a few things you liked…and a few memories

Mustard with big seeds in it
Prairie home companion
Sparkly prisms, especially on the Christmas tree
Rocks with dips in them to hold water
The smell of cedar
Raspberries
Sharing granola with Wasko—Wasko would pick out all the cashews
Huckleberries—especially in the wild
Drinking from mountain creeks—fuck giarrdhea!!
The smell of dog feet (and ears too!)
Poetry and writing
Photography.
Like water for chocolate
Raspberry tart
Sour cherries
Flickers
Wool socks
The word “luscious”
Riding the wake of freighters on the kayaks
Laying on my bed and staying up with me while I packed
Meeting me at the airport
You used to always take me to the airport too. Up until a couple years ago, you had never missed one important departure or arrival. You loved to watch the plane depart, back before 911 when you could escort me to the gate.
What were some of your favorite flowers?
I know you loved vine maples, pruning, and the aesthetics of trees—especially maples.
You broke a tooth once on grandpa’s taffee
23rd birthday. The best birthday ever.
When I started to get boobs and was all embarrassed, we were on the way to the Thai Thai and mom brought it up and I turned scarlet. You were in the back seat. You said, “look, I’m getting boobs too!” And held up your shirt.
You always could smell spring coming. I think you loved that smell. And those salty days when you could smell the sound from the house. You also loved the alpine smell. I love that smell too.
Gray jays, and all their little noises.
You loved calamari at sunfish, and pad kee maw tele at Thai Thai.
You liked David Bruce wines, and a good chianti.
You liked putting your toes in cool mountain brooks.
You loved the tide pools—like opening a present.
You loved to watch the dog open presents.
You loved to get up early, especially when we were camping. You would always have something hot for me when I woke up.
Hun Huur Tu
You liked to throw rocks to try to hit a log out in the water
You loved la rustica and the little beach next to it.
You loved cream cheese pastries at the bakery at the bottom of the hill.
You loved to lie in the grass outside.
Ice cream—vanilla, or even better, vanilla with chocolate fudge in it.
Chocolate chips with peanuts—you said they were homemade Mr. Good bars
Tolkien’s Ring
King Solomon’s Ring, the Bat Poet, I heard the Owl call my name.
Hummus.
Geology
Carmelized nut mix
Those brownies you used to make. And the chewy chocolate chip bars.
I guess you did really have a sweet tooth. What were your favorite savory foods? I know you loved Thanksgiving, especially the cranberry part. You sure loved your berries.
You loved to sit awake with me on Christmas night and watch the Christmas tree.
Empire of the sun
My life as a dog, never cry wolf.
You liked to make Duncan howl.
You would get up running in the middle of the night if you heard Wasko squawk to save him from the raccoon or whatever predator.
I think we slept outside together a few times in the summer, with a tent sometimes, sometimes not.
One time, it was really windy, and we went down to Lincoln Park and went to the point, and opened up our coats to the wind to feel the lift.
Collecting greens for winter decorations at Lincoln park. Getting in a snowberry fight.
Silent thoughtful times on the beach together.
Swinging on the swings.
We saw a fox together once at the arroyos.
You liked to surprise mom with little treats, or having the house all picked up.
You liked to have all these little systems, and you liked to tell me about them. “see, I put this here, and then I just do this.”
You told me in Germany that you had seen me once wear my backpack on the front in order to find something in there (I do it a lot) and you said, “I never thought of that, and now I do it all the time.”
You liked to tell us all the exact measurements of what you had put into something if we were complimenting you on what you had cooked.
You liked your down vest, and your gray down jacket, rain hat, and you liked to have a walking stick.
Kitka, especially the song with the one low note.
Japanese art. Sumie
You liked women in red sweaters.
You loved my tattoo, and would show it off to everyone.
You liked to read Natural History.
You liked peanut butter cups, and so did I. Mom would say, “ugh, how can you guys eat that stuff!”
You liked going to the aquarium. Our favorite was to watch the puffins.
You loved that little town we went to in Canada, on Vancouver island.
You loved the museum of anthropology there.
Quark!
Flax seeds.
One time you itched your ear with the cordless phone antennae thingy, and then a few minutes later, talking to me distractedly, you accidentally put it in your mouth! Eew. Gross.
One time you farted in the van and then after a moment of reflection said, “you know,
everyone secretly likes the smell of their own farts.”
One time you sneezed in the van and it was stinky!! We laughed and you rolled down the window, and said, eew! Gross!
You liked to admire nice wooden fences around the neighborhood.
Shogun.
Akira kurasawa.
Dersu Uzala
Qoyannisquatsi
Italian for beginners
Henry V
You liked learning about the Civil War
You knew downtown really really well, especially the crow nests.
One time we were with a guy with the walkie-talkie—remember? Haha. Little dad standing next to a security guard who is talking through his walkie-talkie saying that there is a scientist here who needs help quarantining an area of the courtyard from activity in order to help a little scared crow.
You loved ALMOND desserts! Marzipan! The almond pastry cake they used to make at south seattle community college—another of your favorite spots.
I think you kind of enjoyed the fact that I liked to eat rocks and especially the fact that the “disorder” was called “pica”
You loved your butterfly shirt
It took me some time to love your butterfly shirt
You liked hemlocks.
You loved pike place market, the music, the smells, the food. You liked beecher’s tapenade, gyros! You loved the gyros. Souvlaki. Costa’s.
The shop—el quetzal? No, la tienda.
And another little shop—a woman who was selling traditional Guatemalan weaving.
You loved the stuff from Prae Pan, Thailand, that I brought you.
When you would say hi to Liz, you liked to stop by her house, you would say, “hiya Lizzie!”
You liked pele, rocky, paton, you really liked Gabriel. Other dog friends of yours—Gunter, mable,roxie (before my time).
Kip, Wasko, Quileut, Klickitat. Shi Shi and Chinook were some of your crows.
You would make a little clicking noise at the back of your mouth (right where you taste sour) that was actually pretty loud, and hold kibble out in your hand and toss it whenever you were summoning crows or jays.
Crow banding was fun with you.
And the crow count. With almond lattes.
When you came to visit at Bryn Mawr, ,you were so happy to see me you came running as soon as you saw me. I was really happy to see you too.
You often had a slightly runny nose, out of one nostril. You would sniff a lot in the winter.
You often got into the van, got yourself settled, closed your door, put the key in the ignition… before you noticed that I was locked out still.
If I slept too late in the morning before high school, you’d come down and rip the covers off me, and put them where I would have to get out of bed to retrieve them.
You wanted me to get exercise, to learn math, finances, to stand up for myself. Not to play with barbies.
You used to say, “that’s a nice fire.” Very satisfied, to every single fire we ever had.