That’s so Awesome!!! (plus: how to make the BEST hot cocoa)

Rain drops on roses, whiskers on kittens, shiny brass kettles and warm woolen mittens. Brown paper packages tied up with string…… these are a few of my favorite things. Hmmm um um hmmm um um hmmm um um uhum ladee dadade ladoo dada doo… Sorry, it got stuck in my head :). If you’ve seen The Sound of Music, then you know what song that is.  Anyways, that song, and The Book of Awesome, have got me thinking. What things in my normal, everyday, teen life are just plain awesome?  So I decided to make a list of things for you. Here they are, in no particular order:

1: Saturdays

There are so many reasons to like Saturdays… but its more than just the fact that there is no school. It is that feeling you get Saturday morning. You wake up, and stare at your clock, having a mini heart attack because you should have been at school half an hour ago. Then you realize that it is Saturday, and you don’t have to go anywhere. Suddenly your bed is just like, the best thing ever. You just want to sink into the mattress and stay cocooned under the covers forever.

2: Rain

Yes, rain itself is nice. Like in all those movies where people like to sing, dance, and kiss in the rain. But more importantly, being out of the rain is nice. The greatest thing ever is when you wake up camping and it is raining outside. Zipping open the window, you can see drops splashing in the puddles, leaves, and mud outside. Everything smells fresh. The pattering on top of the tent reminds you of the bubble of protection around you. Even though it feels and smells like you are outside, miraculously, you aren’t wet!

When the rain stops, that’s when the fun comes.  I may be too old for this, but I still love it. Grabbing a stick and digging rivers and channels through the mud was always the most fascinating thing, ever. The water wound and worked its way over obstacles and through the grass, sometimes even cascading over mini water falls.

3: Hotchocolate

And not just any hot chocolate.  The best stuff ever, the kind I grew up on, is what makes my awesome list. It is made with milk or cream instead of water, warmed in a pot.  You then put in white hot chocolate, mixed with hazelnut/milk hot chocolate (a spoonful of each). Then you add a nice generous dollop of whipped cream on top. For a finishing touch, you can sprinkle some of the hot chocolate powder over the top. Serves one. Warms you right down to your core on a chilling winter’s night.

4: Stars and Embers

I say these two together, because for me, they always came together. When we would have campfires in the backyard, roasting marsh-mellows, singing songs, and listening to stories, we would stay out late until the mosquitoes got too bad. By that time, dew had already started to form on the grass, and the stars were just starting to twinkle up in the sky. When Dad scattered the ashes, I would sit there, staring at how they shifted and glowed–mesmerized. I always thought they looked like shiny red gemstones, magical because of the way they changed colors. Many times I had to stop myself from reaching out and touching them. My eyes would follow the last river of smoke as it floated upwards, and then rest on the stars. Lying back, I tried to count them. The most I ever got to was 61 : ).

That’s as many as I can post for now, check in later for another update on my Awesome list. No matter what it is, awesome things bring excitement and change into our lives.

I challenge you to take time and marvel at those things. Its ok to connect with that inner “kid” in you sometimes. ; )

Lara