100

Today is the 100th post of 2011, officially surpassing the 99 of 2010.  It's sort of a milestone for me as I have been able to write, without any real interruption, each and every day for the last few weeks.  I' feeling myself settle into my voice as a writer--not just here on the blog though the daily practice helps--but also in the things I am working on for publication.

This hundred post mark seems like a good occasion to make a list--I love lists--but I've been struggling with what to put on it.  As simplistic as it may seem, I decided on the following.  It's a little self-indulgent, but then again, so is having a blog to begin with.

Things I Love (in no particular order)

1.  my backyard at night
2.  my dog in the morning
3.  myself
4.  my family
5.  my ever impressive circle of friends
6.  you--yep, you.  I do.  I love you.
7.  the number 7
8.  Tom Robbins' brain
9.  Neko Case's voice
10.  the tree drawings of Birger Sanzen
11.  grapefruit scented candles
12.  surprise flowers from friends
13.  being told I am adored
14.  knowing it is true
15.  my unicorn blanket form when I was twelve
16.  my stuffed hippo collection
17.  my mix and match handmedown furniture
18.  birdsong
19.  the smell of woodsmoke in the fall
20.  fog so thick you can't see two feet in front of you
21.  Van Morrison
22.  dark chocolate
23.  high heels
24.  long, close hugs that make you feel safe and protected
25.  my laugh when something really amuses me
26.  Paul Celan's "Corona"
27.  the films of Kate Winslet
28.  Kate Winslet
29.  that my grandparents--circa Titanic--thought I looked like her
30.  orange day lilies
31.  wildflowers (real & the Monets)
32.  old books
33.  good quotations
34.  Rumi
35.  Bethany Lutheran Church
36.  my Nanny & Grandad's house
37.  my mother's dancing
38.  cool pillows
39.  the weight of Zelda in bed with me
40.  messages from old friends
41.  drive-in movies
42.  Willa Cather's Song of the Lark
43.  Lyle Lovett
44.  plaid shirts with western snaps
45.  soy chai lattes
46.  children's laughter
47.  Jimmy Carter's voice
48.  Holly Hunter's voice
49.  my body
50.  my father's laughter
51.  the hat that still smells like my Mimi
52.  prayer
53.  knowing what I want
54.  meditation
55.  love
56.  reading in the sun
57.  reading in the dark
58.  driving with no destination
59.  heartfelt speeches
60.  honesty
61.  the moment a person realizes s/he learned something
62.  Zelda running at the dog park
63.  the sound of cicadas
64.  large bodies of water
65.  the smell of fresh cut grass
66.  Netflix
67.  pictures from my childhood
68.  long hot baths
69.  the sound of running water
70.  peanut butter toast
71.  vodka tonic with lime
72.  communicating without words
73.  kisses on my kneecap and wrist
74.  letting go of my need to control things
75.  Dairy Queen chocolate dip cones
76.  the sky just before it rains
77.  accents (hearing them, doing them, all)
78.  knowing my life can be whatever I make it
79.  Jack Kerouac
80.  Loretta Lynn
81.  singing
82.  dancing to rap music in my car
83.  Ani DiFranco
84.  Jackson Street Booksellers in Omaha, NE
85.  really knowing my students
86.  really letting my students know me
87.  being a teacher
88.  dark blue walls
89.  starlight
90.  harvest moons
91.  burning fields
92.  the way a good book can change your life
93.  Anne Sexton's poetry
94.  star shaped anything
95.  silence
96.  my faith
97.  cooking
98.  choosing for myself
99.  trusting the universe
100. this moment