Pat Bean's blog

“The world has enough beautiful mountains and meadows, spectacular skies and serene lakes. It has enough lush forests, flowered fields and sandy beaches. It has plenty of stars and the promise of a new sunrise and sunset every day. What the world needs more of is people to appreciate and enjoy it.” Michael Josephson.

Who wouldn’t be thankful for butterflies? — Photo by Pat Bean

1. To have survived another year.
2. That my five children, 15 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren and their families survived the year, too.
3. The little third-floor walk-up nest I’ve created for myself here in the Catalina Foothills of Tucson.
4. My canine companion, Pepper, who daily brings me joy — and exercise as she requires four or five daily walks.
5. That my book, Travels with Maggie, is finally out to the world. Now if they will just buy it.
6. Story Circle Network, whose members are there daily to support my writing efforts, and cheer me when I’m sluggish.
7. That I’m a writer, and can capture life as it flies past on the wings of a butterfly, and enjoy life twice over.
8. My nightly hot bath, which I believe is the most luxurious thing in the world.
9. Advil.
10. Friends, far and near, old and new. My life would be much poorer without them.
11. Kind, caring, and loving people whose actions bring sunshine to a world that too often these days is filled with cruelty.
12. The beauty of the Sonoran Desert, which became my home in 2013.
13. My journals, which are filled with memories of past days, so many of which I would have forgotten without them.
14. Rainbows. They bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart.
15. Caramel/sea salt ice cream, chocolate, too, of course.
16. Comfortable clothing and soft blankets. Old skin, I’ve discovered is more tender than young skin.
17. That I love to cook, and like what I cook, because eating out is too expensive for my budget.
18. That my two sons and their spouses, children and grandchildren, who live on the Texas Gulf Coast and were in the path of Hurricane Harvey, all escaped harm and property damage, although some of them had to evacuate because of rising flood waters.
19. Gold and orange sunrises and red and purple sunsets, and all their other colors, too.
20. The surprises my guardian angel daughter-in-law, Cindi, is always sending me in the mail.
21. Books.
22. National parks, state parks, national forests, wilderness areas and wildlife refuges that protect the land and its critter inhabitants.
23. That I still have a zest for life.
24. Cayenne, my small car that provides me the freedom of the road when my feet itch and my wanderlust can’t be contained, even if it’s just for a day’s outing to the top of Mount Lemmon, whose peaks are visible from my bedroom balcony.
25. Readers of this blog, and for those who have bought and read my book, Travels with Maggie.
26. The freshly laundered smell of the desert after a rain storm.
27. All the birds I’ve seen, and all the birds I hope to see. Bird watching has brought a joy to my life.
28. Ponds moisturizer, which I’ve used all my life.
29. The cup of good coffee laced with half and half that begins my days.
30. Saguaro cactus blossoms.
31. My monthly Social Security check.
32. A new, blank journal and a good pen.
33. The internet that lets me quickly me find answers to my unending questions.
34. Sherry Wachter, who formatted Travels with Maggie, and without whose help my book may never have been published.
35. Comfortable shoes.
36. Butterflies.
37. The New York Times, whose web pages I read with my morning coffee.
38. Smucker’s sweet orange marmalade.
39. My appreciation of art.
40. Hugs.
41. Stormy days with a good book in hand.
42. Texas bluebonnets.
43. The golden color of aspen leaves in the fall.
44. Helen Reddy singing “I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar.”
45. Smiles.
46. A stiff Jack and Coke with a friend and good conversation.
47. A good pair of eyeglasses
48. Backroads and scenic byways.
49. Rollercoasters
50. Scented candles.
51. Laughter.
52. A good massage.
53. A good haircut.
54. That I come from strong female stock.
55. The return of wolves to Yellowstone, and that I got to see one.
56. My white-water rafting days that included two trips down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon.
57. That Arizona does not do daylight savings time.
58. Audible books.
59. Board games with friends.
60. People who pick up their dog’s poop, and who don’t litter.
61. Still having more things that I want to do every day than I can possibly do.
62. Polite drivers.
63. Alone time to contemplate my navel.
64. Roseate spoonbills, and the lovely pink reflection they create when standing in shallow water.
65. Short, scenic hiking trails.
66. Waterfalls.
67. The verdins, hummingbirds, woodpeckers and bats that feed from my balcony nectar feeder.
68. Children who worry about their mom, even if their worrying annoys me.
69. Discovering a new author that I like, and who has a backlog of books I haven’t yet read.
70. The color red.
71. My new red tea kettle
72. Potatoes slow-cooked in a skillet with onions and bacon for breakfast.
73. Air conditioning that makes living in the desert possible.
74. The pair of great-horned owls that live and raise babies in my large apartment complex.
75. Trees: Live oaks, palo verde, cottonwoods, birch, aspen and all the other noble species that provide us with fresh oxygen.
76. My old body, which has given me 78 good years and still counting.
77. Grandsons that move furniture and carry in groceries.
78. My library.
79. The fragrant scent of a blooming gardenia bush, which always reminds me of my grandmother.
80. Flannel pajamas on a cold night.
81. That I was accepted as a Lonely Planet Community Pathfinder this year.
82. That one of my granddaughters is driving from Dallas to spend Thanksgiving with me.
83. My microwave, which I use to heat up leftovers since I always cook more than I can eat the first time around.
84. My daughter’s washer and dryer, since I don’t have one and I like clean clothes.
85. My computer and Kindle
86. For Facebook, which lets me see my great-grandchildren, who live in Texas and Florida, as they grow up.
87. For clean motels that accept pets.
88. For the treats, especially the chocolate chip cookies, that my friend, Jean, the culinary teacher, brings me.
89. For a star-filled sky, and a full-moon night.
90. A visit with long-time friends who live far away.
91. My pocket digital camera.
92. Mornings when I’m awakened by birds twittering.
93. For Dusty, who is Pepper’s canine best friend, and the joy I get watching the two of them play together.
94. Antibiotics.
95. Live theater.
96. Clean water to drink.
97. All days in which I learn something new.
98. Scotch Tape, because I’m always adding things like cards and photos to my journals.
99. A comfortable recliner.
100. And simply that I’m alive and happy to be so.

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