1. The sight of my son stretched out on the sofa, lost in a book

2. My daughter happily working on and completing a class project

3. Petey the Kitten lying on the kitchen table in all his sleek black glory, quietly watching the fish swim in the aquarium. Yeah, he was ON THE TABLE, but he was the picture of contentment.

4. The beauty of an old brick wall and a curved wooden bench covered with peeling greenish blue paint

5. Seeing the last of Christmas slip neatly into boxes and feeling neither relieved nor melancholy

6. The beautiful photo I received of Susan and family

7. Hearing Jackson Browne sing “Doctor My Eyes,” “Late for the Sky,” and “The Pretender"

8. The wreaths that still hang on doors in the neighborhood

9. Glistening tarts, decadent cakes, golden loaves of bread. and stacks of waffles glimpsed through the bakery window

10. Taquitos, salsa, and tomato soup with cheddar cheese for dinner

January 4, 2007

Copyright 2007 Veronica McCabe Deschambault and V-Grrrl in the Middle. All rights reserved. www.v-grrrl.com