Tom's Top 10 for 2011

Most of you generally take a little time to reflect on the previous year, that’s part of the deal when you’re counting down the days and hours before the New Year parties begin.  The lists run the gambit from greatest this or most incredible that, I’m doing it my way with a top-10 all my own.

Here we are in no particular order - The 2011 Top-10 odd things I love about my wife:

10.  Bursts into random song:  It doesn’t take much because she’s a genuinely happy person but when the mood strikes her she will turn a sentence into lyrics.  It’s an interesting way to communicate that always makes me smile because even if I don’t know the words or the beat I know she’s happy and that is always a good feeling.

9.  Love of HGTV:    Everything from interior design to the DIY projects, she’s game for a round of HGTV any time of day.  Best part is the inspiration she gets from it, which generally means I’m free to do whatever sort of projects I want – with help from my best friend in the world – Rinni.

8.  Messes up the office:  We share the office with space reserved for her crafting and some for my technical geekery.  There are afternoons when I walk in, after she’s been MIA for a while, and discover a couple of things – fabric and materials strew all over the place and my crafty wife creating some new creature for her ETSY store.  She’ll look up and grin apologetically and I remind her of our agreement, all spaces are her spaces.  She’ll giggle and I’ll carve out enough room to do a little work.

7.  Handing over the reins:  My wife takes the lead on day to day matters at home, mostly because she’s good at it and I work ridiculous hours.  We’re both involved but she’s the force behind the rhythm in our home.  We do most things together from packing lunches, helping the boys with homework, cleaning, gardening, etc.  What’s great though is that when she’s not at 100% because of a headache or a cold she’ll let me make her tea, put her to bed and run the whole operation.  It’s those rare tastes of power she indulges …or rather, responsibility that makes me appreciate what she does every day.

6.  The rants:  Rinni is a kind-hearted person with those she loves and generally gives people the benefit of the doubt.  She’s also equal parts smart and knows BS when she sees it.  It’s those rare occasions when someone or something got her back up that she’ll unload, just the two of us.  I mostly nod and try not to smile while she flays the living skin from the subject.  Afterward she feels better and so do I.  It’s good to let go and I’m grateful she trusts me be her sounding board. 

5.  Bargain hunter:  She takes guilty pleasure in finding the most (quality) and spending the least.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come home when she’s just returned from a bargain shopping spree to see downcast eyes and a pile of loot, mostly clothes for our ever-growing boys.  She’ll always start out replaying the events in her pouty voice, gradually gaining volume as she looks up with a crescendo finish of how little she spent.  By this time I’m laughing and shaking my head while she glows with pride.  It’s pretty hysterical.

4.  Dramatic reading:  While we both try to instill reading for pleasure in the boys, my wife never misses an opportunity to lead by example through her love of reading.  Whether it’s ‘How to tame your dragon’ or the latest ‘Percy Jackson’, Rinni knows and does all the voices as she goes through the pages.  A lover of words she brings every story alive for us.

3.  Dirty jobs:  Some of the moments she’s most beautiful to me are those when she’s up to her elbows in topsoil or completely covered with saw dust.  It’s completely normal to walk out the front door on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to see her pulling weeds, planting something, digging something or starting a new restoration job on a piece of furniture she found on Craig’s list.  These are always family affairs with the reward coming at the end of the day when we can sit on the swing under the Magnolia and admire the results.

2.  Unabashed silliness:  There are more examples than I could ever recount in this one post but suffice it to say that we laugh a lot in our home and Rinni is the ringleader.  The boys are constantly tortured with her tickles and kisses, silly faces and hysterical voices – they can’t stop laughing once she’s on a roll and neither can I.

1.  No assembly required:  The very best oddity that I love about my wife is that she’s probably the most flexible, laid-back people on the planet.  It’s huge because I’m a firm believer that variety and spontaneity are the spice of life.   Where others require a detailed plan for a drive in the country, she appreciates the surprise.  Typical example on the way out of a store parking lot:

Me:  in a hurry to get home? 

Her:  Not really, why?

Me:  Let’s take a drive

Her:  Okay

Then we’re off through the winding back-roads in whatever state we happen to be living at the time.  It’s the kind of thing many would get upset about but not Rinni – she just smiles and enjoys the ride. 

Just ten examples of the million reasons I love my Richelle Nicole.  Odd to some, divine to me!