African sunrise, 2007 -- Photo by Pat Bean
African sunset, 2007 -- Photo by Pat Bean
1.The rose and purple glow of the eastern sky at sunrise.
2.Health.
3.Children who accept an imperfect mother.
4.My black cocker spaniel, Maggie, who has been my sole traveling companion for the past five years.
5.Listening to a storm rage outside while I’m cozy inside.
6.Friends, especially those who kick my butt when I get off track.
7.My oldest son’s safe return from three tours in Iraq.
8.A new journal and a good pen 9.
Learning something new. 10.Spell check.
11.Soft fleece blankets.
12.Books and the authors who write them.
13.Awaking to the sound of birds singing outside my RV.
14.Wild flowers and manicured gardens.
15.Hearing my children ask me to cook one of their favorite meals for them.
16.Citizenship in a country where a woman can safely travel the streets alone with her face uncovered without fear of being stoned.
17.Spring fields of bluebonnets in Texas.
18.Grandchildren who keep me young.
19.My passion for nature and wildlife.
20.Drivers who don’t tailgate, or get in front of you and slow down.
21.The magnificent view from the top of Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park and being able to still get to the top to see it.
22.People who’ve helped me through hard times.
23.Cargo pants and bright colored T-shirts.
24.The 37 years I spent as a journalist.
25.The Internet, where I can almost always find the answer to my many questions.
26.Tough writing critiques that help me become a better writer.
27.The opportunity to experience my teenage years, for the first time, in my 40s.
28.The return of wolves to Yellowstone.
29.Holding hands with family at Thanksgiving while everyone tells what they are thankful for.
30.PBS Television. 31.My zest for life. 32.The blue-footed boobies that danced and dived for me in the Galapagos. 33.My friend, Kim Perrin, who knows all my secrets and won’t tell because I know hers, too.
34.A hot bath.
35.The heady colors of fall leaves.
36.Personal achievements of family members and friends.
37.Cool Texas days.
38.Completing a difficult task.
39.Comfortable shoes.
40.My morning two cups of coffee laced heavily with half and half.
41. Funky, no nickle, earrings for my sensitive ears.
42. Rivers to float down and oceans to wade in.
43.Travel to new places.
44.Clean bathrooms whose toilet paper rolls are not empty.
45.Helen Reddy singing “I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar.”
46.Immunizations
47.Getting to meet and interview Terry Tempest Williams and Maya Angelou.
48.That I finally learned to ski.
49.People who work for peace.
50.Moisturizing cream for my dry skin.
51.People who greet you with a big smile on their faces.
52.Laughter
53.Pleasant surprises.
54.Love, received and given.
55.A good margarita shared with friends around a campfire.
56.Giant redwoods
57.That when my mother died it was in my home and with my growing-up anger toward her long vanished.
58.A crackling fireplace and a good book on a cold day.
59.Waking up to a world made pristine by an overnight snowfall.
60.Reading glasses.
61.My youngest daughter’s caring ways – and her shepherd’s pie.
62.My middle son’s shared love of birding.
63.My oldest daughter’s shared love of writing.
64.My oldest son’s concern for me. 65.
My youngest son’s search for himself, even though he is doing it outside the family fold at the present time.
66. My oldest son’s wife who is my guardian travel angel.
67.My middle son’s second wife who cares for four of my grandchildren as if they were her own.
68.My youngest daughter’s husband who is the handyman of the family.
69.My oldest daughter’s husband’s quirky ways.
70.Days when I can go braless.
71.Roger Tory Peterson, who created the first user friendly field guides for identifying birds.
72.Washing machines and dryers
73.Chocolate
74.Scenic byways and backroads
75.Days when my mutual funds make money instead of losing it.
76.Christmas carols.
77.My Golden Age Passport.
78.A fresh hair cut and color.
79.Good memories of my youngest brother who died of AIDS at the age of 35.
80.Sailing on Great Salt Lake
81.Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and his sunflowers.
82.Days when I don’t put my foot in my mouth.
83.Pretty paper and stationery.
84.Cell phone alarm clocks.
85.Back scratchers and fly swatters.
86.Good binoculars and birding scopes.
87.The magic, silent gray minute between which night becomes day.
88.Scenic hikes, like the one up Negro Bill Canyon outside of Moab, Utah. 89.Fireflies.
90.That we still have whooping cranes and condors in this world.
91.Homemade ice cream.
92.Digital cameras.
93.A good non-stick skillet.
94.Soft flannel pajamas.
95.Maps.
96.Scented candles.
97.My monthly Social Security check.
98.Roller coasters and tandem sky-diving jump masters.
99.Mosquito repellant.
100.Red and Orange sunsets that paint the western horizon.
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