a gray walk through blackwell forest. meditation on geese swimming through the half-broken ice pond. taking in the silence. the sharp wind. the colorless sky lidded over a line of birch trees on a hill. it seems the world is crashing into the new year. hardly a moment for introspection. do i make a resolve here? do i ask for comfort and cohesion? i note the plant life, motionless, under the cold surface of the pond. there is still green in the spiky, stoic leaves there. there are unseen roots. something moving within the veins of this pond stem. something that animates it even, keeps it alive, though it appears to be frozen and dead. i know there is something there.
everyone seems to make a list at the end of the year. here's my compilation of 23 things, in no particular order, that made 2003 bearable for me:
1. clay aiken's eyelashes. (i love when he closes his eyes and belts one out.)
2. keri smith's wish jar journal (www.kerismith.com) along with her whimsical illustrations.
3. writing poems and short stories, particularly over the summer.
4. the hallmark jingle bell bear on my dresser this christmas season.
5. reading sam keen's "fire in the belly" and caroline myss' "sacred contracts."
6. wandering through blackwell forest and walking along the trails of herrick lake.
7. listening to new music by dido, arvo part, gloria estefan, rickie lee jones, madonna.
8. the view from our room at "the monte carlo hotel" in las vegas and floating in their swimming pool.
9. mtv's "rich girls" and reruns of "hazel" after going out to breakfast on sunday mornings.
10. the "yahoo" instant message system.
11. watching the guilty pleasure film "uptown girls" in a theatre filled with adolescent girls.
12. colonial's "new york cherry" ice cream over the summer.
13. watching an old rerun of "the judy garland show" back when barbra streisand was a guest star.
14. three pillow phone conversations with my friend claire from portland that offered big "aha!" moments.
15. warm chamomile tea and honey before bed.
16. new songs by my lightbulb friend lucas mire (www.lucasmire.com).
17. a conversation and an egg nog latte with dawn in chicago at christmastime.
18. the rare opportunity to sleep late and remember my dreams.
19. teaching my humanities class over the summer quarter.
20. hugs and kisses when i got home.
21. amber and lavender shower cream from france lavished in my jacuzzi.
22. the bangles reunion song: "something that you said" that makes me feel like i'm 24 again.
23. dancing "the electric slide" with anthony at my niece's wedding.
