In honor of David Whyte’s House of Belonging, these are a few of my favorite things.

In honor of David Whyte’s House of Belonging…

(“This is the bright home
in which I live,
this is where
I ask
my friends
to come,
this is where I want
to love all the things
it has taken me so long
to learn to love…”)

…these are a few of my favorite things that aren’t popular, or are:

Tiger oak. Quartersawn.
Valentina, in glass.
Persian rugs off of Craigslist.
D’Aulaires’ Norse Gods & Giants.
Tintin.
Elfquest.
Cardigan sweaters, all wool, with elbow patches (earned), a rolling high collar, and two pockets up front.
Cotton duck shower curtains, instead of vinyl or plastic.
Swiss Army Knives.
Pinecones.
Harris Tweed.
Maud Lewis. Norman Rockwell. Lore Pemberton.
Mark Twain.
Old red brick.
Queen Anne houses.
George Barber.
Edward R. Murrow’s example of popularity and integrity, both.
Meditation.
Stretching from a seated position backward to the right, then arms behind, up and back, then to the left, then arms behind, up and back.
Bicycling instead of driving.
Local flowers, or potted plants, instead of poisoned conventional flowers, flown in, in plastic.
Miyoko’s vegan butter.
Robert Redford in the 70s.
Paul Newman in the 60s.
Kerouac in the 50s.
Les Bouquinistes.
Farmers Markets.
Independent Book Stores.
Cafes with community and for-here cups.
Upcycling quality, for cheap.
Lathe and plaster, instead of drywall.
Shooting hoops.
Being made fun of by a best friend.
My mother’s handwriting.
Wool blankets.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short stories.
Gift from the Sea.
Thoreau.
House plants from friends, or yard sales or craigslist.
Michelle.
Redford.
Fog over mountains.
Local pottery.
Hot sauce without additives, in glass, in bulk.
Good local whiskey.
Crystal.
Cowboy shirts.
Natural fibers in clothing, not plastic/poly/etc.
Saving the planet from climate change.
Jane Goodall.
The Dalai Lama.
Christy Dawn.
Tibetan Hot Sauce.
Vermont.
Barack Obama.
FDR.
Cuddling.
Dreaming.
Reading the New Yorker in a hot tub.
Permaculture, particularly in view of saving water. Veganism, particularly in view of yummy food. Equity. Anti-racism education. Weird and accessible communities. Public Transport. History. Museums. Old Libraries.
“Small Giants.”
Jane Jacobs.
Old quilts, all natural, with some idiosyncrasies in ’em.
Bill Peet.
Half Magic, the children’s book.
Tartan.
Good, real, local, unheated honey in glass.
Stained glass.
Nature without roads or saws or human’s touch.
A bread tin.
Vegan pastries on a Sunday morning with Michelle and Redford and the Sunday New York Times.
Calling my mom.
Millabrod, from Moxie.
Seeing Redford, at 13 years old, play with another dog.
Going on a long bike ride.
Bouldering, occasionally.
A big salad in a big pottery bowl with lots of things in it and dijon dressing.
Falling snow.
Pema Chodron.

More, here.