the last time i shared one of these posts was february 2024. it’s taken me a little longer than usual to come up with 100 things i love this time.
but i’m still so in love with these posts — and what’s even lovelier is that some of you have started creating your own “100 things i love” lists too.
i’d been slowly plugging away at this one, not sure when i’d share it — then on friday, my friend deb posted a list of things she loved. it felt like a sign to hit publish on mine too.
you can find the rest of my “100 things i love (and don’t love)” posts here.
100 things i love
-guided reiki
-canadians
-world market
-homemade meringue cookies
-that feeling when i put on jammies after a long day
-cancer centers and the angels who work there
-anne shirley cuthbert (particularly this version)
-homemade blueberry pancakes
-seeing tree branches in the dark in the winter because of the snow on them
-my gray hairs
-the smell of a coffee shop
-seeing the beauty in things others take for granted
-combos pretzel snacks on a road trip
-getting an unexpected nap
-door dash
-getting lost in a good thought
-the grandmother in the movie moana
-cheese curd sampler at milwaukee burger company
-yoga with kassandra
-belly laughs
-the sound of coffee brewing
-your lovely comments on my blog (they truly bring me joy- i hope you know this)
-smell of warm tar on a country road in summer
-jackie’s “dad’s dead” skit on the show roseanne (see end of post)
-cupcakes (bonus points if they have cream in the middle)
-purple wildflowers alongside the road
-the smell of bonfire at a campground
-red barns
-when clouds make shadows on the ground on sunny days
-people with naturally happy faces
-boba tea tapioca
-tapioca pudding
-rice pudding
-pudding in general
-watching nature wake up in the spring
-iphone live photos
-finding things in common with other people
-family-owned restaurants
-walking into an air conditioned room/building/home on a hot summer day
-breakfast at hotels
-celtic sea salt
-restaurants that have limited, but well-curated menus
-dragonflies
-taco stands tucked in the back of grocery stores
-electrolyte water
-ABBA
-homemade chicken pot pie
-the quiet of the public library once school is back in session
-driving with the windows down
-the smell of the inside of IKEA
-therapy dogs
-learning from all of you
–ring theory (also: see explanation below)
-tote bags
-marshmallows
-the smell of a leather shop
-downtime
-sesame street
-caramel cake
-men who cry
-laughing through tears
-a full moon
-marcona almonds
-birds singing first thing in spring -it’s different than any other time of year
-tres leches french toast
-long comments on other’s blog posts
-costco produce
-pb & j on an english muffin
-squirrels
-books about grief
-mary oliver poems
-house hunters international
-babette from gilmore girls
-that andrea gibson ends every post with ‘love, andrea’
-4:1 cbd/thc- nature’s lorazepam
-the smell of clover in the country on a hot summer night
-70s instrumental muzak
and now i want to know—what’s something you’ve been loving lately? big or small, silly or sacred—i’d truly love to hear it.
maybe you’ll even feel inspired to start your own list. either way, i’m so glad you’re here. 😘💜
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Many wonderful things on your list!
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I’m glad you think so! 💜
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Cheese curd sampler and a Bloody of the Month? Clearly, I am going to have to add Milwaukee Burger Company to my bucket list!
Can’t say I’ve ever noticed that IKEA has a scent, but you can bet I’ll be sniffing it like crazy the next time we go.
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YES! The burgers aren’t bad either, but that sampler is really good.
We went a few weeks ago, and it smelled divine. I said, “Is this what Sweden smells like?” (Highly doubtful!)
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I imagine it smells like meatballs and blonde hair.
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Yes. That’s it.
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My list all comes from yesterday:
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These all sound so lovely. I really want to love rhubarb—my mom and grandma (and I believe my dad too) all love(d) it. Maybe I’ll try it again this year.
Homemade drop biscuits! My mom was telling me the other day that she really struggles to make biscuits, and she’s a very good cook. What’s your secret?
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Kari – have you ever had rhubarb combined with strawberry in a dessert?! I make a fantastic rhubarb-strawberry crumble. Maybe I will make one and bring you some to try. <3
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I might have had it when I was growing up—my family loved it. But yes, I’d love to try it again and see if I actually like it!
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Another fabulous list Kari <3
I’ve never heard of meringue cookies before – you know I’m going to have to investigate. I hope Himself feels like baking…
I’ve yet to see that version of Anne of Green Gables. I did know it existed, but I’d forgotten about it. Thank you – I feel this may be the viewing balm I need right now.
Oooh, oooh, oooh – the smell of tar being laid can be added to my loving of petrol and a burning match!
Ring theory – I was familiar with the concept, but never knew what it was called. I wish more people knew it and – even more important – acted on it.
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Thank you, friend! I always enjoy reading your lists too!
Oh Deb, they’re delicious and only three ingredients: egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. If you want more detailed instructions, just let me know—I’m happy to share!
I’ve heard the version with Megan Follows is the closest to the book. My version is probably more for a younger audience, but it’s a lovely watch either way.
I love the smell of gasoline and matches burning. We really do share a lot of the same favorites!
I wish more people did too. By sharing this, hopefully more will start to understand. 💜
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Yes, yes, and yes to all these and so much more. And what Chris listed too! :D
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I love posts like these because they share such wonderful ideas for happiness! And I really enjoy hearing everyone else’s ideas too! 💜
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I was smiling the entire time I was reading your list. So many wonderful things.😊
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Oh, I love the thought of you smiling the whole time you read this! That makes me smile too! 😘💜
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What a great list, Kari! Bequet caramels!!! Bequet caramels!!! Their factory is based in Bozeman, Montana, which is about an hour’s drive from where I live. Yes, their caramels are amazing! I didn’t realize they’d gotten so well known. My heart was warmed by you saying that you love your gray hairs. I love my gray hairs, too. I feel very tender towards them, like they signify something important and beautiful. You are beautiful, my friend!
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OMG, I love that! They are so delicious! My mom introduced me to them, and now Anna and I are hooked too. When I told my mom you live close to their factory, she said, “I wonder if they have a factory store? Maybe it’s a good thing we don’t live nearby!” 🤣
I feel the same way about my hair, Michelle. Aging is such a privilege, and I don’t want to hide any signs of it. I love that you say it signifies something important and beautiful. You’re so right, my friend. You are beautiful too! 😘💜
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Wonderful list!
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Thank you, Elizabeth! 😘💜
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I love reading your lists! I should start my own; but I have such a bad memory that I’m afraid that by the time I had reached #50 I’d already be repeating myself (I’ve had it happen in other lists!). Yoga with Kassandra!! Thank you I’ve been trying to remember what that one was called because I knew there was another besides Yoga with Adrienne I liked.
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I’ve been worried that I’m repeating things from my other lists—this is my seventh post after all! But 700 things to love is pretty amazing, and I think it’s totally okay to repeat a few favorites. It just means you’re passionate about life, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Kassandra is awesome because she doesn’t talk as much as Adriene, so it feels more like a relaxing class. No shade to Adriene—I love her too!
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CANADIANS! I love that we made the list. But I will say that as a Canadian girl, I did not enjoy Anne With An E. I thought the best screen adaptation was the one in 1985, with Megan Follows. I had it taped from CBC on VCR and there were so many Canadian Tire Christmas commercials – you can give like Santa, save like Scrooge! – and that just gave me a big smile of nostalgia. The Anne With An E adaptation just deviated waaaayyyyy too much from the original books for my liking.
Aren’t all dogs therapy dogs?
Cupcakes are a gift to humankind. I love breaking them in half crosswise, and then making them into a sandwich, so that the frosting is in the middle. I am a big fan of frosting. More is more!
Purple flowers, 70s instrumental muzak (or any 70s music), Mary Oliver, moon cycles, Sesame Street, birdsong, Costco, so many things are delightful!
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I know a lot of people liked the version with Megan Follows. I haven’t seen it yet, but I think I’d probably like that one better once I do. I’ve been trying to find where to watch it.
I love this—YES, THEY ARE! 💜
I also love eating them that way!
It’s so awesome that we love so many of the same things!
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I’m going to write about it at the end of this week (hopefully!) but my husband and I have been loving taking the long way home (meaning any route that’s not the highway, turnpike, etc.) While listening to Yacht Rock! And enjoying the wildflowers along the road!
I love Canadians and their whole country. I’m hoping to explore more than just Ontario in the future. Hey, just last week, I wrote on someone’s blog that my favorite scent was coffee, especially when I pick up Middle Child after she’s met a friend at a coffee shop. The smell just clings to her clothes.
One of my granddaughters LOVES Moana. She was HeiHei for Halloween. She’s also obsessed with the crab. My daughter said she saw online that a lot of kids are afraid of the crab, so it cracks us up that she likes it so much. But this is the same 5 YO who loves The Nightmare Before Christmas.
I’m currently pissed at ELF because they stopped making my liquid eye highlighter that came in a tube. I have yet to find any sort of replacement.
About the only show that my husband and I watch together is White Lotus and it’s sad when the season ends. Did I ever tell you that we stayed at the first hotel they filmed (Four Seasons Maui)? It was a 2016 business trip, so we didn’t have to pay. We enjoyed the hell out of that experience! We were actually supposed to go again this year, but it was cancelled :(
Finding things in common with others is priceless. I’ve made friends just by finding mutual love of things like 80’s music and TikTok. The ties that bind! LOL! I enjoyed reading all your faves. XO
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Oh, friend, I love this so much! Such a small switch that makes a huge difference. 💜
I want to visit Canada so badly. My best friend is in Banff right now and she’s sending me the most beautiful pictures. I also really want to visit Toronto. I’m sure once I finally go, I’ll add a dozen more places to the list. Plus, we have blogging friends who live up there… And yes to coffee shop smells that linger on clothing!
I watched the movie for the first time last year and it was so lovely. The grandmother is adorable. I said to Mike and Ella, “I want to be her when I grow up.” I love that your granddaughter loved being the crab! She reminds me so much of Ella and her friend Avery. They both loved The Nightmare Before Christmas (still do).
UGH. That is so frustrating. I hate when makeup companies do that.
NO! That is so cool—not the trip being canceled though. 😔
The ties that bind, yes! 😘💜
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Kari, do you know that I have NEVER been to a World Market but have wanted to go there forever. I saw the store on a YouTube channel that I follow and it looked like I could spend 10 hours in there, shopping!
And YES about cancer centers because I discovered just how wonderful they are when my father was diagnosed with cancer back in the mid-90s. They made the whole experience so much more acceptable.
So happy to read that you’re loving your gray hairs. I love mine too! And I think women look just as sexy as men do with gray hair.
LOVE that photo of your bird riding the horse. BRILLIANT capture!
ABBA. LOVE them too!
And is there anything more fabulous-smelling than a leather store? I so miss “Wilson’s” here in Philly. I was sad when it closed.
Hilarious Roseanne clip!
Thanks for sharing, my friend. REALLY enjoyed! Have a terrific week!
X
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Oh, Ron—if we lived closer, I’d pick you up and take you there myself! It’s such a fun place to shop. My mom and I go every once in a while and take our time walking around.
We’re so lucky to have the humans who work in those centers. I kept thinking about all the people who do that work every single day, while we were only there for a few weeks. I can’t imagine doing that day in and day out. And the volunteers who show up and do it for free—such good humans.
I DO TOO. My best friend Rebecca went all gray in 2020, and she looks amazing. She’s my inspiration.
We used to let Joy fly around the house in the winter, and she loved playing with Ella. 💜
I was just telling Suz there’s an ABBA documentary out—we’ll have to watch!
Wilson’s! OMG. I totally forgot about that shop. I bought the coolest suede jacket there in the early ’90s. Love.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Wishing you a wonderful week, my friend!
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I love your list and I’m dying at that Roseanne skit. HILARIOUS. They had some great writing back in the day.
My friend Kelly keeps Combo’s in her glove box. It’s a running joke and we just talked about it a few weeks ago. Now you too? You two might be the only people keeping that company producing them; I’ve not had one since the 80’s? 90’s?
ABBA. Yes, please.
I need to watch Love on the Spectrum and White Lotus! You enjoyed Anne with and E? I didn’t appeal to me, but maybe I should give it a go.
I love the smell of coffee and who doesn’t love Canadians? I mean, of course there’s sucky people everywhere, but in general, Canadians are my people.
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It was such a funny show. I love Laurie Metcalf.
I LOVE COMBOS. I’ve loved them since I was a kid—and now my kids love them too!
There’s a documentary about ABBA! I just saw it the other day—I think it’s on Netflix. I’ll have to double-check.
I don’t think I would’ve watched Anne if it hadn’t been for Ella. It’s definitely a younger show, but she got me into it right around the time my dad got sick, and it was such a comfort to both of us.
Canadians are good people. 💜
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Another great list. The smell of a coffee shop and the sound of coffee being brewed. Love them both.
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We sure do love our coffee, don’t we, Brian? 😊
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I think i will do list at some point…at the moment I am loving reading the book tits & clits 1972-1987..yeah i know sounds vulgar, but it is a collection of underground comics by two women fed up with the mysogyny by male cartoonists in the late 60’s early 70’s. They self published their comics their way. Worth looking into. I’m sure I’ll review it at some point. 😁
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That’s such a great title for that book. I’d love to see you come up with your own list someday. 😊
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It was their take on the male coined t&a
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i’m gonna make copies of that ring theory quote, and when some asshat says the way wrong thing, i’m gonna fold one into a paper airplane and aim it right at their head. no worries, i’ll give them plastic goggles first (doesn’t everyone have plastic goggles in their junk drawer?). P.S. if i were to make a list of 100 things i love, that riding-side-saddle bird would def make my list. <3
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That is brilliant, ren! 🤣 You just made my rainy Tuesday morning so much better with that comment.
My youngest—who will be a SENIOR in just two days—used to play with her Breyer horses every day. Joy loved to play too. 💜
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my kid never graduated to the more “mature” horses. it was my-little-pony or nothing :)
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My Little Pony was a big favorite at our house too! 💜
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I’m with you about the grandma in Moana and the caramel cake.
Andrea’s *love* closing is charming and old-school. I like it.
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My mom’s neighbor friend makes us caramel cake every now and then. He’s a real treasure.
I like it too, Ally. 💜
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So many wonderful things, some tangible and others not.
I’ll do twenty
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I love the smell of jet fuel too! I’ve never met someone else who said that—I’m definitely adding it to my next list!
I also love the sound of loons. We don’t get them here, but a few years ago, one landed on the pond in our neighborhood while migrating. I was so excited!
Yes to media that sees you. I love that.
I love Russian speech too. I know it means something different for you, but I think it’s such a beautiful language.
Train whistle—YES. You’re inspiring so much for my next list. 💜
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You are so good at coming up with all these things you love! You initially inspired me to do my first 100 Favorite Things list and now I’m halfway through my second list. I think of a few things, then I get stuck.
An unexpected nap…yes, the best!
You had me at cheese curd sampler.
I remember that Roseanne episode (hilarious!)
Can you believe I’ve never tried boba tea, have never ordered from Door Dash, and haven’t seen Moana? OK, maybe that last one is believable, considering I don’t have any young kids at home, nor any grandkids.
Aw dang, I hate marshmallows and meringue. (You can have my share. :-) )
xoxo
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I get stuck at times too—that’s why this one took me a lot longer. I keep a running note on my phone so I can add to it whenever something pops into my head.
I can believe it! There are lots of things I haven’t tried that are big favorites for other people. The one that comes to mind is sushi. I’ve only had it once on a food tour, but it doesn’t really count—I only had one bite.
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I haven’t tried sushi either! It doesn’t appeal to me at all. In fact, it’s rather off-putting to me. Tim loves sushi and keeps getting me to try it. Maybe someday, lol.
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elf primers are the best. I have to say that I enjoy their products a lot, especially at the price point. I only go to World Market once every three or four years and I always forget how awesome it is. I need to go more often.
Things I love: The sounds of my dog and cat snoring, the feeling of submitting final grades, the smell of baking cookies, random texts from my friends letting me know they’re thinking about me, and sleeping in on a Sunday morning.
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I only get to World Market a few times a year since we don’t have one nearby, but every visit feels like a little vacation destination.
Snoring pets? Yes, please. One of the best sounds in the world. And baking cookies—I love that smell. So many of your loves are my loves too. 💜
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On the basis of your love, I am going to once again try Anne with an E. I remember watching a bit of it when it first came out, but I just couldn’t see anyone other than Megan Fallows as Anne. (Can you believe MF is 57? How? Time. Gah!) I do not know what Celtic sea salt is, but when I was visiting my daughter I stayed at a house where there was sea salt face scrub in the shower and I tried it and I cannot believe I’ve lived this long without sea salt face scrub. If I were to make a 100 things list, that would be on it. Also, I love the quiet of everything when school is back in session. I’m bracing myself for everything to be busier on weekdays in just a few weeks. (How? Time. Gah again!) Oh, and speaking of my daughter, one of my favorite memories is her Swedish husband’s first visit here and the day we took him to Ikea. “It smells just like the one in Stockholm!” he said. About Sesame Street, this made me cry: https://bradmontague.substack.com/p/why-pbs-still-matters. I don’t think it will make you laugh through tears, but the crying was a bit cathartic for me. PB&J on an English muffin is one my favorites, too, but have you ever tried cream cheese and J on one? So, so good! And Babette! I think she is my favorite Gilmore girl. She’s certainly the nicest. I’ll stop now, hoping that you also love long comments on *your* blog posts. :-)
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If you’ve seen the Megan Follows version, you might be disappointed. I haven’t seen that one yet—still trying to find it. Fifty-seven??
Omg, now I need a sea salt face scrub. I use a body scrub in the shower and it already feels like a spa, so I can only imagine how a face scrub must feel.
Ella’s last day of school (junior year) was yesterday, and while I’m glad to have a two-week break before summer school starts, I’m not looking forward to busier stores. I am hoping the morning commute to her school will be lighter though.
Aww, I love what her husband said about Ikea. 💜
Thank you for sharing that Substack post about PBS. It was such a huge part of my childhood—and my daughter’s too. I still love PBS to this day. I don’t have the right words for how I feel about the funding going away, there is so much anger inside of me.
No, but now I want to try that combination!
She’s my favorite too. And she is the nicest.
When I think of long comments, yours always come to mind. I love them so much—they truly mean the world to me. You mean the world to me. 😘💜
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And you to me.
I tried to write about PBS, but I couldn’t. Rage and sorrow and grief. My brother was stuck in a school where they were teaching the kids basic life skills (eating, toileting, etc.) and one day they found him in a corner, reading. READING. No one thought he could do that, so no one taught him. You know who taught him? PBS. I remember my mother–so young, so unsupported, so doing her best to keep all the shit together for us–telling a friend how her favorite half hour of the day was when Mr. Rogers came on. “He’s so quiet, and so nice, and he always tells me he likes me just the way I am.” She was joking, but even as a kid I knew she also wasn’t. Kari, I am so deeply, f***ing angry I can’t even get the words out. It’s about all of it, not just PBS, but PBS more than almost anything else illustrates that cruelty and control is the point.
I’m so thankful we have each other to scream (and talk and laugh and cry) with.
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Oh, Rita, your sweet brother. Mr. Rogers is my very first memory of television—or honestly, of most anything. I remember staring at my parents’ TV and talking to him, wondering why he couldn’t talk back. My mom had to gently explain that he talked to everybody but couldn’t actually see me.
I wonder what Mr. Rogers would say about everything happening now. I think he’d be filled with rage too—and somehow, that gives me comfort.
I’m so thankful for this, too! 😘💜
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I appreciate that you like your gray hairs. I’ve never highlighted my hair, but I’m pretending my gray hairs are highlights.
Ugh, I get to the end of this and I have a whole bunch of things I’m gonna chime in on and then I forget. I’m blaming my age.
I read this the other day, but was someplace that I couldn’t watch the video clip from Roseanne, so I waited to watch it. On my run this morning, I realized I never commented. Then I came to your post and was like OH YEAH – THE ROSEANNE THING.
OMG – that clip is hilarious. I’m laughing so hard. Maybe that’s a show I can rewatch with my kids this summer. Mini said, What’s Roseanne? I told her it’s like The Middle (show we loved that hits really close to home), but with less structure. Would you agree?
Oh, here’s one: I love Sesame Street too. Did you know that they’re gonna start showing it on Netflix? I think government cuts threatened its future. Ugh.
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Gray hairs are just elevated highlights. We’ve officially made it a trend.
I forget what I’ve commented on other blogs too. I think it’s Bijoux who keeps a notebook by her computer just for that. Smart move.
Roseanne is such a funny show. It’s definitely like a raunchier version of The Middle—same vibe, but it holds my attention even more. Now I want to go back and rewatch it.
Yes, I love that it’s on Netflix.
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I love your lists! Some of your items would definitely appear on mine as well: -seeing tree branches in the dark in the winter because of the snow on them, Merlin Bird ID, cupcakes, purple wildflowers alongside the road (we have so many of these this year!!!), driving with the windows down, Sesame Street!!!! (Oh, how I miss the days when I watched that show with my tiny kiddo), long comments on other’s blog posts (it’s so fun when people say “I’m sorry I wrote a novel in your comments!” — I love the novels!), Mary Oliver poems (do you have a [current] favorite?), House Hunters international (especially when two halves of a couple disagree on pretty much everything).
I don’t love pudding, but I love your love of pudding. That Roseanne clip was amazing — does anything teeter between pathos and bathos like death??? There you are, trying to grieve, and life keeps on happening with all its absurdities.
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We have so many purple flowers too! I love that you do as well! I miss watching Sesame Street, Suzanne. I saw it’s on Netflix now and thought maybe I’ll start watching it again since there will be episode lists.
I love the novels in my comments too!!
My current favorite Mary Oliver poem is one I shared today in my latest What I Kept post. It’s called The Mangroves.
I love your love of my love of pudding!
Exactly. Grief sits right at that edge where sorrow meets absurdity—and life just keeps moving.
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💜
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❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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💜💜💜
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