Seasonale

I've had a lot of ebbs and flows of energy this week. I keep trying to post, but whenever I have the time to do it, I'm too cranky. Or I write something and just don't like it.

There's still the ragged edge of a cold wilfully hanging around in my system, and I expect that's why. It's annoying, and I'm inclined to complain about it every time I sit down to post, and then those posts don't make it past my filter.

Anyway. Blah.

The weather turned suddenly radically colder today, and I quite enjoyed it (apart from having cold knees on the way home because I forgot to put on my legwarmers, and didn't want to stop and take off my shoes to put them on en route). I'd forgotten about the unique beauties of winter cycling in the city - chief among them the simple fact that there are fewer people out, which means more road for me.

Also, there's something refreshing about riding in cold air, especially air that's hovering somewhere in the 40s. It's not so cold that your extremities get numb, and a little judicious layering has you quite comfortable while you're underway (you get cold as hell when you stop, of course, because you're less heavily bundled than the folks in street clothes), and there's a sense of adventure about it. I like it. Actually, I love it. And I'd forgotten how it felt.

Another thing I'm loving lately is (drumroll please) knitting. Who knew? After this summer's pathetic trailing away of interest I thought maybe I'd finally killed the yarn muse.

Nope. Just needed it to get cold enough.

See the theme here? I like the cold, just not having a cold. Cough.

Anyway, I also like pumpkins and gingerbread and making soup. In fact, I had a little list going the other day, Simple Things I Like:

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap (lavender or rose hemp)
Really good apples that grew on a tree nearby
Ink (the kind that comes in little bottles)
Wooden building blocks
Bread
Soup
Rosebud Salve and/or Badger Balm
The colour grey (both of those words must be spelled in British fashion)
Milk cooking in a small white pot
Carving a pumpkin
Bandanas
Violets (the kind that grow wild on your lawn)
Crayons (that smell)
Vanilla
Single-speed bicycles
Sturdy shoes
Campfires
Wearing things I've made myself
Looking at the stars
Really good hugs.

While we're at it, Complicated Things I Like:

Philosophy
Champagne
Curry
Cake
Music
Peonies
Dancing
Tailored velvet jackets
That $500 long purple silk parachute dress I tried on
Fancy train cars
Luxe hotel rooms
Handmade quilts
Outlandish hats
Cameras
Chocolate
Gore-Tex
Astronomy

Care to chime in? What simple (or complex) things do you like?