a few of my favorite things

I'm enjoying some time to myself tonight. Our apartment is quiet; no TV, no music, no upstairs neighbors pacing on their hardwood floors wearing high-heeled shoes. So when I poured myself a root beer just now, I couldn't help but notice what a cool sound it makes.

So suddenly, after hearing the familiar pop-crack-splash-fizzzzz sound, I was standing barefoot on the linoleum floor of our kitchen in Sheboygan Falls, pouring a White Grape Diet Rite into one of our Mason jar glasses. Me being barefoot meant it was summertime, so I didn't have a care in the world. What a wonderful feeling!

Any of us would immediately recognize that sound -- but when was the last time you actually listened to it? Lately I've been trying harder to be present; in the moment. It's amazing how much less stress I've been feeling and how much more I'm enjoying everyday moments (the way the ice cubes sort of jingle in the glass each time I take a sip!).

Try it. You don't have to stop doing anything. Just be there for whatever it is that you are doing. Stuff will get done. I promise! Worrying about what else is on your to-do list while you're making dinner, for example, is accomplishing nothing except hindering your progress on dinner, plus perhaps decreasing the quality of the food, as well as building up unneeded (and unwanted!) stress and wasting energy that could be spent doing fun stuff later. On the other hand, if you're present and really taking in the experience, you'll probably do the job quicker and more efficiently. (I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do here, I just wanted to share this new insight I've had that's really been helpful to me.)

But back to sounds. The whole root beer experience got me to thinking about what sounds I love. Here are some:

• Well, soda being poured over ice, of course
• Thunder (and lightning if I'm so lucky as to hear it)
• A car driving through a fairly deep puddle
• Chickadees, red-winged blackbirds, cranes, and woodpeckers
• Coffee brewing
• Tap dancing
• Waves
• Leaves or snow crunching underfoot
• Marbles
• Shoes or horses walking on stone (especially if it's echoing)
• Rain sticks
• Crickets and tree frogs
• Lawnmowers (that may wane when we move somewhere with grass)
• Fires (especially if there are pine needles burning)
• Oscillating fans on the medium setting
• The city
• Thunderous applause
• Hedgehogs
• The last fizzle of a firework
• Grandma's turn signal

What sounds do you love?