Cows make my world a better place.

Let's continue the discussion of positivity, carrying it over from my last post. Many of you may think that my positivity levels look something like this (image from this site): However, lately my positivity levels have been charting something more like this (image from this site): Why's that, you ask? Well, this week it has something to do with these: And with this: This past Sunday, Doug and I visited UConn on our way back from visiting with his mother and father. Little did we know that it was commencement that day, but the line of traffic going up 195 didn't stop us. Or stop me. I was determined to get to the Dairy Bar. All the food that Doug's mother stuffed us with did not quell my desire for some ice cream. Some creamy, rich Dairy Bar ice cream (banana chocolate chip was Sunday's flavor of choice and it certainly did not disappoint). And then once we scarfed that down we walked over to the Co-Op, because if you have ice cream then you need books. And then once we spent some time in the co-op, we headed over to see the cows.

It's really my visit to see the cows that caused a bit of a hockey stick spike in my positivity levels this week. I was reminded how much I like cows, and how I am more than my daily routines. Does everyone know about my love affair with cows? How they are my favorite animal, so slow and lumbering, and how I obsess over their dairy products? Cheese, ice cream, milk, yogurt... I do believe that cows are sacred, and so are their by-products. Because as much as I love whole milk and yogurt, I love cheeseburgers. And a good steak. But I have many cow-themed things, and have a collection of cows, love the smell of a good cow pasture, and try, whenever it's possible, to visit cows. I've taught Doug to love cows, too, though I find that he is more timid than I am with large farm animals. Back in our UConn days, Horsebarn Hill and the animal barns were a favorite place for us to hang out. I feel alive surrounded by nature, surrounded by nature's creatures (often the non-human kind), and so we spent many a day and evening walking there, talking, and petting the animals. I'll never forget petting a horse's smooth, velvety nose and trying to get Doug to do the same. It's as if I had asked him to pet a snake. What a city boy he was! But he's getting better. Still not as comfortable as me around the animals, but then again, I can't really blame him for not wanting to kiss that snotty snout, with bits of hay and grass stuck randomly about. I find it to be pleasantly enticing, but he - and probably the rest of the world - may just want to stick to admiring from afar.