13 Lists of Now: Just Because

A list that’s part journal, part celebration, and fully me—because why not count our thoughts, tiny joys, and weird questions too?

Let’s start small…

☝️ One word that’s been on my mind lately

—and what it means to me right now.

Equity
A word that I have been reading about, learning about, and hearing in classrooms and in my own conversations with myself. A powerful one as well. It reminds me that fairness isn’t about sameness—it’s about ensuring everyone gets what they need to thrive, even when that looks different for each of us.

✌️ Two favorite books I’ve read this year

—one challenging, one that comforted me.

If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler – A book that made me work, question, and marvel at how stories are told and unfolded. I might just have to get back to it again.
Blackout – A comforting, heartwarming read filled with tender moments and connected hearts in a city gone dark.

🤟 Three things I’m learning (or re-learning) right now

-big or tiny skills, facts, or truths.

• ASL – I have seen how useful it is on so many levels.
• More about my family tree – Mapping roots, branches, and hidden stories.
• To be a teacher – Patience, presence, and more patience.

Now we’re picking up steam…

✋ Four minutes of listening quietly – what did I hear?

(can be more than four items! just listen for four minutes)

• The fan is not so quiet after all.
• Highway traffic sounds—faint but steady with the patio door open.
• Insects chirping outside in the garden.
• My DH’s voice from a Zoom call.
• The ping of my son’s laptop as he texts his friends.
• And that of my daughter’s as well!

🖐️ Five tiny joys from today (or yesterday)

• Nestlings
• Nine figs slowly growing in my garden
• Watermelon juice made by my daughter
• Steam-dry option on the dryer
• One lone bunch of grapes on our vine (I know there is one more somewhere hidden)

🎲 A six-word story to sum up a mood

Still finding joy at petting zoos

Now on to something more…

🌈 Seven guests at my literary picnic

(a mix of real and fictional)

• Jane Austen – Sharp wit, keen observations, and perhaps some tea.
• Langston Hughes – Poetry, soul, and all that jazz.
• Elizabeth Bennet – Spirited conversation, and I wonder what she will talk about to Jane!
• Neil deGrasse Tyson – Star talk and cosmic curiosity.
• Jo March & Laurie Laurence – Mischief, music, and literary dreams (and I ‘m counting this as one)
• Matilda Wormwood – Sweet quiet wisdom.
• A librarian from my childhood – The one who first opened the door to countless worlds.

🎧 Eight songs I’ve played many times over in the last month

(bonus: connect them to emotions or moments).

• Afreen Afreen
• All I Want is You – Juno
• Cha Cha slide – Mr C the Slide Man
• Ilaya Nila
• Lemon Tree – Fool’s Garden
• Manike
• Moh moh ke dhaage
• Sugar – Maroon 5

🐦 Nine of my most recent random searches

(Google /someone else/ Chat GPT…)

• What is the normal WPM (typing)?
• Cast iron griddle pans for omelettes
• What to do with a cracked frozen egg that needs to safely thaw
• Whether a quote about fairness was actually by Rick Riordan
• Allergy medication
• What bird is this? (photo uploaded)
• APA citation generator
• Erikson’s stages of ego development
• PCPA – Solvang vs. Santa Maria

🎒 Ten random things in my purse, backpack, or pockets

(spill the beans!) (photo above in the collage)

• A t-shirt to return
• Kirkland trail mix snack pack
• One Clif bar
• Sunglasses
• Trader Joe’s receipt
• Happy Hollow tickets
• Painkillers (just in case)
• One In-N-Out sticker
• A hair clip (even with my short hair!)
• Lip balm (always)

Here’s where it gets delicious…

🍉 Eleven foods or drinks that scream summer (for me)

Cool Bites and Sips for the Hottest Days.

Mangoes, neer mor/lassi (buttermilk based drinks), curd rice (yogurt rice), kosambari (lentil, carrot, cucumber salad), kulfi, Roohafza, coconut water, sugarcane juice, watermelon, ice cream, pasta salads.

💌 Twelve ways I say thank you

— in different languages

Nandri, dhanyavaadagalu, shukriya, terima kasi, obrigado, spaseeba, arigatou, gracias, merci, danke, xie xie, mahalo.

Thirteen emojis that Capture My July vibe.

🥭 🌊 📚 💛 🧢 🐝 ⛱️ 🦩 🎆 🍉 💤 🎶 🌞

📚 A Bookish Life in Lists of Now or Never or Well…

These 13 books each offer a unique and delightful take on lists. What I love most is how they invite reading in bits and pieces—dipping in whenever and wherever feels right. Which is why I have read them all so far. No need to read cover-to-cover; each return brings something new, a fresh spark that leaves me richer every time.

• 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna Wiest 
• The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman – whimsical, visual, reflective.
• Listography Journal: Your Life in Lists by Lisa Nola – literally a book of lists to fill out.
• The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon – the original list-lover’s journal from 10th-century Japan.
• The Joy of Small Things by Hannah Jane Parkinson 
• Life is Short And So Is This Book: Brief Thoughts On Making The Most Of Your Life by Peter Atkins 
• A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader edited by Maria Popova – more epistolary than list-like, but rich in short, reflective thoughts.
• The Little Frog’s Guide to Self-Care: Affirmations, Self-Love and Life Lessons According to the Internet’s Beloved Mushroom Frog by Maybell Eequay 
• The Book of Delights by Ross Gay – one joyful micro-essay per day for a year.
• Things to Look Forward To by Sophie Blackall – a gentle picture book for grown-ups full of lists and love.
• To-Do List: From Buying Milk to Finding a Soul Mate, What Our Lists Reveal About Us by Sasha Cagen – Real people’s lists and what they say about our inner lives.
• Lists of Note by Shaun Usher – A beautiful collection of historical, humorous, and heartwarming lists.
• My Ideal Bookshelf edited by Thessaly La Force – Writers, artists, and thinkers share a curated list of their favorite books.
  

And Now, the End of This Post of Lists of Now!

Dear reader, for me lists are kind of like poems – we write them with rhythm (in our minds at least), we edit, and sometimes they surprise us by revealing what’s really been on our minds. No matter what I was feeling when I started, I like what I ended up with. I hope you did too! Do share your thoughts. Now I’m curious: what would your list look like?