"The royal family is my greatest pleasure aside from the heavenly things and for them exists most other things in my life. Then there are my hobbies, which definitely bring me pleasure . However, I would like to answer your question another way, since I believe the answers listed above are already discussed in other conversations. Indeed they are what some would call "self evident". Also I wish to answer differently in order to cause you to pause and make appreciation for things you may take for granted. I call them simple pleasures because on the face of them they seem fair simple and easy to overlook but they are a clear part of living in my life.

I am a bit of a sensualist. I am not meaning this in the sexual sense, but in the purer, natural sense of the word. I love to experience life through the gateways of my senses, especially if two or more is involved heavily. Through life, I have discovered that not all people on earth experience life as I do and it caused many misunderstandings early in life. I was convinced there was something wrong with me...now I am both comfortable and happy with my condition, known as Synesthesia. The sensory adventures I experience are one of life's greatest pleasures for me. Knowing that not all can experience things my way also makes me greatful for the priviledge of seeing the world as I do.

Synesthesia is a condition where two or more senses are linked together. For instance some people smell the alphabet or hear the colour green when they see it. For me, I have several which are wound around each other. When I listen to music, I can feel sensations quite literally on my body. Some songs are tangibly painful while others are very soothing as the instruments work together to massage different areas of my body.

I also have a strange relationship with a few other senses. The two main ones which link themselves to other senses are touch and smell. They express themselves when they should not normally do so. If I see someone wearing uncomfortable looking clothing, I literally can feel it on me. I hate seeing someone wearing bunched up socks as that is one of the most unpleasant feelings when I do it and I feel it when you do. I also felt the sensation of the bunched cotton shirts under the crew neck sweaters worn by the 'preppy crowd' in the 1980s and hated it. I also love to see others in soft silk or satin clothing or comfy fleece, as I feel it as much as I feel my own clothing. I also have smells associated with things I remember which may or most often are not linked to the original event.

It is all very over the top, but that is not the whole picture either. It is my belief that my senses are more pronounced sometimes. For instance, I also have a very sensitive sense of touch. I am more aware of my clothing and things I touch than many other people are. Clothing which most people find comfortable drive me batty. Things which I find comfortable, however, I find very pleasurable and enjoy more than most seem to.

As I have accepted and learned to "manage" my life around my unique sensory experiences, I have begun enjoying them. I like things which soothe or stimulate several senses as it becomes almost a soulish experience. One obvious thing I mentioned earlier - music. A good song can be pure heaven for me. I love darkwave, ethereal, heavenly voices and neoclassical sounds such as Black Tape for a Blue Girl or Dead Can Dance or Mira. I find them very soothing. Any music with stringed instruments are favourites for me whether they are chamber music styled like YoYo Ma or Celtic sounds like Anuna, Aine Minogue or Enya . Such music is easy to wake to, comforting but not distracting for work, a fine background for all family activities and entertaining guests, drifting off to sleep or even a wonderful mood enhancer for romantic activity. It is also a very relaxing massage on the top of my scalp.

I also like the more upbeat and modern styles like country, rock, metal or alternative. When I need a lift, I like sounds like Iced Earth, Man O War, Metallica, Rammstein, or Tool. I can use music to live through my emotions and work through them, or I can use it to change them. All the while I receive either a soothing or invigorating massage. Drums tap on my shoulders, bass and other guitars will affect various parts of my back. Piano plays on the back of my arms and some music will even tickle me. But be warned, if I tell you I hate a certain song, it probably hurts me, quite literally. In this I have appeared selfish over the years to some who could not understand my almost violent insistance that I never have to hear a certain song again.

Another of life's simple pleasures is somewhat routine, but something I absolutely love if done well is...Bathing. After working all day, the cares of the day are literally washed away in a royal fashion. A bath is drawn and filled with bubbles or scented bath salts while either tea or hot cocoa is made. Mood music plays in the background and often scented candles are lit as I lower myself into the soothing water. If using bath salts, I will wet my hair as well. I wash and then wait while enjoying the drink and music for a while. After a few songs and the drink are gone, the skin can be exfoliated and the hair and body rinsed. I love to follow the bath with a good scented lotion which matches my favourite personal scent; this is the icing on the proverbial cake. This ritual ensures a good evening with the family and the release of many stresses.

As would be logical, I am rather fussy about clothing fabric preferring stain/silk, velvet/velour/velveteen, light cotton, brushed corduroy, chenille, angora, cashmere and anything soft. If wearing items which do not fit these criteria, a full slip or slip and camisole combo must be worn to appease my fussy skin.

Filling my world with similar fabrics is also something I find pleasurable. In some cases it costs more, but in many it does not cost much. Chenille and brushed corduroy slip covers cost no more than crisp cotton and feel much better. They are also durable and protect my furnishings from the stresses imposed by the royal family. In my mind, 'tis well worth it.

Fire also pleases me in various forms. It can be a large bonfire on a cold night, an outside bbq with friends and family, a fireplace or a small campfire. One a smaller scale, inside, it could be a chimenea, candle or incense burner. Even better is fire and scent, such as vanilla, musk, lavender or something older such as myrrh or sandalwood. These relax me and enhance a pensive mood. They are not a financial drain as most candles and incense are not costly, but they sure can help make a house a warm, welcoming home

And now you know that the simplest things can be very pleasuable to me. I can not imagine not view and feeling life the way I do. It gives me a sense of gratitude for the small things I would not have otherwise. I know you can not feel them the same as I do, but having a heightened awareness of the things around you can bring simple pleasure to you as well. Next time you go to your favourite coffee bar, really smell that coffee you're drinking. Close your eyes and savour your cheesecake, picture your music in your mind and concentrate on the touch and scent of a loved one as they sit beside you. There is so much out there to experience that you are missing.

*Candles from Crayons
*Shutter Candle House
*Towel Hanging Ideas

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