November 15th, 2017

I guess I am unusual in that I do not have a favourite colour.  Oh day to day, I may gravitate toward one colour over another, but it changes every day.  I don't have an all-time favourite song or movie.  I don't even have one food that stands out above all the rest.  It's a daily thing, different all of the time.  I'm in the mood for one thing today, something different tomorrow. It can even change hour to hour!  I suppose you could say that I am fickle.

But one preference that doesn't change is that I like contrast.  Like leather and lace.  Hot apple pie with cold ice cream on top.  Salty pretzels dipped in chocolate so it's both sweet and salty.  And it occurred to me this morning that one of my most favourite moments is in the fall when the temperatures start to be cooler.

At the moment (we are working on changing this) we have no exhaust fan in our bathroom so whenever we shower we open the window that is on the shower wall.  So if it's a rainy day, it's not unusual to take a shower and get a little extra water.  In the summer when it's hot and humid, you can actually sweat while showering.  But once it cools off, I have lovely chilly air coming through that window while I'm standing in the hot water and I just love that.

When we lived in Colorado, one of our favourite ways to spend Thanksgiving was to head up to Estes Park high in the mountains.  It's where the Rocky Mountain National Park is.  They have this wonderful illuminated parade the night after Thanksgiving so if we went the day before, we could have a couple of great days tramping through snowy mountain trails, stay in adorable mountain cottages (and once at the Stanley!), photograph wildlife, enjoy a very cold but great glowing parade and the best part, sit in a steamy hot tub while the snow falls all around us.  Awesome!  It's the contrast, you see?

I'm not certain what that says about me, as a person, but I know what I like. And what I like is to confuse my senses, apparently.   I see it in the photographs I take too. Light and shadow intrigue me. I always wished I was clever enough to make shadow pictures on the wall.  I think I managed a bunny a time or two but nothing better than that.  Still, the idea of it is wonderful.  I have a silhouette cut-out of my boys when they were small.  Stark black against cool white that only hints at the actual subject.  I have that framed and standing in a bookcase here. 

I've seen in decorating magazines, beautiful homes excruciatingly well put together, every room the same colour as the previous one, all in calm and sophisticated neutral tones.  It's lovely. I recognize beautiful things when I see them. But it's not for me.  My cabinets are white, but my counter tops are Uba Tuba granite (seriously, that is the name)  It's a very very dark green that looks almost black with a bit of sparkle to it.  Contrast.  It may not be the right kitchen for anyone else, but it's perfect for me.

They say that opposites attract.  I am not certain that is always true but with colours, it's at least in the ballpark.  Black and white, blue and yellow, grey and everything else, pink and brown those are colour combinations that appeal to me.   Wheat thin crackers and grapes is a wonderful combination the same as gingersnap cookies and apples. Crunchy and smooth, savory and sweet, spicy and soothing all at the same time.   I find chocolate cake to be the perfect dessert for a spicy chili dinner.   A little unexpected maybe, but perfect.   And smooth creamy and sweet PIneapple sorbet follows a crunchy, savoury salad like peanut butter follows jelly.

I've never much cared about other's opinions.  And in fact, a sure way to lose a sale with me is for a salesperson to tell me that what I'm looking at is the Most Popular item right now, or that the thing I am considering is very trendy right now.  Nope.  I like what I like and that may not be what anyone else likes (or it might be, who knows?).    I've never been accused of being stylish.  But I have often been told by people who know me that they saw  something that was very "Sam".  It's nearly always something a little different, something slightly strange and probably something a little retro.  My preferences may not be yours, but they are exactly right for me.

And that's a good thing.  Socrates says, "Know thyself" and Polonius followed with, "To thine own self be true".   After all these years, I guess I know me fairly well by now.  How 'bout you?