Life in three years… I’m picturing….

More trees… Enough maples to make syrup

Have you ever seen someone make maple syrup, boiling it for days and then it’s done and it’s still more watery than any maple syrup you’ve ever seen but damn is it good on some pancakes? Pure heaven. And just having a big fire outside to be able to cook things on.

So many pines they make a carpet

Have you ever walked through the woods and maybe you’re on a rocky trail but then you get to a spot with a stand of pines? And suddenly your steps are quieter, you can relax a bit because you’re not watching out for so many rocks. It’s a hushed, peaceful, deep dark green and the reddish-brown pine needles on the ground all around. And your mind just takes a deep breath of its own. And even though you don’t see many animals there at that precise moment, you can’t help but wonder if the deer appreciate this spot too… if they come along and think, ah, this is nice.

Coffee and writing and friends

I have a mild obsession with coffee… and by mild I mean I have like a pot a day. I bought a hand-pulled espresso machine last year but mostly I like making super-strong drip coffee. I’m also a big fan of campfire coffee, like the kind you hafta chew a bit. And to have coffee with friends is a treat. I’m seeing more of that in three years. Writing just goes along with that… writing groups, write-ins, and books.

Music

Music is my thing. I love metal, especially doomy, sludge-y, 15 minute songs that go nowhere and just sink you. Definitely seeing lots of music in three years.

Helping others

There are so many ways to do this- physically, through writing, through art, by making some soup for someone. It’s just what I love to do and really, what God puts in my heart to do every day. When I’m helping someone either at work or indirectly, I forget about myself and my day-to-day problems and connect with someone else. But connecting doesn’t necessarily have to be in person. You can look at a piece of artwork and be so moved by it that the artist, sometimes from hundreds of years ago, speaks to you. It’s pretty cool when you think about it. 🙂