There are a whole line of products called ENJOY LIFE on the net!  That's where I found this t-shirt.

 But it was a quote  I read by the late Senator Ted Kennedy that hit home with me, he said, "I am enjoyer; I've enjoyed my children and my close friends.  I've enjoyed books and music and well prepared food, especially with a generous helping of cream sauce on the top."

So in the vein of enjoying -- sometimes for me there is  the element of surprise.  Let me know what you enjoy.

For example:

On Sunday morning after I walk, I open what we, my son Andrew and I, call The Diner. What that means is that instead of throwing cereal in a bowl as either Andrew or I do on most mornings, I actually cook breakfast, bacon, eggs and blueberry waffles, (courtesy of Eggo frozen), or pancakes and real coffee instead of Instant. Notice I said Diner not Café.

Apart from being surprised that I actually cook breakfast, what surprises me is what I actually get surprised about.

Like this morning, I am standing by the toaster, waiting for the gourmet Eggo waffles to erupt and when they pop up, I jump like I’ve had the surprise of my life, like I was not expecting them to pop, like it was the first time I had watched anything in the toaster pop up and that surprise, surprised me that I was surprised and made me laugh out loud.  Then I also got surprised that the over-easy eggs came out of the pan without my breaking the yolks, and folks I’ve been doing this for a long time – cooking that is.

Does this make any sense! Don’t answer.

The hummingbirds surprise me all the time. They have been drinking a lot lately even though the azaleas are bursting in glorious bloom all over my yard. There are some pink flowering things by the front door that are providing them with much nourishment too. They still drain their feeder every three or four days – this surprises me. What surprises me more is that I bring in the feeder, wash it and fill it anew and then whine about how they won’t come back because they are without it for let’s say five to ten minutes. I keep looking at the feeder and anxiously ask, have you seen them come back? Within a few minutes, they do come back-- every single time, and I am always surprised and I am so happy.

This shows a lack of confidence in the toaster and hummingbirds, or ? Maybe I am over- thinking ? Another question you need not answer.

I am surprised by the squirrel who insists on jumping from the roof to grab a teeny twig on the olive tree, a far distance. I am always surprised that he does not fall. Cirque de Soleil could not entertain me more than that squirrel.

I was surprised the other day at IN and OUT – (a burger place, in case you less experienced eaters have not heard of it). I love In and Out and go there every Monday after my Lit. Class so I should not have been surprised. It is one of those classy joints where you wait in line and order your burger and give you a number printed on your receipt.

This was the first time I actually looked at my number. “ I” wasn’t just a number to In and Out; this really surprised me. “Your guest number is 98,” the ticket said. All these many Mondays, I had not noticed that I was a “guest” at In and Out. Being a “guest” implies that it’s on the house, doesn’t it, so I was surprised they used that term. I didn’t begrudge them their $1.80 because I do want them to stay in business.

The biggest surprise for me at In and Out is when they actually call my number; I feel a bit like I’ve won the lottery; I guess that would be the ultimate surprise. I feel a bit like that when waiting with my number at the meat market or waiting in line at the pharmacy. I am always surprised when my number comes up. This could be a metaphor for the future and not a bad one at that.

I am often surprised by what constitutes “art,” and I know I have discussed this before. The last thing that surprised me at the MOMA were a series of black shadow boxes labeled with a year—like 2000 in bold letters and one small quip of a newspaper of that year of no particular note. I was surprised that I found it a bit intriguing. On that same vein, I JUST LOVE being surprised by the last two lines in a poem. Modern day poetry may not rhyme, but much of it has rhythm and I love the twists of meaning they give to the whole at the end – I delight in those surprises.

Some folks hate to be surprised, like surprise parties or surprise happenings. Bill, I don’t think, was crazy about surprises, but he tolerated a couple of surprise parties that I gave him through the years. I know people who loathe surprises, like being sung Happy Birthday by the restaurant clientele, even if they aren’t that surprised. On one level they seem pleased but surprises and attention are embarrassing to them. I am really easy to surprise. The things I get embarrassed about usually have nothing to do with festive surprises. I guess I am pretty naïve. On my 80th birthday, I might have thought something might be up, but I was REALLY surprised by the lovely dinner  my son Rod gave me and shocked to see my son and his wife, Jim and Karen, from Portland there.

I was surprised when someone asked me to be a friend on Facebook. The person who asked me was already a friend, and she hasn’t made an entry since. I am more surprised that I actually signed up to be on Facebook and then was more surprised that most of the grandchildren actually didn’t mind friending me. I mean it is one thing to be a grandmother and another to be a trusted friend on Facebook.  I am surprised that my status has been elevated, and I am sure I will be in for more surprises.

Does this make me an enjoyer -- I sure hope so.  Cream on top is always a delightful surprise. ###

BE KIND TO YOURSELF.  (JLC copyright 2009)