Pat Bean's blog

I’m thankful I got to ride a camel with my 4-year-old great-grandson Kaiden. It was a first for both of us. — Photo by my granddaughter, Keri.

In No Particular Order

1, That at 76, I rode a camel for the first time – and with a four-year-old great-grandson.

2. America’s soldiers, who fight for my freedom, especially the ones I have as a woman able to travel alone and voice my opinion without fear of being stoned. I think daily of my sisters across the ocean who suffer the tyranny of men.
3. The vivid colors that sunrises and sunsets paint the canvas sky.
4. My canine companion, Pepper, my shadow who is full of joy and who keeps me from ever feeling lonely.
5. Listening to a storm rage outside while I’m cozily standing on my third-floor balcony looking out over the Sonoran Desert, for which I am also thankful.
   

   I’m even thankful for Pepper after she’s killed a stuffed cat and I have to pick up the mess. — Photo by Pat Bean

6. Friends, far and near, who know and accept me for who I am, an old broad who is now trying to live life so there will be no regrets.
7. That magic, silent gray minute between which night becomes day.
8. A new journal and a good pen.
9. Learning something new every day.
10. Air conditioning, heaters, washing machines, soft blankets, a comfortable chair with a good reading lamp, hot baths and all the other comforts of life so abundant to me.
11. The humming birds, verdins, finches and even woodpeckers that visit my nectar feeder daily, as well as all the other species of these winged creatures that live beside us, often unseen.
12. Books and the authors who write them. “Reading gives us some place to go when we have to stay where we are.” – Mason Cooley 
13. Road trips.
    

    I’m thankful for the color yellow. — Photo by Pat Bean

14. The multiple moods of the Catalina Mountains that form the backdrop for my view from my bedroom balcony. They shimmer in sunlight, take on a green hue after a heavy rain, and play hide-and-seek among the clouds on stormy days.
15. The amazing and supportive women of Story Circle Network, a group of writing women to which I belong. .
16. Fields of colorful wild flowers, especially Texas’ bluebonnets.
17. Lake reflections, especially those that let you enjoy the vivid color of autumn trees twice.
18. My passion for nature and wildlife that makes each and every day amazing with surprises that range from a double rainbow to a speckled fawn stepping out from the trees.
19. Every morning I awake ready for another day.
20. All National Parks, but especially my beloved Zion in Southern Utah.
    

    A Texas sunrise

21. That I’m a writer and can capture life on the wing and live through the good times twice.
22. Comfortable shoes, cargo pants and bright-colored T-shirts, my wardrobe of choice.
23. My life, the hard of it and the joy of it, which has made me the person I am today.
24. Heartfelt hugs
25. That I got to see the return of California condors to the wild and wolves to Yellowstone
26. Ibuprofen to relieve aching bones and muscles after hikes and on cold wet days.
27. Holding hands with family at Thanksgiving while everyone tells what they are thankful for.
28. That I am reasonably healthy, and that I can pay for decent health insurance, even if it takes a huge bite out of my limited budget.
29. The pair of great-horned owls that mated in a tree in my apartment complex and gave us three young ones who posed for my camera.
30. My good women friends, Kim, Kris and Jean, who know all my secrets and won’t tell because I know theirs, too. And my good male friend and former colleague Charlie, who kept me sane when we worked together and who still cheers me on.
    

    Acadia National Park in Maine

31. African, cream-laced coffee, something I became addicted to in 2007 when I visited Kenya and Tanzania and went on safari.
32. Large, gnarly live oak trees that provide beauty to the soul and shade on a hot summer day in Texas.
33. Gurgling brooks, flowing rivers, memories of giant rapids I’ve survived and waterfalls.
34. Personal achievements of family members and friends – and of course my own, too. .
35. Scented candles
36. Completing a difficult task.
37. Smiles and belly laughs
38. My small apartment in which I’ve nested now for three years without my feet getting too itchy.
39. Happy hour on my balcony with a good friend and a stiff Jack and Coke.
40. When the Palo Verde trees bloom and the roadsides turn yellow.
41. My pocket Canon digital camera with its great zoom – and stabilizer that allows this amateur photographer to take good, sometimes great, photos.
42. Antibiotics and vaccinations
43. Helen Reddy singing “I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar.”
44. That the price of gas has dropped.
45.   My wrinkles, flabby belly and sagging boobs that are well-earned and name me survivor. I’m just happy to still have some go in me.
46. The journey between destinations
47. People who still believe that despite all the wars and chaos in the world, there is still hope for peace, even if not in our lifetimes.
48. Moisturizing cream for my dry skin.
49. The almost daily e-mails I share with a daughter-in-law.
50. Time to read, and good glasses that make it possible.
51. Short hikes that are still within my ability, like the one to Emerald Pools in Zion, which I did on my birthday this year.
52. Good memories of my mother.
53. My daily walks with Pepper
54. WordPress for hosting this blog
55. An evening spent in a clean hotel room after a long day’s drive
56. Aspens in fall, when their colors twinkle in the air and the leaves sing to you, which happened to me last month when I took a road trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon
57. Waking up to a world made pristine by an overnight snowfall.
58. People who like and comment on my blog.
59. The honking of geese as they fly overhead
60. Butterflies
61. Board games with competitive people who are as good losers as they are winners.
62. Full moon nights, or dark nights with thousands of stars
63. A good haircut, which was almost a rarity this past year.
64. That I now have a great-granddaughter to go with my three great grandsons.
65. That I haven’t had any recent dental problems, especially since I have no dental insurance.
66. Bra-less days.
67. The fun I have with my watercolor paintings, even if they aren’t masterpieces.
68. My curiosity
69. Roger Tory Peterson, who created the first user-friendly field guides for identifying birds, a hobby that has given me many hours of enjoyment. .
70. That Pepper, unlike my former canine companion Maggie, likes to cuddle up close on cold nights – warm nights too, which is OK because I have air conditioning.
71. Chocolate and ice cream.
72. Scenic byways and backroads – which I promise myself I’m going to travel more of in 2016.
73. Days when my mutual funds make money instead of losing it.
74. Time alone with my thoughts.
75. Audible books, especially on nights when my eyes are tired but I can’t sleep.
76. The GPS, which I finally got this year.
77. My brother Robert, who moved to Tucson this year, and who hasn’t once pushed my buttons the wrong way. We’ve done that to each other over the years.
78. The many opportunities to see live plays in Tucson. I’ve gone to quite a few this year, and not once been disappointed.
79. Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and his sunflower paintings, and all the other artists who charge my creative battery.
80. My writing desk with its window view and computer that has behaved all this past year.
81. The fun stationary a granddaughter gave me, and our notes back and forth to each other.
82. The many long talks I’ve had with my oldest daughter this past year while she drove to work. They’ve brought us closer than we’ve ever been.
83. Pedicures and French manicures.
84. Going to sports events and other activities involving my three grandsons, ages 14, 15 and 16, who live in Tucson.
85. My good non-stick skillet and favorite pan

88 The two hikes I’ve taken up Ramsey Canyon this year, one of which gave me a red-faced warbler, which is now the 707^th species on my life bird list.

89. That there are still plenty of birds to add to my life list
90. My monthly Social Security check.
91. Soft flannel pajamas
92. The color purple.
93. The new recliner I bought this year when I was suffering from back pain, but I’m thankful I don’t have to sleep in it any more.
94. That I can wake up without an alarm clock, even if it’s at 5:30 a.m.
95. Maps to dream over. .
96. The public library, which gives me endless books to read when my budget is strained to the breaking point.
97. Fireflies
98. The fragrant scent of a blooming gardenia bush, which always reminds me of my grandmother.
99. Mosquito repellant.
100. Last, but certainly least, my family, which includes five children, 15 grandchildren, 4 ½ great-grandchildren, and my adopted grandchildren, Cory and his wonderful family. And BJ, who recently graduated from high school, and whom I haven’t seen in way too long