1,000 Joys: Part 31.

1. A stocked picnic basket
2. Multiple baths in one day
3. Johnny Jump Up flowers
4. A wine bottle full of fairy lights from my mom-in-law
5. New creative journaling magazines
6. People who keep fairy lights on in their rooms
7. Memories of a blue glitter lamp
8. Stretch bracelets
9. Memories of improve classes
10. Glitter on my eyelashes
11. Glitter on my glasses
12. Our big living room--good space for Oliver
13. Shine-proof makeup primer
14. Sunlight on my journal pages
15. Google Calendar--keeps us on track
16. Cold whole green beans as a snack
17. Butter. Of course.
18. Hearing someone play the piano
19. Packages that actually come to the door
20. Disney T-shirts
21. Stories with velvety details
22. Other people's charm bracelets and charm stories
23. Front-row balcony seats
24. Black eyeliner with colorful glitter
25. Pink lines in a journal

1,000 Joys: Part 30.

1. Ballerina stickers
2. My green lampshades
3. Mixing chocolate pudding with Cool Whip
4. More Flower Fairies in my life
5. Devouring a good magazine in one sitting
6. Memories of fairy tales with Aunt Linda
7. Reading poems aloud in the bathtub
8. Good stepparents
9. Love letters and love E-mails
10. Soup To Go cups
11. Hugs from my brother
12. Instant forgiveness
13. Tree shadows
14. Love despite all that makes me unloveable
15. Pre-meal bread at restaurants
16. Metaphors that work decently well
17. An old notebook full of pictures and colorful scribbles
18. Josh's high school spiral notebooks, which I saved from the trash
19. Watching SNL with Bruce
20. Discovery of Bruce Hornsby after hearing "Mandolin Rain" in a coffee shop
21. Transplanting work from my journal to the blog
22. An unopened water bottle in my purse
23. Oliver's love of drinking water
24. PB&J--Josh makes it perfectly
25. The urge to climb trees

A New Page.

(I'm still working on those Joys lists!)

A fresh page always has a little excitement. Will I dare to scrawl my words over this pristine page? One can't think about that. One must believe that the words are worthy, that the paper is doing its great work by accepting the brilliance and nonsense that flow from mind to pen. If we don't believe that, how will we ever put down a word?

I hear people say that a journal is too beautiful to write in. But how else can we experience that beauty? Carrying it around, scribbling bad poems in it, crying on it, coming to it for solace and a kind of companionship--these actions make the beauty ours. And if it is sturdy, the journal will stay beautiful, even when we weigh it down with the unthinkable.

A Bold Reader.

(Don't worry; I'm still working on the "1,000 Joys" lists!)

I greatly admire my husband, particularly for the way he reads. While I'm floundering after only 18 books this year, he's reader 59 books so far. He's done that while working full-time plus extra. I haven't worked about from caring for Oliver, yet I can barely pick up a book. I don't know what strange fears are behind this, but I have certainly been a timid reader this year. I want to turn that around, now and for the rest of the year. I won't change my goal; I'll go ahead and fail, but I will get strong.

I don't think Josh has ever looked at a book and said, "I don't think I can handle that." Lately, I feel that way about most books, from huge diaries to slim volumes of poetry. Josh had a challenging masters program that made him a stronger reader, and he hasn't slowed down. My program challenged me as a reader too, but my reading muscles have atrophied. I want to tackle and savor any book (even magazines are difficult now!) that catches my attention.

I want to be a BOLD reader who says "Sure, I can read that," who stays with a book, and who stretches for more. An expansive, adventurous, and wild reader.

And next year, I'll set my goal for 50 books, and I'll reach it.

1,000 Joys: Part 29.

1. Crackling candles
2. Using a scrap of time to write
3. Lipsticks in metal casings
4. Holiday sets (already!) at Ulta
5. Earrings showing through my hair
6. Answering creative questions
7. A smooth new lock
8. Memories of the Mast Farm Inn
9. Rare stable energy
10. A light heart at bedtime
11. Book lights
12. Fantasizing about expensive Lollia bubble bath
13. Anything shaped like a cupcake
14. Having a good gift idea
15. Pretty postage stamps
16. Monochromatic outfits
17. Pink and silver together
18. Thick silver ink on black paper
19. Cherries at the bottom of my Shirley Temple
20. Miniature bubble bath bottles
21. A mini gold pen pouch
22. Wands with floating glitter--soothing!
23. Marbles
24. The moment of seeing a snowflake up close
25. Glowing stars on the ceiling

1,000 Joys: Part 28.

1. The decision to be a bold reader
2. Pink office supplies
3. Cutting out paper dolls
4. Lawn tickets and a thick blanket
5. White glitter
6. Following writing prompts
7. Madame Alexander's Rocker Bride doll
8. Pastel chalk on dark paper
9. Silver confetti--coaches and castles
10. Floating sparks from a bonfire
11. Spotify playlists
12. A little extra alone time
13. Tiny perfume bottles made of beads
14. Tiny wooden apples
15. American Girl doll accessories
16. Walking under stars with Bruce
17. Aquamarine--my favorite stone at the moment
18. A clean, plain white T-shirt
19. Memories of shopping at Levenger with Dad
20. Floating hearts glitter in my phone case
21. Testing nail polish on floor tiles
22. Snow Babies
23. People's remembering my seahorse obsession
24. My old collection of ballet slipper ornaments
25. Eyeshadow palettes that include brushes

1,000 Joys: Part 27.

1. Books about being French
2. Scottie dogs
3. Boiled eggs
4. Giving my mom a doll
5. Oliver's saying, "It's pretty."
6. Shimmery blush
7. Smooth glitter nail polish
8. An entire box of one color crayon
9. Native American Playmobile set
10. Finding a rare Dodie Smith novel at the library
11. Wearing too much eyeliner
12. Reading multiple books at once
13. Wearing too much glitter
14. Josh's touch, sometimes all that holds me
15. Hearing trains
16. Doctors who listen
17. When my glitter perplexes people
18. Anything with mermaids
19. Cleaning out my Amazon wish list
20. Reading a whole book of poems in a day
21. Using Amazon Smile and donating to IBDF
22. 4-ink pens
23. Blossoms on water
24. Wisteria tangled in woods by the road
25. Ink called Amethyst