20 things I like best about living here:

1. Burning my toast because I'm having too much fun playing the old black piano that occupies our living room.
2. Waking up early and walking with Anu through Sherwood Forest (aka "the park").
3. Driving around in my little lime green Honda Element, dropping off resumes all over town, jamming out to Corinne Baley Rae, and (amazingly!) not getting lost even once.
4. Having a neighborhood "market." I just like saying, in my very best sing-song voice: "Oh Vinn-eee, I'm going to the market!"
5. Watching the cats spread themselves out on the bedroom floor upstairs, roll around, and play with each other. They are so content here. They make me feel the same way.
6. Seeing Vinny pull up in front of the house after running an errand--even if he's only been gone for a few minutes. I just like seeing him pull up, then walk through the door--as though I hadn't seen him in a long time.
7. The green floor, green tiles, and green ivy covering the windows in the kitchen. The color reminds me of growth and good health.
8. The echoey sound in my writing room--complete with white walls, hardwood floors, and lots of books. This room feels calm and simple. Music sounds good in here.
9. Speaking of white walls...every room in this house is painted white. At first I didn't know if I'd be able to handle this much white because, as an adult, I've NEVER lived in a place that wasn't rich in color. In our last rental the walls were green, grey, peach, brown, and an oddly pleasing salmon color. In the house before that, there was fuscia, orange, electric blue, cinnamon brown, sage green, red, and golden yellow (in different rooms, of course!). Turns out white is the biggest novelty of all! Who would have known? It sets off my paintings quite nicely and feels fresh and open. It makes me look forward to winter snow.
   
10. The drawing table that looks out the window and into the park. I can watch the deer and draw at the same time while my cat sits next to me watching too.
11. The gourmet olive bar at Byerly's.
    
12. How friendly people are everywhere I go--or is it just because I'm in such a good mood?
13. Listening to music in bed while I write before going to sleep. I feel contained, like I've made myself at home in a big, warm nest.
    
14. Speaking of the bedroom, I love, love, love taking naps with the ceiling fan turned on high. The room is big and the ceilings slanted. I love the whir of the fan combined with golden afternoon light--perfect for cat naps that make me feel transported on a down comforter cloud.
15. The laundry shoot in the bathroom. It's just too much fun to hear my dirty clothes go shwoop! out of sight, out of mind.
16. Cardinals singing from the pine tree. They very, very rarely travel as far north as Bemidji.
17. Japaleno cream cheese from Bruegger's Bagels.
18. The Minneapolis skyline.
19. The sky--especially at sunset. It follows me everywhere and is the one constant in my life.
20. Going places and not knowing a soul. It feels pretty dang good being anonymous.