Love, Love Me Do

Colleen at Loose Leaf Notes tagged me for this meme. Hers is, as usual, very heartfelt and comforting. Check it out.

So here are some things I love and hate. I tried not to think about them too much.

I love to eat: chocolate. I love the creamy texture of it, the taste of it, and the way it makes me feel. I love it when it melts in my mouth and makes me tingle. A good chocolate bar on a bad day can cure pretty much anything. Chocolate makes me want to dance around the room with every bite.

I hate to eat: my fingers. I have always been a nail biter and it's a habit that I have managed to stop for a year. However, when I read I sometimes chew the skin around my nails. I do this unconsciously and am generally surprised by it.

I hate to go: to the city. Any time I have to drive into Roanoke I grow nervous. There is too much traffic, too much noise and too many people. I also am not a shopping fan, mostly, I think, for the same reasons. It's simply a much faster pace than the pace I live at, even if it is just 30 miles down the road.

I love to go: to the woods. Solitude, quiet, the whisper of the wind, the touch of the breeze, the dash of a deer, the chit of a squirrel. Is there anything at all to compare to sitting on a stump and watching an ant try to cart a leaf back to its hill? Can anything be better than watching ducks on the pond as they squawk and dive beneath water? Hearing a hawk scream as it catches a mouse? Smelling the earthy smell of loam and decay and new growth?

I love it when: my husband comes home from work. The house suddenly swells with the smell and sound of him. I hear his voice and melt all over. He grabs me in a huge hug; there is nowhere safer. He kisses me "hello" and "I missed you" and his eyes say, "I love you" and there we are, nearly 25 years later, still crazy in love.

I hate it when: my computer has hiccups, my car doesn't work, the can opener electric cord melts because it's too close to the toaster oven, the curling iron stays on instead of cutting off automatically, and the batteries die on my camera when I'm in the middle of taking the greatest shot in the world.

I love to see: blog comments in my e-mail and on my blog. It's like having a message on the answering machine - somebody was thinking of me. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy to know that someone was reading my work and cared enough to leave a note. Blogging has given me a whole new set of friends and acquaintances and I'm thankful for every one.

I hate to see: horror shows, movies full of blood and guts, and R (or X) -rated comedy. I am a P&Qs kind of girl - I like good clean fun, wholesome and hearty and at least slightly sanitized.

I love to hear: the telephone ring, a Melissa Etheridge or Sheryl Crow song on the radio, my husband's laughter, the silence of the forest, and my name on the lips of my closest friends.

I hate to hear: a forecast for strong winds. I don't mind cold and I don't mind heat, but I do mind wind. It tugs at your hair and gets in your ears and blows trash can lids across the field. A strong cold wind cuts straight into your bones, completely bypassing your skin, and you feel it all the way through. It also makes my ears hurt!

All done! Please leave a comment about what you love or don't love, if you're so inclined. If you do this meme, let me know and I'll drop by. I don't usually tag anyone, but I hope June, Ms. E., Jeff, or Becky will take a gander at this one if they like.