Gratitude: 2011

On the random date of August 18, 2011, I set out to list six distinct things for which I’m grateful each day.

Here’s that list through December 2011 . . . I continued the practice into 2012 and have posted subsequent lists on the last day of each month. What are you grateful for?

Breath. Sun. Time. Andy. Memories. Vanilla Soy Milk.

Socks. Computers. Water. Plumbing. Coffee. Family.

Chess. Love. Blueberries. Mad Men. Song. Washing Machines.

Pen pals. Pen portrait (a specific one, in an out-of-print book from far away). Ballpoint pens. Sean Penn. A dog named Penny. International PEN.

Reunions with friends. That sensation in the chest when something feels important. Retreat. Sorrow. First days. Last days.

The view from our kitchen window. The surprising discovery that my Amazon Prime Membership includes unlimited video streaming so that I can watch “Happy Accidents” as soon as I find the time. Vincent D’Onofrio at any age in any role (or maybe it really is Robert Goren). Autopsies. Medical Science. Mysteries solved.

The 9-volt battery we had on hand last night when the smoke detector began chirping “low energy”. Access to the medical care I’ll receive at my annual physical today. Legs. Lungs. Fingers. Teeth.

Therapists. Westwood. Free Thursdays at the Hammer. Freedom to walk past Paul Thek’s sculptures without looking too closely. Figs. That someone designed staircases and floors with emerald colored flecks.

My friend in Germany. Brené Brown. My brother. Successfully removing myself from “Obama for America”‘s auto-texting list. Glenn Greenwald. Health.

Photoshop. Camera. Air conditioning. Soap. The fragrance of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Basil Dish Soap. Remembering the way he said, “basil”.

Waking up refreshed at 5am. Mammoth (the 2009 movie). Microsoft Excel. Andy’s support. Clairol Natural Instincts #28. Project 365.

Hands. Unexpected kind messages from old friends. Food. Shelter. Electricity. A happy fresh start for my sweet niece (off to college!).

Crayons. Paper. Oven. The helpful tweet I read before sunrise. Eyeglasses. Permission to hold on.

Happening to wander into Mystery Pier Books this afternoon — a delightful surprise. Curiosity. My two gorgeous, smart & loving lunch dates. That Chin Chin offers Kung Pao with tofu. Not running out of gas in Beverly Hills. Getting two hours of writing in today in between appointments.

September 2011

Five intermittent segments totaling 4.4 hours of single-tasked writing today. An hour to exercise. Seeing more feathers on my walk. Tofurky “sausage”. The last bit of chocolate bar (savored since May). The email from a woman who saw the Doors perform live sometime around the year I was born.

The Santa Monica Public Library. Bay Cities’ freshly baked bread. That the parking ticket was only $65. The Agent 18 iPhone case that kept my gadget safe as it bounced its way down a flight of concrete steps. Day dreams during insomnia. Sleep dreams of people unreachable and a baby never born.

The sight of that happy little toddler — smaller than the doll she pushed in her stroller down Santa Monica Blvd. RedBubble. The neighborhood Peruvian restaurant. Dinner with Andy. Clean sheets. Lots of books to read.

Photographs. Flickr. Facebook. Friends. Friends of friends. Falling asleep.

Mornings. New days. Holidays. Fun projects. Calculators. Animal Acres.

Jeff Goins’ blog, newsletter and his guest post today on gratitude. Trader Joe’s. Thumb drives. Ice. Parents (mine). Dental floss.

The huge selection of dining room tables at the antique store down the road. That I’m in the middle of a productive work day and savoring it. The luxury of being my own boss. The chair I’m sitting on. Noah Lukeman’s books. Sparkling water.

Junot Díaz’s sentence, read this morning before 8am, that made me sob. The rest of Junot’s body of work. Sobbing. Reading on the deck before the sun rises over our eastern wall. The way the crimson mandevilla branch is holding one of its own fallen blossoms, a little arm tending to the detached parts of herself. Strawberries for my cereal.

Waking up at 4:30am excited to start a new work day. Coming to a milestone on my latest project. That I have three + other projects in development. Finding myself smiling throughout the day because I love what I’m doing. That I still suddenly cry often. Fleece.

When actor-dogs are cast as sick-dogs and they do a great job at the role, but can’t control their wagging tails, “I’m a good dog.” Learning that my brother is coaching my nephew’s football team. An hour long walk yesterday. My virtual walking partner who inspired me to double my work out. Looking forward to my parents’ visit. The anticipation of having a grown-up sized dining room table for the first time in my adult life.

Andy’s generous carpet cleaning skills each time I drop a full cup of coffee on the carpet. That the hint of a stain is on my side of the bed where 99.86% of visitors wlll never see it. That I could unplug & avoid the media’s 9/11 pity party. Others: people different from me; countries unlike my own; unfamiliar religions. GPS. Phone calls with Mom.

Having my IKEA building chores near completion. The ability to forgive myself for buying IKEA instead of a pre-owned dining set. Szechuan shrimp. The ability to forgive myself for eating animals. Clos du Bois. Repeated reconciliation.

Andy’s physical strength — the new table is upright! Ctrl-F. The way the art supply store down the street smells of paints and papers. And that it’s so close. My therapist (aka Shrink). Gratitude itself (Shrink pointed that out today).

The Santa Monica Recycling Center. My black solidarity ring. A few extra minutes before I have to run out the door. Felt. Water Filter. Q-Tips.

My feet. My shoes. Butternut squash soup. Ink. Aunt Ruth. Letters to mail.

Dad. Talking to Dad on the phone today. The chutzpah to tell the truth most of the time. My red shawl. That there’s some soup left from yesterday. Nail trimmers.

New friends who visited last night. More time to rest. Encouraging blog friends. Making Two Buck Chuck last a week. Cheeseburger Day! Pinterest.com fun.

The Kronos Quartet track I had on repeat while I walked to Trader Joe’s tonight. Half-baked bread. Olive oil. Salt. That Andy does all the laundry. Two four minute voice mails from a woman I love.

The nesting bowls from dear E; I use them almost every day. E, herself. Brooms. Dust pans. Clouds. Oxygen.

Money to pay this little stack of bills. The fig-cambozola-pecan treats I’m going to make this week. The anticipation of Mom & Dad’s arrival. Gerber daisies. A few ladies named Lisa. Our clean bath rug which is still my favorite shade of blue.

That my parents didn’t disown me for being 43 minutes late picking them up at the airport (bad daughter!). Mom’s gracious attitude over waiting for me, “The time passed quickly.” Fresh episodes of Modern Family (what’s up with Lily’s rapid aging?). A wonderfully supportive surprise note from an old friend. A butterylicious lunch. House guests.

A visit to Serra Retreat’s labyrinth w/ Mom & Dad. The bereft angel statue. Our walk to the upper garden. That Dad accidentally video taped us comically getting ready to pose for a photo. That I gave Dad a decent fight during our chess games (except for that one hideous blunder). Pumpkin bread.

Wonderful trip to the Sepulveda Getty w/ M&D. Andy’s thoughtful gifts. The beautiful scarf from Mom. So many fun birthday wishes via FB & text. One chess win vs. Dad. My new tagua nut ring.

Days when so many needs are taken care of that it feels like there’s nothing to be grateful for. Someone to miss. Someone to long for. “Never Lonely Alone” by Space Needle. Absence of physical pain. Ability to walk.

My family around the breakfast table. Dad liked the tofu “sausage” enough to have a second helping! My plethora of pretty cloth napkins. Gulf Stream biscuits. Safe driving during our afternoon excursion. Time to walk a couple miles in the afternoon.

All the happy memories from this week’s visit w/ M&D. Bear hugs from the people who raised me. The hilarious way Dad headed to curbside check-in at LAX without saying a last goodbye. Andy’s thoughtful attention to detail doing chores during my sunrise drive to the airport. Knowing that M&D are safe with my brother tonight. The gift of being able to dwell in paradox.

Fallen mandevilla blossoms. Specificity. Vagueness. Amiga Linda. NYCGA’s Principles of Solidarity. That we’re not the only dreamers.

The good friends I dined with for lunch & dinner. Holding six-month-old Chloe. Chloe. Her sister Lola. Twins in tutus made of tulle. Striped tights.

Loving voice mails and e-mails that come exactly when you need them them most. The nearly free on-line classes providing some structure to my education. Hearing the mandevilla blossom land after its fall from the branch today. Friends who also care about the well being of cows and chickens. Amiga bonita se llama Panchita. Encountering that amazing mural behind the car wash during my walk today.

Reading in the sun next to Andy. Walking in the rain. Notes from a former writing teacher. The pink gerbera is still alive. United States of Tara. Eddie Izzard.

October 2011

That the gringa who thought two Margaritas + Casual Knowledge of Italian = Ability to Speak Spanish left the restaurant shortly after we arrived. The big-ass cactus south of Olympic, north of Pico. Faux buttercream. Real buttercream. Sunscreen. Contact lenses.

Mason Jennings (genius!). Watching Летят журавли (The Cranes Are Flying) while listening to Bob Dylan’s “It’s Alright Ma”. Our apartment. Our tiny rectangular window, “The Wizard will see you now.” The Reverse Wizard. Andy’s description of Dexter as “TV’s worst-written good show.”

Olive oil popcorn. Patton Oswalt. Masking tape to keep the termites at bay until the landlord sends professional help. Chess.com. BPC. Wind.

The smell of celery. Having just spent my first two 45 minute writing shifts on a new story (self-loathing be gone!). My green hoodie. The day is still young. The Wire Complete Series DVD set my brother and his wife gave me last year for my birthday. Particularly the episode we watched this morning, Season 3 #5 “Straight and True.”

Steve Jobs. Apple. iPhone. Lap top. iPod. Podcasts.

The things I cannot say. First beautiful day of autumn. Tiffany’s email. Mary Elizabeth. Weights to lift. Muscles.

Katherine Anne Porter. Pears. Walnuts. Good Will Stores. Walks to dinner. Andy home when I return.

Apple walnut pancake breakfast with Andy. That particularly beautiful sentence in, “My Dead Brother Comes to America” by Alexander Godin. West 4th Jane. Beating Andy twice at the monstrous Chess Four (once without commandeering either Zombie Army). The wisdom and self-restraint I’ll eventually gain not to gloat.
A’s sweet orchestrating of the traditional scary movie month.

The luxury of unscheduled blocks of time. Sunday with Andy. Artemio Rodriguez’s woodcut prints. Super warm showers. Garlic. Bread dough.

That Trader Joe’s is exactly 1 mile away & has public bathrooms — a no hassle walking routine. Getting my dorky “mystic artist” ritual homework out of the way. TED talks. The Pear Cambozola Maple Pecan Garlic Pizza I made. Full moon shining down on the deck. Twitter coverage of the action at #occupyboston.

Hearing “On the Street Where You Live” at just the right moment yesterday at Nazi Napa Grill. A handful of Irises. The topical gel that made my gums numb before that hydro-cleaning. Clove cigarettes. Candlelight. Some specific and kind reassurances.

Blinds that close to help keep the heat out. Standing date with Andy. Left over tomato basil tofu sauce. Idea journal. iMac keyboard & mouse. USB ports.

The Occupiers. Free speech. Resources to orchestrate my own education without spending any money. Finishing two lessons today. The way chapter 5 (in a different course) addresses some of my concerns. Being able to revisit certain old chess matches.

Jackie Chan. Brown sugar. Vegan “butter”. Video Cameras. State parks. Skate parks.

The idea to wrap a tortilla around the left-over vegan blueberry-pear cobbler. That incredibly beautiful paragraph in Junot’s novel. Andy’s trip to the food store. No more termites. Free chess lessons. Saturdays.

That which is too sacred for this list. Feeling stronger. The memory of a firm grasp on my hand. The firm grasp on my hand. Imagined firm grasps on my hand. That I don’t need to let any of these things go.

Finally exercising some discipline as a working writer. The way shifting gears on the story seemed to help push it forward. Being able to easily churn out 0% passive sentences. That some of my quirks will come in handy for this character I’m developing. That I don’t know where the story is going. That I feel dedicated to finding out.

An easy drive to Encino. Breakfast with a dear friend. Feeling known & loved. Getting to see her new fabulous paintings. Surviving the bank sales pitch with new material for characters. Extra support on a hard day.

My sadness. Safety. Warmth. Cashews. Petals. Color.

The clip that held my hair back. My hair. Mirrors. Taking both zombie armies and beating Andy at Chess 4. Reduced Fat Cheese Puffs. Omar Little.

Seeing that four year old skater at the park today. Seeing him kick his board, run & hop on like he’d been doing it since birth. Seeing that scruffy skater (much closer to my age). Seeing the fantastic jump/board-flip stunt he landed. Seeing him pour water into his palm for his dog to drink. Seeing.

Noticing that the bouquet I bought to commemorate Lily’s birthday has 15 blossoms –one for each year of her (would be) age. Seeing the movie Drive (nearly perfect except for that one horrible song and the Michael Myers beach scene). One chess victory at the wine bar. A good talk w/ Andy. Vegan animal crackers. The dreams I had just before waking.

The way a walk can improve my mood. The smell of garlic and olive oil heating. “Let The Right One In”. The phrase, “enamoured of.” WordPress.com. Lilies.

That an incredibly thoughtful friend honored Lily at Fix Nation’s altar at Hollywood’s Day of the Dead event. A spontaneous lunch at California Vegan. That animal-free “Chick’n” is yummy. An unexpected positive feeling after doing something I’d been procrastinating over. This day last year. Andy’s home!

The invitation to see Nicholas Kristof speak at the Skirball. Karina & crew’s wonderful exhibition based on Kristof & WuDunn’s book Half The Sky. The Skirball Cultural Center. Kristof’s reminder that those of us in attendance at the museum had probably already won the lottery of life. Feeling his words to be true, even during sad moments. My Women for Women Sisters: past, present & future.

Occupy Oakland. The footage that came out of the Oakland police violence. The hope that for every person injured while peacefully protesting, 40 new occupiers will be moved to action. Glenn Greenwald’s appearance on Democracy Now! to discuss his new book: “With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful”. Learning that as of 2008, the U.S., with less than 5 percent of the world’s population, has almost a quarter of the world’s prisoners, more than any other nation. The reawakening of my wish to get involved with prison reform.

Warm salt water to gargle with. Climate control. Slippers. Feeling well enough to write. Tea. Freeze Frames.

Farm Sanctuary. Belina. Tissues. Ability to blow my nose. DayQuil. Ability to research cold remedies, for the future, that aren’t produced from animals.

Nothing scheduled. Time to rest. Andy’s chores & errands. Bridesmaids On Demand. More cold medicine. Chess games with Ken that indicate my skills are improving.

Waking up feeling much better. A nice lunch with Andy at Literati. The walk to get there. Boris the cow who helped me abstain from a burger. Our decision to adopt a new kitty, possibly two! Watching Poltergeist, yet again.

Those nice folks at Customer Service who helped me upgrade my iPhone; welcome to 2008! Continued better health – more energy today. Lange Foundation. West L.A. Animal Shelter. My former co-worker who volunteers at the shelter and can offer the inside scoop on kitty adoption. Setche.

November 2011

Mexican Folk Art. Dia De Los Muertos. Pico Youth & Family Center. That I had a photo handy to take to the altar. A nice candle lit dinner alone. Unexpected happy thoughts.

Glenn Greenwald’s new book. Hearing him speak this morning for a small group at UCLA’s School of Law. His inspiringly ready command of facts. A beautiful day on campus. Tomato soup. Seeing that black and white checkered floor again.

All natural bathroom cleaner. Sponges. Physical ability to get that tub clean. First ever chess win against my big brother! Vegan noodle soup. My NaBloPoMo Hooligans.

The hummingbird I saw today. Seeing the rainbow over Bateman’s. Finding a new chess book. All of that colorful stained glass I encountered. NaBloPoMo. Lovely dishes from Aunt Ruth.

The smell of chimney smoke during my afternoon walk. Cool air. Amy’s pizza. A good fight. My new chess book. Sleeping in.

A visit from three great friends. Our feast around the table: food and catching up. Coriander seeds. Sunflowers. Mini cupcakes. Candlelight.

Pepper and rosemary in goat cheese. The sweet girlfriend who offered the new recipe. Quiet. Losing at chess. Dishwasher. Windows.

The day counter website that helped me calculate that this is the 493rd thing I’ve expressed gratitude for since I began this project. Stomach growls. Dictionary. Sunglasses. No Kill Animal Shelters. Volunteers who work at animal shelters.

Nitrous Oxide. That I don’t have to perform dental procedures on myself or anyone else. Novocaine. Pillow. Bed. DVD.

A1260981. Cardboard cat carriers. The volunteer at the shelter today. Andy’s open attitude of welcoming someone he hadn’t met yet. Doors to help little one feel safe. Kitty sneezes.

A peaceful night with our new family member. Naming her Ellie. Her sweet demeanor. That our first trip to the vet is over with. A good meeting. Pints with a new friend.

Ellie’s a lap cat. Ellie uses her litter box. Ellie ate her medicine willingly. Ellie walked up stairs. Ellie loves Andy. Andy loves Ellie.

A date with Andy. That Bar Food is a nice walk away. Awesome burgers there. Planning Vegan Monday to assuage my guilt (sort of). Beating Andy at chess again. Antibiotics for Ellie’s cold.

Meatless Monday. My growing list of vegan meals I enjoy. That bread is yummy without animal products. Fulfilling my charity promise. The question, “What can I learn from this?” That the little dog running in the street didn’t get hit.

Time at home to keep Ellie company while she gets settled. Flashlight for my evening walk. Street cleaning machines. The way I don’t think about food while I’m writing. Intermural soccer leagues. Raisins.

Scanner. Old wedding photos. The people in said photos. Seeing my paternal grandmother at my age and realizing how lucky I am to be in the here and now. Morning coffee with Andy. A draw against the computer at chess.

An afternoon at The Skirball. Finding my letters in the exhibition. Nicholas Kristof. Sheryl WuDunn. Beginning to learn about slaves living here in Los Angeles. Websites that will help teach me more about how I can help.

A postponed booking that freed me up to write this morning. Finding the works I wanted at the library. Getting three errands done. The kitty on my lap right now. Looking forward to seeing a good friend tonight. Chocolate covered espresso beans.

Japanese food. New scratching posts for Ellie. Red leaves. Overcast sky. Memories of today last year. Ellie’s enjoyment of the fuzzy ball.

Rain. Pancake Grilled Cheese Invention. A quiet day of chess, writing and cooking. Ellie relaxing belly up. Learning of a few non-turkey restaurants that will be open on Thanksgiving. Completing these daily intentions.

Il Fornaio. Felipe Hartmano. A quick afternoon walk. Ellie waiting at home for me. Vegan Mondays. Fabe’s cookies.

Arriving at City Hall. The sign: You are beautiful, you can and will do GREAT THINGS. The upside down sign: Imagine Fairness. The sign: A Library is not a Luxury it is a Necessity. The sign: Free Hugs (with little potted plants near it). The sign: Unfuck the World.

Escaping from the Ron Paul supporters yesterday afternoon. The LAPD. A fun spontaneous date with Andy at the Biltmore. A nice chat with Mom today. Accomplishing a few things I’d been putting off. Daylight.

Andy’s housecleaning skills in advance of friends coming over. Andy’s participation in planning our “Jewish Christmas for Thanksgiving” i.e., Chinese Restaurant dining and seeing a movie. George Clooney. The new-to-me pumpkin dessert turned out great. Making a new friend. Ellie’s adorably social behavior and simultaneous willingness to stay off of the food table.

A wonderful morning of sleep. Informative dreams. Finding that To Die For Blueberry Muffin (cake) recipe. All the reviews that gave me the idea to use brown sugar for the topping instead of regular sugar. Nice weather for a sunset walk. The fantastic blueberry brie pecan recipe I just made up.

Autumn. Crumbling leaves. Decomposition. Biodegradability. The abandoned purple sofa. Tree roots.

Our patio Bloody Mary at Literati. Seeing the table near the fountain where he once sat waiting for me. Unusually warm weather. Feeling stronger during my weight training session. Walking up stairs with Andy just to view the crescent moon. The still present sadness.

Eleven hours of sleep last night. The red brocade covered book I had on hand to serve as my chess notebook. My recent loss which motivated me to read more lessons. The hand vacuum that picks up kitty litter. Tofu Tika Masala with Andy. Oops, remaining merely meatless instead of vegan on Monday, but realizing that’s okay.

Rediscovering Eddie Vedder’s work on “Into the Wild”. Getting the grocery shopping out of the way. Time to devote to chess lessons. Correspondence game with Robert. Seeing the sparkle return to Sam’s eyes. The new drawing app I encountered for the iPad.

The skateboarder who paused at just the right moment for a snapshot. The urge to take photos during my walk. Being safe in the crazy wind. Finally getting something done on the blog series. Last day of NaBloPoMo – yay! Not having to cancel the appointment.

December 2011

Left-over pumpkin experiment. Reconnecting with one of my teachers. The dream of my blog friends, slivers of glass, and my mother helping me wash my wounded palms. A visit from the plumber. Andy’s sweetness in picking up the tipped flower pot. Catching up on household paperwork.

Time alone. Tears. Coming so close to winning that game, right up until the moment I lost. Positive comments here at the blog. Passing by children on the playground on my way to dinner. Entertaining eavesdropping

Another good business meeting. Creative, charitable entrepreneurs to work with. Opportunities to learn. Opportunities to teach. The staff at Lares. Chats w/ Ken.

Looking forward to seeing the girls tonight. The way sunlight fills our apartment. Watching Andy & Ellie chase the fuzzy rainbow ball around. Anticipating a good long walk. TJ’s gingerbread coffee. The way Andy just brought a hot cup of it to me.

A supportive FB comment from an old friend. 3 mile walk in cool sunny weather. Not forgetting to take my Project 365 pic. That being self-employed is still working out. A successful vegan Monday. Rice Dream frozen dessert.

A comforting meeting with my therapist. Getting the grocery shopping out of the way. That Ellie is asleep in her castle instead of trying to sit on the keyboard. That Ellie loves back rubs. Our sun deck. How handsome Andy looked this morning.

Cool new gig starting. Enjoying being competent at one or a dozen things. Ellie’s soft fur. Sunshiny walk. Biceps. People speaking out.

The new menu at the Japanese restaurant down the road. Turning the women at the next table on to the joys of shumai. Finding eco friendly litter boxes for the new kitty. Enjoying some billable hours. The pleasant exchange with the nice man on the escalator. There’s still Gingerbread coffee available at TJs.

Finding the little black kitty who’s exactly the age and gender to complete our family. The nice workers at the Lange Foundation. That we passed the application process. Anticipating bringing new kitty home tomorrow. That our home is big enough for two growing cats. Watching Ellie skid around on the wood floor.

Waking up in time to see the lunar eclipse. Enjoying the “red moon” even though it appeared merely golden orangish from my point of view. A glitch-free contract signing as we adopted our new kitty. A nice note from a friend of a friend. Walking to Bar Food with Andy for chess and pints. Agreeing to call new kitty “Ruby”.

A nice afternoon with Andy. All the available free advice on kitty integration. That Ruby didn’t hiss when Ellie did. Making time to lift weights. Email. Two extra toilets for when one malfunctions.

Being able to stay in on a cold rainy day. Central heat. That neither Ellie nor Ruby have actually attacked each other yet. Ruby’s sweet demeanor. That Ellie’s been able to calm down after each visit with Ruby. Cat treats.

A peaceful kitten show down. Mammogram. That Mom’s still around to ask, “Why the mammogram?” That I’m able to tell her, “It’s just a check up, Mom.” December 13, 2010. All that I don’t have words for.

Waking before dawn. That Andy agreed to let the kitties have more face time. Watching Ellie explore Ruby’s room. Watching Ruby explore the downstairs. The way seeing the cats play together in their new home made me feel a bit like a parent on Christmas morning. Becoming a family of four.

Despite the media black out about it, having access to information about the National Defense Authorization Act. The ability to demonstrate my outrage over such egregious attacks on the rule of law. Andy’s support of my activism. That the Ron Paulians didn’t take over the event again. Meeting some passionate and energized people. Experiencing the value of being present and having that be enough.

Churning out a 900+ word essay on a whim in the afternoon. Having the five hours available to do so. That my headache went away. Writing despite that headache. Andy’s arrival for a nice evening. Pizza delivery.

Date night with Andy. A new drink favorite: the Ginger Pear. Tuna sashimi small plate. Fright Night On Demand. Cuddles from Ruby. Cake!

Finding pretty cool presents for the littlest kids in our family. Feeling no obligation to shop for anyone else. The book Andy found at Urban Outfitters that (shhhh, it’s a surprise) my niece is going to love when I send it to her after Spring semester starts. There’s still enough daylight in which to walk a couple of miles. Egg nog that will be at home waiting for me after my walk. So much to be grateful for.

A four hour conversation with a teacher I hadn’t seen in five years. That teacher. New creative developments. Ellie and Ruby showing new signs of peaceful cohabitation. Being able to work up in my office again. Lots of ideas.

Getting the holiday packages mailed to the young ones in our family. That feeling of confidence I’d forgotten about. Time with new friends. The surprise of realizing it doesn’t hurt when a large bird lands on your head. An unexpected message about something very dear to me. The kindness with which that message came.

The time to walk to & from a coffee date nearly 2 miles from my home. That my friend and I were able to make time for each other before she moves away. Watching Ellie washing Ruby’s face. Working from home. Seeing the purple door. Finding new and positive ways to think and feel about my deepest loss.

Quiet time to start reading a new book. Vegan bread. Getting some work done. The prospect of a walk, even if I didn’t follow through. Losing weight without trying. Losing weight without trying during the holidays.

Getting to walk through the tunnel under the 10 freeway. Tequila gifts from the staff at Lares. The Oaxacan Folk Art store on Pico. The kind proprietor there. The window displays at the thrift shop on my walk home. Christmas lights.

Enjoying Parenthood Season 2 on Netflix. A good weight lifting session. Movie date with Andy. Humboldt Fog. Wine bar at the Landmark. That we waited until 12/24 p.m. to break out the Christmas music.

A wonderful Christmas breakfast with my love. Watching the kitties spaz out over their new toys. Virtual hugs from Mom. A wonderful long chat with my niece. The healthy lives of my niece and nephew. Fun chess games with Dad and Ken.

Phone date with a dear old friend. That friendship. Lunch date with another dear old friend. That friendship. Afternoon date with Andy. That friendship.

Time to write a letter. Cool-warm-clear-dry weather. Cinnamon rolls left over from Christmas. Goofing off with the kitties. Dinner with Andy. My office.

Nicholas Kristof’s latest NYT piece. Compassion. Motivation to seek out ways to take action. Being surrounded by kind, nonviolent people. Ruby’s silky fur. Ellie’s sweetness.

Texts. Victories. Losses. Aches. Smiles. Writing for two hours only to delete.

Having Andy return home. Relief. Ricotta cheese. Moonlight walk home. The time to talk to the guy named Dennis who lives on the corner. His positive determination.

One last lemon drop of the year. My healthy annoyance at having unknowingly spent $19 on a drink when a glass of wine would have been fine. A movie date with Andy, even though his back hurt. Parking garages with the green and red indicator lights over the spaces. Getting Project 365~2011 organized. Cityscapes.

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