Kidlings who hog the covers in the morning, and simply refuse to get out of my bed unless I tickle them and hug them at the same time.
Purple mascara. Okay, it is really more of a smoky amethyst, but it sure looks pretty and brings out the green in my eyes.
Electric candles. I have a large one on my credenza at work, on a timer, that flickers just a bit and smells ever so slightly of vanilla.
My passport, stored in my fireproof box at home, waiting, patiently, for me to take it out and acquire another stamp. My kids have them, too.
Facebook friends who send me good karma, and drinks, and tattoos, and little smiley thingies. I don't actually keep any of the "stuff", but I love the friends.
Coffee, rich and warm. More than the coffee, I am grateful for Patrick (and Paul before him, and Brett before him) who made me stand up from my office chair and take a walk every morning. I actually like that more than the coffee, though don't tell them that.
Closet jewelry shoes (you know, the pretty but completely impractical type) that help me look good for the five minutes I can stand up in them. It also is a great thing to show my daughter that there are many sides to every woman, and to never forget it, even if it hangs out in the back of the closet under a bag of dry cleaning.
Lego's that hurt when I step on them, are scattered all over the house, and can cure every bad mood my son ever has. Lego's are magic for him. Not just the building, but the destroying and story telling and gathering and caretaking and love that every single block brings.
Movies on summer nights. Films in the Forest in Carmel; RedBox in my living room; Maya; Osio; free movies at the State. Yeah, movies.
Trains that will stop in a bunch of locations on the way to Denver. It is a 30 hour trip. We will go over the Rockies. We will eat in the dining car. We will read some silly books. We will sleep. We will have tons and tons of time to talk.
Craft shows on Saturday afternoons. I buy nothing, but talk to a dozen different artists about what inspires them and how their process and soul gets woven into something tangible. They listen as I tell them about writing. We each envy the other for the part of creativity we would like to have.
An organized garage that allows me to find everything I need to mess it up again.
Costco dogs, and friends to eat them with.
Cameras built into the phone. Yes, the pictures are grainy and not great on the focus, but wow, to get to have that moment RIGHT THEN, and then get to share it via another phone. The most recent was shopping in Florida, cars being test driven in San Francisco, a sunset in Maui, and suitcases being used as racecars in a driveway in Marina.
Blogs. Friends who read blogs. The words that come as I type the blog. Spell check.
Knowing I get to be grateful again tomorrow.
