Inspired by Sei Shonagon, I offered Stella’s list of disappointing things a couple of weeks ago. I am now happy to share a small list of pleasurable things.

• In a well-appointed restaurant, there is no greater pleasure than unfolding a white linen napkin and feeling its stiffness and weight, which conveys the importance of the meal to come. One enjoys the moments before the food is served; the pure white tablecloth is adorned only with silverware, a basket of rustic bread, and a dish of pale yellow butter sprinkled with outsized granules of sea salt. An elegant wine glass is filled with a robust and health giving Bordeaux. One would almost be satisfied without the food.
• Only a person with a heart that is as dark and shriveled as a pickled walnut could not be moved by a puppy. Its velvet muzzle is softer than anything one can remember, and its spirit is more joyful than any creature previously encountered. Its playful teeth are quite tolerable as they chew on one’s hand, as one does not want to deny this happy bundle anything. Overall, I find a dog is too gregarious to choose as a companion, but I cannot deny that it is the most optimistic of all animals.
• It is always a pleasure to be surrounded by people of intellect. One appreciates their knowledge, their quick minds, and sharp wit, all of which stimulate one’s own thoughts. For me, the most impressive person is the one who can change the framework of one’s thoughts. While a group debates the merits of pathway A versus pathway B, the truly incisive person lifts everyone above this tiny intersection, as if stepping back from a single detail in a picture. Instead of focusing on one fork in the road, we see a city of highways and streets, and reexamine the very basis of the discussion. It is this sharpness that I most admire.
• Traveling on the train, one enjoys the privacy of being anonymous. Being neither here nor there, one is relieved of expectations and responsibilities. No one can measure the time spent or evaluate its results. No matter the purpose of the trip, the mere act of travel is one of hope, and it allows moments of private thought and reflection.
• As fall advances, the weather gods offer a reprise; the sun shines bright and hot for one more day. The city streets bustle with joyful and amazed citizens who begin every conversation with an expression of delight. Clothing is thrown into confusion as if the last warm day occurred many years ago and one cannot remember if denim will be too warm or a t-shirt too cool. The next day the cold returns, and one is wistful yet relieved.