Since February is the month of Valentine’s Day and a great time to celebrate love, I’ve been thinking lately about the things I really appreciate.  Friends and family are automatically at the top of this list.  What I mean are the little things, favorite foods, comforts, and indulgences that I savor whenever I have the chance.  They make even a really lousy day a little brighter.

Here are a few:

1.  Sleeping in.  I love days when I have nothing pressing on my schedule (which is rare) and I can snooze as long as I like, rise at a lazy pace, and enjoy my morning coffee while sitting in bed, reading another chapter of a good romance novel.

2.  Walks in the morning sunshine.  Being outside in the fresh air, hearing the birds twitter and feeling the sun on my face, is really inspiring.  It helps focus my creativity too.  On my last walk, I figured out a tricky part in a new historical romance I’m plotting.

3.  Fresh, hot organic coffee.  There’s nothing like a cup of it first thing in the morning to get my sleepy eyes open.

4.  Crème brulee.  I just can’t resist the combination of crunchy, browned sugar topping and smooth creaminess underneath.  Mmm!  So good!

5.  Twinings Earl Grey Tea.  The Twinings brand has the best Bergamot flavor of all the teas I’ve tried.  I prefer it made from loose tea, brewed in a teapot, and steeped for exactly four minutes.  I drink it plain.  My daughter loves it with milk and three sugars!

6.  A great movie.  I enjoy movies of all genres (except horror, because I’m a scaredy cat!), and love to be swept away into a exciting story world that keeps me entertained until the very last moment.

7.  Touring castles.  The old sites, even the ones that are little more than ruins now, are so atmospheric and beautiful and really get my creative energies flowing.  Luckily for me, my husband and daughter love visiting the sites, too, when we travel to England.

8.  Receiving my author copies of my books.  There’s nothing quite like that moment when I open the box to see copies of my latest novel for the very first time.  The rush of pride, excitement, and sense of accomplishment are amazing.  In that moment, I blissfully forget about all the long hours at the computer, the agonizing scenes that took days of reworking to get them just right, and the revisions.  I am in awe.  I really am, right now, because I just received my copies of A Knight’s Persuasion, Book 4 of my Knight’s Series that will be released in May, and they look terrific!

9.  A day at the beach.  I love sinking my toes into warm, golden sand and feeling the sea breeze on my face.  My daughter  and I usually make sand castles together and giggle when we dunk water over my husband who is trying to sneak in a nap.  Fun!

10.  Sunsets.  Nature is really amazing.  The colors of sunsets can be so intense and wondeful, they take your breath away.  Here are a couple of sunset pictures I took during our family vacation at Cedar Key, Florida last December.

11.  Antique shopping.  There are several antique and collectible shops within short driving distance of my home, and when I have a free afternoon, I love to stop by and see what’s in stock.  I’ve bought lovely etched wine glasses, a crystal vase, and Limoges teacups in the last few months and am always on the lookout for new treasures or unique gifts.

12.  Kitty hugs.  I know, I’ve said it before, but I adore my cats.  While our young cat, Kai, is a complete mischief maker, he is so cute!  He isn’t happy until he’s started off his day by giving me a face wash and then, after tucking his head under my chin, a shoulder massage, while purring like a maniac the whole time.  Our 16-year-old kitty, Minton, prefers to be picked up so he can rest his front paws on my arm and survey everything with a regal pose, while nuzzling my chin now and again.
 
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What are some of your favorite indulgences?   I’ll give away a signed copy of A Knight’s Vengeance, Book One of my award-winning Knight’s Series, to one lucky person who leaves a post.To read an excerpt from A Knight’s Vengeance and my other Knight’s Series books, please visit my website at http://www.catherinekean.com