The Best Things In Life Are Free

I’ve been eyeing a new bedroom set for our new digs in D.C. DH and I still sleep in the double bed I’ve had since college that our monkeys have since broken....yes, by jumping on the bed. I’m really tired of our IKEA furniture constantly falling apart on us, but the cost of real furniture sends me into a cold sweat. I think I spent too much of my childhood with my depression-era grandparents and therefore have constant anxiety about money. I’d really like to get over it…so lately I’ve been thinking about all the things that make me happy in life….and I’ve discovered that most of them don’t cost a penny. Here is a glimpse of that list:

1. Finding the dictionary.com “word of the day” in my mailbox every morning. Today’s word was sang-froid \sang-FRWAH\, noun: Freedom from agitation or excitement of mind; coolness in trying circumstances; calmness.
Cool word, eh?

2. Watching my 3-year-old concentrate soooo hard to get all the motions right for the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” song. Someday he’ll get it.

3. Warm towels. The radiator sits right below the towel rack in our bathroom so I have a warm towel waiting for me after my morning shower (and we don’t pay for our heat so technically it really is free). I guess this item only makes the list in the winter time.

4. Going to church every Sunday. The music, the talks, the lessons and personal testimonies, most always justify the early morning hours I spend destroying our apartment in a massive panic in order to get us all ready to go.

5. Makin’ mad love with dh. Yes, he looks like a nerdy newspaper editor from the outside…. Wait… what am I saying? This isn’t free… it has cost us two very expensive little monkeys.

6. My free ESPN. Our front window looks out to a fenced-in concrete playground. Any day of the week I can watch international soccer, street hockey, baseball, cricket….I tried to convince dh to cancel our cable….if only PTI broadcasted live from our front stoop.

7. Phone calls from friends who are just "checking in." That always makes my day. Especially when dh is away, and especially since I'm so bad about doing it myself.

8. Being hand-fed grapes (and if I'm really lucky.....Cheerios) from chubby, sticky 1-year old fingers.

9. Listening to dh play his guitar. He really is good. My favorites are his Mexican love ballads....lots of instrument....not a lot of singing. He is so busy these days, it's a rare treat to hear him play.

10. Afternoon dates with my mountain bike and a really muddy trail....or a good book and a cup of hot chocolate, sans monkeys. Ohhh baby, those were the days!

What's on YOUR list?