I was talking to a friend today when I noticed just how tired I really was. Talking about her own frustrations with grad school made me notice my own. After talking with her, I started thinking about what frustrated me, and that got me to thinking about things that also calm me down. So I decided to make a list of the things that soothe me. And in no particular order, here they are:

- Petting my cat.
- Listening to my cat purr.
- Looking at a gentle fire.
- Watching bodies of water (lakes, oceans, etc).
- The sounds of a country night (crickets, frogs, owls)
- The smell of fresh cut grass.
- Watching the sunset.
- The Black Mountains in the summer.
- A calm human heartbeat.
- The smell and taste of hot chocolate.
- Warm Cinnamon French Toast.
- The repetitive motions of sharpening a knife.
- The smell and feel of warm clean laundry.
- Watching a clear starry night sky.
- Listening to the rain.
- Driving.
- Reading in the warm sunlight.
- Fishing without conversation.
- Having someone run their fingers through my hair.
- Long, tight hugs.
- Washing my car.
- Bjork's "All is Full of Love"
- The rich sound of a violin and cello.
- Slow rhythmic drums.
- Jigsaw puzzles (at least 1000 pieces).

There may be more if I really thought about it, but it's good enough.