Hydrangeas from our front garden. So early. Usually we don’t have this loveliness until July. No filter, they are just that pretty in pink!

I am joining in on Totally Caroline’s 100 Things I Love. After reading Owlie’s List, I realized I need to do one before I can no longer distinguish my list from everyone else’s. I was thinking I could very easily do a list of 100 Places I Love and 100 Things I Love to Eat. So, you know me. Crazy Kat never runs out of things to say (a.k.a. never shuts up) and I do happen to love A LOT of things! What can I say, I’m a loving kind of girl.

I would have posted sooner, but, well, Father’s Day wore me out! We had a barbecue at our house yesterday and I really needed to clean up my flower beds, pots, deck, etc… I planted about 12 flats of flowers in all. It was a great feeling getting all of that done, but my back is paying the price. Blue Eyes was a super star, helping with everything, bringing out the speaker and playing beach boys music to keep me going, and sweeping up after me. He also barbecued two pork tenderloins and a dozen steaks. My parents brought shrimp skewers, I made an Asian Noodle Salad, and a German Potato Salad. No one went hungry, that’s for sure.

All in all, Blue Eyes is a great Dad. He was active in our boys’ lives from day one. Our older son had colic and Blue Eyes would carry him around in the front carrier for hours. He got up with them at night, because this girl needs her sleep. He changed diapers, he read to them, he sang to them, he listened to NPR with them!!! I know. While I was playing him Raffi, Blue Eyes was talking real life with a two year old. The Pragmatist was quoting NPR at three years old! As I said before, Blue Eyes introduced them to Batman and Sci-fi and coached their sports teams, and he did the best he could with what he had and it was pretty good. We all would have liked him around more, but we cannot go backward. Only forward.

But, the real joy of Father’s Day for me, was spending time with my step-dad. He’s the one with prostate cancer, in his spine, and he is such an amazing guy. He is doing so well considering he has no idea how long he has or what the future entails for him. As I say, he’s the healthiest sick person we know. I am grateful for the day he married my mother and I am so lucky to call him Dad. His son was here too, Peter. Peter was diagnosed with Leukemia a year and a half ago and had a bone marrow transplant last Spring. He has all kinds of side effects (mostly skin and eye problems) and currently takes 17 medications, but he is with us and he is grateful. We all are. It was a wonderful Father’s Day celebration.

I’m just going to spill now… the lists are in no particular order, just how they flowed out of my head… it was all fun, but the food and travel ones, super super easy.

100 Things I Love

1. my boys
2. my husband
3. that take my breath away feeling of falling in love with my husband, over and over
4. Blue Eyes (not my husband, just in general, the eye color, you know)
5. cat videos
6. Tiffany Blue Boxes, especially if there is something inside for me
7. watching our mini aussie totally destroy our freshly made bed
8. my HUGE family
9. road trips
10. glass beads
11. Lazy sex on a hot afternoon
12. clean white sheets
13. organized closets
14. a cold rain shower on a hot day
15. David Bowie’s Changes
16. Lying back and watching the puffy clouds roll by on a windy day
17. Singing loud to songs I love
18. Prince
19. my Macro lens
20. a quiet house and being alone
21. painting in oils
22. the first pop of yellow daffodils in the spring
23. roses, and hydrangeas, and lilacs, and peonies, and zinnia… flowers, yep, flowers
24. hikes in the forest
25. tropical beaches
26. sipping cocoa
27. watching snow fall
28. the color green
29. writing
30. ice plants
31. reading
32. Margaret Sanger
33. big old porches
34. when our golden retriever looks at me with her big brown eyes
35. people who get me
36. the smell of fresh baked bread
37. the changing of seasons
38. handcrafted one of a kind jewelry
39. Maya Angelou, her, all her quotes, and Why The Caged Bird Sings
40. travel
41. Susan B. Anthony
42. flower markets
43. movies that make me LOL
44. Pink! The artist and the color
45. date nights, dinner & a movie
46. laundry fresh out of the dryer
47. taking a shower after working in the garden
48. Queen (The Freddie Mercury kind)
49. Wedgwood Strawberry Tea
50. skirts
51.  Japanese maples in Autumn
52. cherry blossoms
53. Pinterest
54. Mary Lambert
55. watching my cats clean themselves, cat yoga
56. the smell of daphne, and jasmine, and orange blossoms
57. Oregon beach sand
58. diversity
59. Auguste Rodin’s The Kiss
60. Edward Hopper paintings
61. Harriot Tubman
62. kittens
63. people being kind to each other
64. The Sound of Music
65. infinity pools
66. when my kids ask my opinion
67. cookbooks
68. love poems
69. Christmas caroling
70. Nat King Cole
71. Claude Monet paintings
72. rosewater
73. pedicures
74. the sound of a babbling brook
75. childhood photos
76. spooning
77. fancy sandals
78. blogger friends
79. sleeping babies
80. Jimmy Carter
81. bookstores
82. piano solos
83. bubble baths for two
84. Japanese bento boxes
85. Instagram
86. retro fabrics
87. twinkle lights
88. musicals
89. turquoise
90. when a song brings back a happy memory
91. blogging
92. a clean house
93. Mindy Kaling (her humor, her skin, her clothes, her style)
94. fruit trees
95. children’s laughter
96. not having to worry about money every day
97. a good lip balm
98. clothes that fit perfectly
99. making people smile
100. being happy with who I am

100 Things I Love to Eat

1. ooey gooey cheeseburgers
2. homemade spiced golden plum (plums from our backyard garden) jam on anything
3. goat cheese, in and on everything
4. Chocmod Truffettes de France natural chocolate truffles (Costco, my Mom always has them in her house)
5. fresh fruit dipped in chocolate fondue
6. bittersweet chocolate chips dipped in natural peanut butter
7. Equal Exchange Organic Mint Chocolate candy bars
8. chocolate mousse
9. Emeril’s chocolate souffle
10. ganache drip chocolate birthday cake (hey, I think I could do 100 chocolate things I love… ) from Beaverton Bakery
11. fresh strawberry shortcake
12. wood fired pizza
13. Japanese eggplant
14. Screen Door fried chicken
15. Mission Chinese kung pao pastrami
16. Mucca Osteria homemade pasta
17. focaccia bread
18. Roy’s Hawaii miso butterfish
19. fresh heirloom tomatoes straight off the vine
20. homemade bolognese
21. drippy melty sharp cheddar
22. District Donuts New Orleans
23. L’As du fallafel Lamb Shawarma Sandwich and falafel with hummus
24. Cafe du Monde Beignets
25. warm chocolate chip cookies
26. macaroni and cheese
27. Levain Bakery chocolate chip walnut cookies
28. homemade raspberry pepper jelly on toast
29. split pea soup (actually any pea soup)
30. Buche de Noel from Baker & Spice Bakery
31. fresh berries
32. scones and clotted cream
33. pimento cheese dip
34. The Rib-Eye steak topped with heirloom cherry tomatoes, shallots, parmigiano reggiano at Culina Restaurant, Los Angeles
35. Avocado Toast
36. brioche
37. The toasted BLT with Green Chile and Chile Bacon at Cafe Pasqual Santa Fe
38. Basil Pesto on Grilled Bread
39. Pan Fried Salmon and Blueberry Pancakes (memories of Grandma)
40. In n Out Burger double double plain (meat, cheese & bun only–as they like to say)
41. Laurelhurst Market (Portland) seasonal salad with dried strawberries, chèvre, and walnuts
42. cinnamon sugar toast
43. Eggs Benedict at The Biltmore Four Seasons Santa Barbara
44. Cinnamon Rolls
45. Japanese karaage
46. The corn & goat cheese quesadilla at Que Pasa Cantina Portland
47. Ruth’s Chris Barbecue Shrimp (especially sopping up all the delicious sauce with fresh bread)
48. Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings at Pok Pok Portland
49. Popeye’s Spicy Chicken
50. Labneh
51. Chasing the Dragon Sushi Roll (shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, house crab, cucumber, avocado, and tobiko rolled in tempura crunchies) from Bamboo Sushi Portland
52. pad thai
53. praline bacon waffle with whipped cream and pecans at Screen Door Portland
54. delicate finger sandwiches eaten at afternoon tea
55. lemon and blueberry pound cake topped with lemon icing (I have a great recipe)
56. fried bread at Peche New Orleans
57. Williams Sonoma bake at home croissants
58. Roasted Asparagus
59. Bunk Sandwiches Italian Cured Meats Sandwich
60. Mauna Kea Beach Hotel Hau Tree Restaurant’s Chocolate Ovaltine Froth Milkshake
61. Hot fish and chips on a cold London day
62. Baker & Spice PDX turkey and seasonal chutney sandwich
63. Tonkotsu Ramen
64. Mother’s biscuits and gravy, downtown Portland
65. Liege waffles
66. beets (but not pickled)
67. Swedish pancakes with lingonberries from Hotel Reval, Stockholm
68. Ahi Poke Crispy Tacos at Gott’s Roadside, St. Helena California
69. Indian food, all kinds, all flavors
70. Snapea Crisps, Lightly salted
71. empanadas
72. Hummus with crunchy fresh sugar snap peas (or pita, of course, or on just about anything)
73. Pimento Cheeseburger at Trifecta Tavern, PDX
74. Shake Shack corn dogs
75. Balthazar Bakery chocolate croissant
76. Tomato tarts
77. Donut Plant Creme Brûlée Donut
78. clam chowder in a sour dough bowl in San Francisco
79. the expensive lobster rolls at Neptune Oyster, Boston (the butter kind)
80. the cheap lobster rolls at Fat Boy Drive In, Brunswick Maine (the mayo kind)
81. ahi wrap at Kilauea Fish Market, Kauai Hawaii
82. S’Mores by the fire at Hotel Cheval, Paso Robles California (gourmet marshmallows and dove chocolates)
83. egg foo young
84. burrata cheese
85. chips and fresh guacamole
86. gyoza, anywhere, everywhere
87. Paella at Toro Bravo, Portland
88. steak frites at Relais Entrecote Paris
89. Late night tacos from Robo Taco PDX
90. Nong’s Khao Man Gai (chicken and rice food cart, so simple, so delicious)
91. Lemon baked french toast from Cafe du Berry Portland
92. Carrot Cake at Rose’s Bakery, Marais District, Tokyo Marunouchi
93. Peanut Butter Cookies from Elephant’s Deli, Portland
94. Nico’s tacos, San Diego California
95. chocolate chip danish from Bea’s Bakery, Tarzana California
96. Caprese Salad
97. Sweet potato fries with spicy aioli
98. Roasted carrots, especially if they have a yummy sauce
99. Jamie Oliver’s Leek & Chicken Stroganoff
100. Mauna Kea Beach Hotel Waffle with strawberries and whipped cream

100 Places I love

1. Our city home
2. Our beach house
3. Musee d’Orsay, Paris
4. New Orleans, Louisiana (especially the French Quarter, the Garden District, Magazine Street… )
5. Manhattan, New York
6. Sweden (the whole country, in LOVE)
7. The tulip fields, Woodburn Oregon
8. Indian Wells Tennis Center, California
9. The Oregon Coast
10. Hvittrask House Museum, outside Helsinki, Finland (once home of Eliel Saarinen)
11. Sacre Coeur, Paris
12. Multnomah Falls, Oregon
13. Hood River Oregon during apple blossom
14. The Olympic Mountains
15. Versaille, France
16. The Four Seasons Biltmore, Santa Barbara
17. The Grand Tetons, Wyoming
18. Le Marais Mariage Freres, Paris
19. The Anne Frank House, Amsterdam
20. The Eiffel Tower, Paris
21. The state parks of Utah
22. Harrods Food Hall, London
23. Palais Garnier, Paris
24. The changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace
25. Fortnum and Mason, Piccadilly
26. Place des Vosges, Paris
27. Stroget, Copenhagen Denmark
28. Portobello Road, London
29. The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
30. Westminster Abbey, London
31. Nyhavn Canal Copenhagen
32. the canals of Amsterdam
33. Musee Picasso, Paris
34. The Four Seasons Hualalai
35. The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel Hawaii
36. Afternoon Tea at the Heathman Hotel, Portland (actually afternoon tea anywhere)
37. The Amstel Hotel, Amsterdam
38. The parks of London
39. The Marais District, Paris
40. Park Guell (the Gaudi Bench), Barcelona
41. The Cotswolds, England
42. The Louvre, Paris
43. Jardin des Tuileries, Paris
44. Le Voltiguer Cafe, Paris
45. Laduree, Paris
46. The Tate Modern Museum, London
47. Edinburgh, Scotland
48. Charleston, South Carolina
49. The Victoria and Albert Museum, London
50. USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, NY
51. Barcelona, Spain
52. Casa Batllo, Barcelona
53. Tybee Island, Georgia
54. Savannah, Georgia
55. The entire state of Maine (but especially Kennebunkport)
56. The Abac Hotel, Barcelona
57. La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
58. Snoqualmie Falls, Washington (think Twin Peaks)
59. Museu Picasso, Barcelona
60. The Japanese Gardens, Portland, Oregon
61. Monet’s Garden, Giverny France
62. Brugges, Belgium
63. The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia (preferably without thousands and thousands of tourists, but, you know, it’s a popular place)
64. Aspen, Colorado
65. Ketchikan, Alaska
66. The Four Seasons Santa Fe, New Mexico
67. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe
68. Santa Monica, California
69. Kyoto, Japan
70. The MoMA, New York City
71. The Four Seasons Los Angeles on Doheny (and their restaurant, Culina)
72. The Getty Center, Los Angeles
73. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles (and The Four Seasons Beverly Hills, Pretty Woman Hotel)
74. Malibu, California (the beaches)
75. Pacific Coast Highway, California (ooh, that drive!)
76. La Jolla, California
77. Pike Place Market, Seattle
78. San Luis Obispo, California
79. Nara, Japan
80. San Francisco, California
81. St. John, USVI
82. Cinnamon Bay, St. John USVI
83. Bamboo Forest, Arashiyama Japan
84. Hawk’s Nest Beach, St. John USVI
85. Gokayama, Japan
86. Rome, Italy
87. Zihuatenejo, Mexico
88. Piazza Navona, Rome
89. Trastevere, Rome
90. Piazza del Popolo, Rome
91. Campo de’ Fiori, Rome
92. Kamakura, Japan
93. Oia, Greece
94. Mykonos, Greece
95. Santorini, Greece
96. the Acropolis, Athens, Greece
97. The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
98. The Rosewood Hotel, Menlo Park, California
99. The Four Seasons Lodge at Koele, Lanai
100. My garden

Well, that was fun! ❤