10 Items I Can't Live Without

This specifically asks for things, not people, so I won't include my DH, even though he would normally head the list.  You can tell I'm a bit older because there is no phone on my list where I tend to think many younger people would be putting a smart phone on their lists, possibly as the single most important item.  And I won't put these in any specific order either, just as they occur to me. 

1 - My computer(s) because really, how would I stay in touch with people without it?  I wake up with my computer, go to sleep with my computer, and access it many times during each day.  It is my most frequently-accessed tool. 

2 - A working refrigerator.  I've been fighting a refrigerator thermostat issue for a couple of weeks now and it is NOT fun.  Hopefully it will be repaired later this week and I won't have to continually worry about whether the food I have in the freezer is still frozen or not.  NOT healthy!!!  People who take a refrigerator for granted have never had an old icebox, a chill room, or lived without one for months.  I have, and it makes healthy food much more difficult. 

3 - A washing machine.  Doing laundry in a creek with rocks is not fun, neither is using a garbage can and a plumber's helper.  Both of them work, but the amount of work that they require is insane.  (Yes, I've used all of these methods to wash clothes.)  When I first moved to Minnesota, my only washer was an old, 1940's wringer washer that was in the house and I used it because it was all I had and I couldn't afford a new one.  When my DH gave me a new washer for Christmas a couple of years later when we were more on our feet, it was glorious. 

4 - My kiln.  Although I haven't been using it as much as I really want to, that is a matter of time, not desire.  It is the most extraordinary piece of art equipment I own and I truly love my firebox. 

5 - My art supplies.  These are fairly extensive - lots of sketchpads because I always have one or more near me, pencils and pens everywhere, paints (watercolor and acrylic) and watercolor pencils, my enamels and metalworking equipment.  To envision my life without my art would frighten me - my life would be a wasteland.

6 - My beading supplies.  I've been a beader since I was eight years old.  I didn't bead non-stop throughout my life because beading is just one part of my art, but I've done beading as the most consistent art form I produce for many, many years. 

7 - Music.  Although I am not making the music any more (I used to be an excellent cellist and still can play stringed instruments and keyboards) music is certainly a part of my life.  I have a great desire to play the Celtic harp.  I keep looking at owning one, and keep telling myself that I don't need another thing to occupy both my space and my time.  But oh, I SO want to do this.  Maybe when I'm 80 I'll indulge.  But for now, I'll happily listen to my classical music and dream about transcribing things for a 36-string harp. 

8 - My Nook or a book.  In other words, I have to have my nose in a book most of the time.  I don't care if it is a paper book or an electronic book or a book on my computer screen, but I have to read - hours every day.  Reading is my escape from the cares and troubles of daily life. 

9 - A working car.  I would say my PT Cruiser, but quite honestly, it would be any car that I own that works well (although I only use my DH's car under great duress - I can't stand "Ghost").  But, a working car is an absolute necessity in my life. 

10 - Time to dream.  I might use that time to think up a new project for my art, to think about a friend, to send forth prayers, whatever I choose.  I need time to push my thoughts away from the day-to-day and contemplate the greater "out there" that I will often call Spirit.  Tapping into that larger whole allows me to get my balance back so that I can continue to walk on this earth and, hopefully, contribute in a positive way to both my day and to the day of others.