prompt a kitchen dance
– Menu design for Christmas and then all the other ideas for birthday cakes, and restaurants we’ve heard good things about, and a new recipe to try, and a vegetable never seen before, and the pleasure of food and breaking bread around tables together
– The golden hour in my city that in these November through early December days begs to be painted, to be recreated in a tapestry, to be revelled in with a lap or two around the block
– Group chats with friends where we’re all participating in real time and there’s flurries of jokes and references and I imagine them in their houses feeling cosy and warm and connected and us, the same, in our house – and then the constellation, the galaxy, of everyone we love, tiny points of light glowing in our towns and countries all over the world
– My husband in his heavy Irish Aran wool sweater and his moustache, debonair and domestic all at once
– The poem above, any words that grip my whole heart, and sharing them with my mum, with best friends, with my husband, or with myself by hand, copied into journals
Gosh – these are so beautiful, Aoife. I love the specificity of the spots on your neighbor’s beagle’s nose! And how true is this: “- Discovering songs that capture a feeling I haven’t been able to articulate or that immediately prompt a kitchen dance.” Yes! Sometimes music just nails a latent emotion, or laminates it in some way. Thanks for sharing that insight.
Thank you!!
xx