little treasures

I've just always paid attention.

I could probably tell you how many people passed by wearing a hat; how many wear a collar up or wear it down. I notice if people cover their mouth when they laugh or tap their knee to not cry.

I try to pay attention everyday because I just don't want to miss a minute of it--even if the highlight consists of three dozen run-throughs of Kippy Koala or Humpty Dumpty (pronounced Hump-et-ee Dump-et-eee).

I have also always been a leading-up-to-an-event kind of person--savoring the months, weeks, days, and minutes leading up to an event as much as I do the event itself. In fact, when I was probably seven or eight, I joined the local swim team and never missed a practice; I also never made a meet.

And somehow, I think these things--attention and anticipation--are related.

Apart from anything that has ever been created because of or by my daughter, the things (to distinguish from people) I treasure most are things that come from everyday life..the little details that fill in the bigger picture. For example:

• A poem that my husband wrote for me when we were dating.
• Memories of a journal that my grandfather kept when he was young and courting my grandmother.
• Letters that my dad wrote to his parents as a soldier in Vietnam.
• A note from my mother written on a paper plate letting me know she'd gone to the store but would be back soon.
• An old journal entry written with a broken heart about the joy that would soon come from a mended one (and it did!)

So rather than ask any of you to send a list or read another one, maybe just take a couple minutes to jot down what you noticed today--because it might become someone else's treasure tomorrow.

Splurge-worthy Wednesday:

I need to clean out my refrigerator, which is stocked full of Greek Pizza ingredients. Here's what I've got:

• whole wheat pizza dough (of course, regular old dough will work too)
• artichoke hearts
• sundried tomatoes
• kalamata olives
• feta cheese
• roasted red peppers

1. I let the dough sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes, so it's easier to toss (well, I don't really toss it, I roll it, but toss sounds better).

2. Preheat oven to 425°

3. Chop all of the above ingredients that can be chopped

4. Roll the dough and bake it in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes (so that it gets a little crispy before the toppings are added)

3. Spread with olive oil

4. Sprinkle everything chopped on top

5. Sprinkle the feta (if I have shredded or grated Romano or Parmesan, I might add that too)

Bake for another 8-10 minutes...

and yum. You're in the Mediterranean. How's that for a Wednesday night splurge?