1,000 Joys: Part 19.

1. Bella Grace magazine
2. Buying a beautiful magazine with cash from my dad
3. The perfume from my furious writing period
4. Fairy-tale retellings
5. Tiny bells
6. Watching Oliver walk around Toys R Us
7. Medical staff who take pity on ignorant me
8. Old-fashioned bicycles
9. Anklets
10. Miniature daffodils
11. Miniature irises
12. Miniature tulips
13. The extra effort from Oliver's OT
14. The number eleven
15. Embroidered stars
16. Low-pressure editing
17. Violets on antique teacups
18. High tea
19. Turning in completed paperwork
20. Getting past the halfway point in a book or journal
21. Putting lines through Z's and 7's
22. Ancient Egyptology
23. Boiled eggs
24. Old perfume
25. Colorful glass bottles

1,000 Joys: Part 18.

1. Purple nail polish
2. My gray Ariel jacket with teal stitching
3. Citrus scents
4. Having already exercised
5. Pen and paper aisles
6. Long dessert spoons
7. Oliver's liking some fruits
8. My liking some vegetables
9. Pink polka dot fleece pants
10. Limoncello bubble bath
11. The Fuchsia Fairy
12. The Willow Fairy
13. Air conditioning in the car--luxurious!
14. Baby blue mailboxes
15. Driving through a canopy of trees
16. Church bells
17. Books of fairy tales
18. Faerie Tale Theatre
19. Ibuoprofen
20. Sunshine warming my arms in the car
21. Theatre parking deck tickets on the dashboard
22. Homemade chips at a restaurant
23. Pioneer bonnets
24. Opera glasses with mother-of-pearl
25. Curtain calls

1,000 Joys: Part 17.

1. Green lace
2. Rollerskates
3. Francesca Lia Block's characters
4. A ruby red slippers pin from my friend Kendall
5. Being brave enough to ask for help or a change
6. The color blue
7. Fresh sheets
8. People who are more flexible with everything than I am
9. Finding perfect backpacks for Oliver
10. My polka dot lunchbox
11. My champagne glitter Keds
12. My mom's drawings
13. Keyholes
14. My black polka dot raincoat
15. Dumpster-diving squirrels and look-out birds
16. Cardinals
17. Steam on my face
18. Extra blankets
19. My jewelry or shoes splashing spangles on the car interior
20. Birthday party memories
21. A wooden brush from Keely
22. Playing Treasure Mountain with Tracy
23. Stickering pencil boxes at Leah's
24. Playing in Harmony's attic
25. Re-watching a favorite movie and noticing new bits

1,000 Joys: Part 16.

1. People who ask questions
2. Oliver's plush seahorse
3. Hearing, "Tell me."
4. The planner trend--more stickers!
5. Sunshine in leaves
6. A preview of cool fall weather
7. How, upon entering Barnes, Oliver says, "Cake?"
8. Plain cheesecake
9. Memory of Dad playing Chicago ballads on the piano at a former convent
10. E-mails from Melissa
11. Little gifts in the mail
12. My hair, red in the sunlight
13. Moments of courage
14. Memoirs
15. Libraries
16. Mechanical pencils with good erasers
17. Pens! They're pretty magical
18. Frogs on my walking path
19. The fact that I can write again
20. My super-sturdy Cinderella purse
21. Tasha Tudor's corgi obsession 
22. Singing "Stars" from Les Mis in the car with my brother
23. Sweet comments from Shane
24. Oranges
25. Sea glass

1,000 Joys: Part 15.

1. A husband who can read anything
2. A husband who doesn't raise his voice
3. A husband who doesn't use substances
4. A husband who only touches me with gentleness and love
5. A husband who takes in extra work
6. A husband who will make phone calls
7. Cheese tortellini
8. My gold-fringed book/journal bag from high school
9. Patrick Stewart
10. Science fiction and dear ones who love it
11. Star Trek Generations--it doesn't get old for me
12. Going to Cine Barre with Mom
13. Absence of pain (after endometriosis and childbirth)
14. Josh: If you want, I'll tickle your back while you read.
15. The mermaid Mom drew for me
16. Noticing the lack of stress
17. Tiny beads and crystals
18. Cursive
19. Oliver's obeying the first time
20. Liking my handwriting on a particular day
21. Figuring out what Oliver is telling us
22. Reading the hope in my old blog posts
23. Socks with stars on them
24. The memory of swimming in Lake Norman with Dad, Michelle, and the boys
25. Oliver's singing the months of the year

1,000 Joys: Part 14.

1. Bella Pilar's sparkly girls art
2. Oliver's ability to take his medication
3. Mild guacamole
4. Bananas that open easily
5. Sudden writing ideas
6. Having blogs to express myself
7. Knowing someone is reading my blogs
8. My seahorse pillow with clear sequins
9. Josh's shoulders
10. The shift into autumn air
11. Colorful office supplies
12. Little House books
13. My old American-Girl-fueled daydreams
14. American Girl book illustrations
15. Tasha Tudor illustrations, especially for A Little Princess
16. Being someone's priority
17. Doll and dollhouse accessories
18. The Biltmore Christmas shop
19. Black Lion store
20. The old Catz CD-ROM game
21. The memory of playing Myst with my dad
22. Trading makeup with Mom
23. Getting laundry out of the dryer when it's still warm
24. The sound of coins clinking together
25. Checking several items off my list at once

1,000 Joys: Part 13.

1. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, one of my favorite books
2. My favorite teen movie, Center Stage
3. Mary Engelbreit art
4. Josephine Wall art
5. Susan Branch's little paintings
6. Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies
7. An E-mail reply from an old friend
8. Rachel Weisz. She's just so lovely
9. A couple of hours of just Josh and me
10. The number 16, the date of both our anniversaries
11. Sequins
12. Rosettes
13. Rhinestones, especially stars
14. Mermaid notebooks from Michelle
15. A snowflake scarf from Shane
16. Oliver's astronaut pajamas
17. People who just try to be nice
18. My durable Cinderella bag
19. Bruce's buying me coffee at Barnes
20. Playing book games with Bruce
21. Memories of my friendship with Nick
22. Our apple slicer
23. Generous stepparents
24. Two toilets in one house!
25. Three sinks in one house!

1,000 Joys: Part 12.

1. Semicolons used correctly
2. Drinking Sprite and eating Whoppers
3. An expensive Uniball gold pen
4. Wild wind during a walk
5. Writing down a beautiful quotation from a book
6. Having so much to tell someone
7. 15 more minutes of sleep
8. Remembering that I have a master's degree
9. Pink and gold
10. Eating movie popcorn with Bruce
11. The purple eyeshadow Dad bought for me
12. Memories of Irish step dancing
13. Remembering our dear friend Kay
14. Having a Target nearby
15. Ordering a cheap book
16. Someone's sort of dedicating a song to me
17. My blue boots
18. Oranges, peeled
19. Seeing someone use something I gave him or her
20. Pottery Barn Teen catalogs
21. Betsey Johnson jewelry
22. Oliver's occasional complete sentences
23. The Twelve Dancing Princesses, my favorite fairy tale
24. Songs with lyrics like contemporary poetry
25. The reprinted fifth reader Mom and Dad gave me when I was ten

1,000 Joys: Part 11.

1. Fairy tale paper dolls
2. Josh in jeans
3. Sunshine in the guest room
4. The sun hitting metallic gold ink
5. Literacy
6. Feeling better than yesterday
7. Memories of "Little Christmas" with Melissa
8. The continued delight of sparkling gel pens
9. Slates and slate pencils
10. My little red antique trunk from my great grandparents
11. Browsing in an antique store with Mom
12. Sunset Boulevard with Dad
13. Gifts in the mail for no reason
14. Dippin' Dots
15. The sound of the dishwasher running--accomplishment!
16. Slim Jims and sunflower seeds on car trips
17. Reading instead of something else
18. Non-ugly tissue box designs
19. Feeling pretty
20. Memories of my pink chair and canopy
21. Alone time
22. Writing while sitting up in bed
23. Checking multiple items off a to-do list
24. Writing a wish list
25. Bits of alone time with Josh

1,000 Joys: Part 10.

1. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment
2. A bucket full of crayons
3. Hardcover books without their jackets
4. The light pink lining in my purse
5. Finding something I'd forgotten
6. No homework!
7. A seahorse-shaped bookmark
8. Having kept a journal for more than half my life
9. Oliver's eating an apple
10. Big closets
11. The new World Market that just opened here
12. Oliver's doing the Hokey Pokey
13. Tiny seahorse earrings
14. Having a fireplace
15. The choice and then feeling of forgiveness
16. Leaving a big tip
17. Photos in which I'm clearly happy
18. Being with someone who loves my nose
19. Time on my chaise
20. 100-calorie packs of almonds
21. Tattoos that are beautiful on other people
22. Headbands that are beautiful on other people
23. Mini shopping carts
24. Oliver in his tiger pants
25. Silver coins

1,000 Joys: Part 9.

1. Cold raindrops on a hot evening
2. The children's book Stellaluna
3. The soothing safe green walls at Oliver's therapists'
4. Newly cleaned-out drawers
5. Finding a good purpose for a lovely decorative box
6. My mom's saying a piece of clothing is "seasonless"
7. Levenger catalogs
8. The sun warm on my back
9. Unidentified berries scattered on the road
10. Quill pens
11. Gift shops at museums
12. Having the courage to talk to a salesperson
13. Indoor plumbing!
14. How much Oliver loved his toy vacuum
15. How much Oliver loved his toy stroller
16. Mom's cheerful voice when she answers the phone
17. Crossing an item off a list
18. Someone unexpectedly talking about my blog
19. Seeing new journals at Barnes
20. Cars that look like happy faces
21. Talking to Michelle about Bates Motel
22. Tiffany's blue
23. Colorful sticky notes
24. The pop and hiss of opening a soda can
25. Baby lamb sounds

1,000 Joys: Part 8.

1. The pop of pen caps
2. When someone tells me, "No worries."
3. Afternoon baths
4. Tiny owls
5. Sugar Gliders
6. Gold polka dots
7. Faux peacock feathers
8. Finding an unopened package of pens
9. Finished chores
10. Rereading A Little Princess and The Secret Garden
11. Falling asleep before the fire
12. Pajamas for Christmas
13. Going somewhere like Barnes and recognizing myself
14. The memory of Christmas at Pansy Cottage
15. Anticipating pull-overs and cardigans
16. Having more than one favorite color
17. Pictures of cute cupcakes (I need a book)
18. Heart-shaped glitter
19. Comments on my blog
20. The collage of cards by my bed
21. Josh's short day--a shared nap!
22. Reading poetry aloud
23. Josh's chin
24. Encouraging E-mails from Bruce
25. Ribbon bookmarks

1,000 Joys: Part 7.

1. Days of the week mats in hospital elevators
2. AAA when a tire is flat
3. Mom's crab dip
4. The rubbery handles on my water bottles--easy to carry
5. Cherry Sprite from Sonic
6. Musical theatre--for me, it's like magic every time
7. Amtrak daydreams
8. The colorful drawer knobs on my awesome desk
9. Surprising help from family members and friends
10. A sheet of college-ruled paper
11. Paper Source--the name does not express the shop's whimsy
12. Papaya!--a gorgeous stationery and accessories company
13. Tiny treasures in my Christmas stocking--one of the best bits of the year
14. Someone's saying, "I'll  take care of it."
15. My precious pink baby blanket, surprisingly sturdy all these years
16. James Taylor's singing, "River."
17. Composition books in their many forms
18. Ice in a beverage
19. People who are kind on the phone
20. The fact that I've never wanted to try substances
21. Oliver's being verbal
22. Egg salad sandwiches
23. Front-row seats to Phantom
24. Grace
25. Blue markers

1,000 Joys: Part 6.

1. Rosebuds
2. Josh's cursive
3. The snowflake dishes Melissa gave me when I was eighteen
4. The new tiny freckles around Oliver's nose
5. Spotting Disney Princess items in stores
6. Wild violets popping up in the grass
7. Amy Brown's fairy art--a joyous teenage discovery
8. The Dancing Moon shop in Boone
9. Pentel metallic gel pens
10. Gelly Roll Stardust pens
11. The fox dress socks I gave to Josh
12. The fun of choosing and giving gifts
13. Cinnamon mints
14. Cinnamon floss
15. Fringe journals
16. Honey-scented bubble bath
17. Honey on warm, buttered biscuits
18. Cracker Barrel with Mom
19. TGI Fridays with Bruce
20. MST3K with Josh
21. My dad's taping my childhood plays (not that I want to watch them!)
22. The overpowering scent of cinnamon in stores near the holidays
23. The word wonder
24. The word delight. The words taste like what they mean.
25. Bubbles

1,000 Joys: Part 5.

1. Bubble bath!
2. Bath bombs, especially those with rings inside!
3. Unicorn and mermaid trends
4. The thrill of completing a journal
5. GoodReads
6. Discovering that one of my favorite authors has a new book out
7. The words on my duvet cover: Hope, Peace, Love, Imagine, Joy...
8. My princess-y bed-white metal with fancy curling
9. My pink coasters with Audrey Hepburn quotations on them
10. My inhaler
11. Uplifting Christmas carols
12. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"--my favorite carol
13. My cousins. They're turning out so cool.
14. Snowflake ornaments
15. Price stickers that peel off easily
16. Jimmy Fallon. I love his laugh.
17. Back tickles from Josh
18. Oliver's singing songs we've listened to together
19. Mom's washing my hair after hair dye. Soothing.
20. Remembering to wear one of my necklaces
21. The pink velvet seats at the Peace theatre
22. A kiss on the inside of my wrist
23. Dangerous Angels, probably my favorite book
24. Lotion on itchy-dry skin
25. Checking off a book on GoodReads for all to see!

1,000 Joys: Part 4.

1. The sensation of a clean face
2. Finding a stray bit of glitter
3. Hot pink metallic eyeliner
4. Oliver's team: doctors, technician, teachers, and therapists
5. Dark denim
6. Writing in a journal and finding a sticker I haven't had for years
7. New release bays at libraries
8. Changing the calendar page
9. A sudden comment from a Borders friend
10. The book awareness from working at a bookstore
11. Memories of stick-on earrings
12. Sonic ice
13. Color names--crayons, nail polish, eyeshadow, lipstick...
14. Memories of tiny blue-tailed lizards
15. Falling into a reading flow state
16. Teal file folders and purple hanging folders
17. Cherry Sprite at Sonic
18. Having an abundance of blankets
19. Making my therapist laugh
20. Writing on a white board with a royal blue marker
21. Showing silly videos to Josh
22. Ice and water dispensers on fridges. They're like magic!
23. A book so good that I look forward to time with it
24. Seahorses!
25. Holding hands

1,000 Joys: Part 3.

1. Thunder--when I'm indoors
2. The fragments of color in a faux opal
3. Good morning texts from Bruce every day
4. Colorful cardstock paper
5. Water on my neck and arms after a walk
6. Oliver's muttering while he eats
7. Cold water from the fridge in the middle of the night
8. Josh's saying, "That's fantastic," when something's really funny
9. Michael Crawford's voice
10. Billy Joel's voice
11. Kevin Spacey in general
12. Oliver's arranging his shoes and socks just so after taking them off
13. The memorable texture of my dearest friend Keely's hair
14. Smelling like bubble bath
15. Jeremy Sumpter as Peter Pan--perfect!
16. A burning scented candle
17. Having everything in my Google calendar
18. Pink polka dots
19. Having a husband who is a super reader (even if I envy him)
20. Easy left turns--real gifts!
21. Looking at journals at Barnes
22. Peter Pauper Press journals
23. Mermaid stickers
24. Magic Shell
25. Red and pink hearts

1,000 Joys: Part 2.

1. Door knockers
2. Pretty skeleton keys
3. Susan Branch's handwriting
4. Watermelon, a newly discovered joy
5. Sonic's ice
6. A vanilla milkshake
7. My mint green Shabby Chic blanket
8. Oliver sitting in his school chair with his coloring sheet
9. Strangers' telling us we're such a cute family
10. Oliver's slowly spelling his name
11. Jeans that fit
12. My Madame Alexander Cinderella doll from Mom
13. Flowers at the grocery store
14. "Game of Jones"
15. Ava Ryan (tiny comedian)
16. Pancakes with pecans or walnuts
17. Crab rangoons
18. Season theatre tickets
19. Re-watching favorite movies with a friend
20. Watching Oliver put together a puzzle
21. Reading a children's book I missed
22. Amazon recommendations
23. Baby ducks in our pond
24. Foaming  hand soap
25. Testing eyeshadow and liner on my wrist

1,000 Joys: Part 1

I'm reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. This is the first book I've been able to read in weeks (okay, months). It's given me new thoughts about the power of gratitude. The author, over time, made a list of 1,000 gifts in her journal. I've decided to try that too, but I'm calling my list "1,000 Joys." I don't know how long it will take me, and I'm sure I'll have repetitions. I'm going to keep the list in my journal and then share it with you. Here's Part 1:

1. The approach of fall
2. The blue knit hat that my mom made for me
3. The black pen that has white ends like a magician's wand
4. Foxberry Road and other pretty street names I pass
5. Inks, jewel-like in glass bottles
6. Puff tissue with lotion
7. Red seedless grapes
8. Our washer and dryer--miraculous!
9. Oliver's singing the chorus of "Just Another Day" from Next to Normal
10. Oliver's singing anything
11. Cedar wood
12. My big pink water bottle
13. Pretty pouches full of pens
14. The egret that visits our pond
15. Turtles sunning themselves
16. Sesame Street and muppets, which make both my boys happy
17. Stretchy pants
18. Sunshine naps
19. Oliver's teacher's saying, "He had a good day!"
20. A big cobb salad with lots of avocado
21. Twice-baked potatoes
22. Falling asleep right when I'm sleepy
23. Sticky flags with book characters on them
24. Lip gloss that sparkles
25. My faux lavender rose in a glass Dr. Pepper bottle