12 Things I Can’t Live Without

Lea Wait, here. One of the magazines that appears regularly at our house (for some reason I can’t quite fathom) is Elle Decor. I usually glance through it, drool a little over the homes pictured, and then it goes in the recyclable pile.

But one column I always read. It’s titled “12 Things He (or She) Can’t Live Without,” and in it famous people — usually those in the arts — list such critical items as their favorite champagnes or kid gloves or small restaurants in Paris or … And I drool again.

But, after all, we all have our favorites. So today I’m sharing the 12 things (note: this excludes people, which is sad, but, after all, they’re not THINGS) I can’t live without.

LL Bean flannel shirts. I wear them ten months of the year. In winter, I especially love those that are fleece lined.
“World’s Softest Socks”. Yes — there is such a thing. They come in lots of colors, and, again, with my “problem feet” I wear them every time I’m not wearing sandals.
Massages. Because people aren’t supposed to be on this list, I won’t mention Darlene Terry’s name, but having a massage in the comfort of my own living room at least once a month helps keep stiff necks and migraines at bay after days of sitting at a computer. Plus — did I mention how good a message feels??
Cayenne and cinnamon. (Not usually together.) Cayenne jazzes up almost anything that doesn’t involve sugar – and then cinnamon takes over. Plus, cayenne is supposed to raise your metabolism a tiny bit, and cinnamon fights glucose levels. Have I mentioned this old body needs all the help it can get?
Bookcases. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases are in every room (except the bathroom) and most hallways in my home. Filled bookcases, of course. For obvious reasons.
Sunsets over the river I can see from most rooms in my house. In all seasons, they give hope and beauty.
The smell of salt water mudflats at low tide. I’ve always loved it. When I was a teenager I wondered how to bottle it …
Birds. Growing up, I had parakeets as pets. Today my favorite birds flock to the feeders close to the house. I especially love hummingbirds and woodpeckers and cardinals and goldfinches and chickadees  … and the great blue herons and cormorants who live nearby and fly over.
Scented hot baths. They’re my cure-all.
Water: the sea, rivers, waterfalls, lakes. Love them all. But especially the ocean. (And hot baths.)
Independent bookstores. Of course. Where else do they know you by name and suggest books … and sell the ones my friends and I write?
Christmas. It’s my favorite holiday, and just thinking about it makes me smile.

What can’t YOU live without?