Summer Tea Rose, from our summer garden, forms a perfect natural mandala, Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 2008, photo © 2008-2009 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
I try to end the year with a Gratitude List. I find it a good practice to honor having lived another year. And to equally honor the people, places, and sentient beings who make life rich and worth living.
Last year, I used the ABC’s as a format for a 2007 Gratitude List and liked that structure, so I’m going to continue with it this year. I kept it simple, and I’m sure have only touched the surface. If I’ve forgotten anything or anyone, please know you are in my heart.
What are you grateful for? For many, 2008 was a hard year financially, emotionally, and physically. I find that a belief in something bigger than me, and faith, keep me going in the down times. I want to try to remember to live one day at a time.
On the 2nd day of 2009, it is sunny, blue, clear, and I woke up to exactly 0 degree temperatures, a perfect circle — the best of winter in Minnesota. Winter is all whites, blacks, blues and grays and makes me feel alive. And, for some reason, Winter always reminds me of the color of Spring.
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A – Afterglow – making Art, making love, walking in the sun, glistening humidity on the face of a July Savannah day
B – Building & Blooming – a writing life, a life together, a community, a garden, a studio space, a spiritual foundation
C – Chaco, Cravings, Creating – creating anything: a photograph, a piece of writing, a mandala, a clay set of Runes, a painting, a community, a blog. Chaco — I’m so grateful he is alive to take us into the New Year, our little miracle. Cravings – what do you crave? That’s where your passions lie.
D – Death & Dying – the threat of death wakes us up; the death of dry summer flowers makes way for next year’s Spring blooms; the death of one career makes space for the life of another; the death of a loved one or pet leaves us grieving, sad, yet appreciative at the miracle of one more day.
E – Eating! – food, food, food, all kinds of food. Don’t like to cook but love to try new foods and savor the old Family Recipes.
F – Friends & Family & Fathers – circles of closeness, moving out from center. Different levels of intimacy, all important to a thriving life. It would be lonely without family and friends. Fathers — I have had quite a few. I’m thankful for what they have each brought to my life, and the chance to rebuild broken bridges.
G – Gratitude – humble gratitude for others, those who came before us, those who run parallel, the children of the future, all teach me perspective
H – Humility & Home – it’s a gift to be alive. Humility helps me remember — Do not waste this precious life. Home is the place that holds history, the place I feel safe.
I – Introspection — most comfortable in the cave of Bear, what I learn there can make me a wiser, better person when I go back out into the world
J – J. & January – I’m grateful my brother walks with us into another year after spending time last summer in the ICU. It’s always scary when family members are gravely ill. January offers the promise of a New Year.
K – Kindred Spirits – those who travel beside us. They change faces from time to time, but that is to be expected. Endings lead to new beginnings.
L – Love & Liz – sappy, I know, but love is a wondrous thing. It heals many wounds. Was it in Bucket List where the narrator said, “We are not the things that love us; we are the things we love.” Giving is better than receiving. Love lost brings the opportunity to love again. You never know when you will fall in love.
M – Mothers & Grandmothers – mothers continue to provide much of the nurturing in this world. My mother is my biggest fan and offers loving support to me in this crazy writing life. Thanks for traveling with me and continuing to answer my endless questions about family history. Thanks for believing in me. And for instilling into your children permission to follow their dreams. Thanks to my Grandmothers who walk with me every day.
N – Noses – medium, broad, ski-jump, upturned, and small. Noses hold glasses close to the eyes. Smells are the best connectors to memories. Think of your favorite smells. A keen sense of smell leads to a keen sense of detail.
O – Optimism – I tend to see the glass half-full. I am of the belief that setting positive intention creates cairns that guide through the tough times. Right or wrong, it helps me through sadness and grief and is the philosophy I live by.
P – Passion & Peace – do they go hand in hand? Maybe not. It’s hard to believe the things people do to each other out of passion. It makes it hard to keep the peace. Still, I believe it is possible.
Q – Quagmire – one of my favorite words. noun: a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot. What would life be without the uncertainty of sinking quagmires that eventually lead back to solid ground.
R – red Ravine – so grateful for the community who visits here. And for the creative practice that has developed around red Ravine. Every day offers new surprises. Thanks for dropping by, for what you have given to creating this space.
S – Summer — the longer I live in a Winter climate, the more I appreciate Summer and the Southern roots I grew up with. When I lived there as a child (and now when I visit) I never stop sweating!
T – Teachers & Time – the gift of time. Every moment is a gift. The next could be our last breath. Or something could happen that changes our lives forever. There is no way to prepare except to honor each moment. Teachers, mentors who are wiser than I am. If only I would remember to keep listening.
U – Underwear – it’s a simple thing, isn’t it, underwear? Some people don’t wear it but I can’t imagine not having it. Cotton, all cotton, please, and I only wear Jockeys For Her. More expensive but they last longer. So worth it!
V – Vacations – oh, how I long for another vacation where I sit on a beach somewhere and do nothing. No writing, no thinking, no work, no nothing. Simply being still and silent and listening to the ocean, Zen heartbeat of the Universe.
W – Writing & Art Buddies – they take many forms. Writing Practice groups, community on red Ravine, writing retreat friends, local writers, regional writers, artists who inspire, writers and poets who have written books that changed the world. It’s too lonely to try to do this alone.
X – X-Treme Living – life goes on with or without us. It can be an extreme act of grace to make it through another day.
Y – ybonesy – I couldn’t do this without her. The creative collaboration of red Ravine has led down many fruitful, winding roads. And it all started that day in Taos after a writing retreat with Natalie Goldberg. I have so much gratitude for Natalie who taught me about the practice of writing and helped me believe in myself.
Z – Zest for Life – passion and doing what we love keep us from becoming complacent. Please, don’t let me take life for granted. (Plus, Zest is a fun word to say!)
Rose Mandala, Raindrops On Roses, Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 2008, photo © 2008-2009 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
-posted on red Ravine, Friday, January 2nd, 2009
-related posts and to read more about the practice of Gratitude: Feelin’ Down For The Holidays? Make A Gratitude List, The ABC’s Of A Prosperous 2008 – Gratitude, I Am Grateful For The Alphabet 😉
QM, I love your gratitude list! When I first started reading the alphabet I made it as far as J. With tears flowing, I had to take a break & compose myself to finish reading the list.
Thanks! I really think I needed that moment after the hustle & bustle of all of the holidays. I’ll come back & comment on some of mine later. Stay warm. Love you! D
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Sounds good, diddy. And thanks. So much to be grateful for this year. We are staying warm, watching a movie, Atonement. Liz worked today and is pretty wiped out. More later! Have a good Friday evening. Love to both of you there!
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What an amazing idea. I love your list. Mothers got me, having lost mine in 2008. She was my biggest fan.
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J, thanks. Sorry for your loss last year. That’s got to be hard. I feel grateful to have the time I do with my mother. I don’t live in the same town, so it’s a treat to be able to go home or to travel with her. She wasn’t feeling well for part of the trip last year and we had an emotional few moments walking along my Grandmother’s grave in Georgia. It hit me hard how much I will miss my mother when she passes on. I couldn’t stop crying. Bonds between mothers and daughters can be really strong.
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D – Some fine it hard to be grateful for Death. But you write about it in a way that gives hope. Death is a door . . .
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QM: It is bitter cold in Wyoming today and the photos of your lovely tea roses warmed my heart (if not my toes) with the promise of another spring and summer to come!
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to recognize that gratitude and joy are inextricably linked. You can’t have one without the other, and conversely, one leads to the other. I find them both in abundance on your list. Thanks for sharing your practice.
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Wow, there’s nothing simple about this gratitude list. It is brimming with lots of thought. I love it.
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Hey QM, what a GREAT(ful) list! And I am so grateful to you for everything you did for me and red Ravine in 2008. You are an inspiration and a rock. And now in the newly born 2009, you continue to be someone I can depend on.
At this moment I am especially fond of V—Vacations. 2008 was a year of several short, New Mexico-based vacations for the family, plus a couple of international work trips that were as good as vacations.
And 2009 promises more…we got in today from a spontaneous two-day trip to northern New Mexico—Angel Fire—where my niece taught my girls how to snowboard. My sister and I sat in the glorious sun overlooking the beginner hills. It was such a fun impromptu trip, and we got to spend the night at another sister’s cabin.
And I am so grateful to everything that red Ravine has brought into my life. Friends, creativity, motivation, and the opportunity to continue a friendship and creative endeavor with you.
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Also want to add that the tea roses are so clear and beautiful, I had to go look at them again. And there is something about turning the calendar that gets one ready and grateful for blooming flowers.
Also, Brian’s comment made me go back and re-read D. I love how you put it. Very poignant and so true.
Underwear. I need new underwear. Boy do I. I think I may be down to less than two weeks’ worth, which is horrible when you go through a clothes-washing hiatus.
And I like the words quagmire and zest, too.
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QM, yb, tonight J & watched a DVD James Taylor-One Man Band that was included with a CD that I requested as a Christmas gift. A., who is the youngest of the boys, bought it for me & I was unaware that it was a CD & DVD as a double. In the DVD James is playing at the Colonial Theater in the Berkshires. It was amazing! He explains why each song was composed & for whom he had written it, along with a slide show. Before one of the songs, he explained how he had written it because after his wild years, he suddenly realized that a door opens & then you find life. So, Tysdaddy’s comment just kinda hit the nail on the head.” Death is a door…”
The DVD couldn’t be more perfect & J.T. is very funny! It’s a great family watch! There were a total of 19 songs & I strongly urge any James Taylor fans to get this!
Much gratitude for both of you & the red Ravine community. This is one of my feel good places to visit! D
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ybonesy, welcome back! Sounds really fun to sit at the beginner’s hill and watch people learn to snowboard. I had a friend about 8 years ago who was in his early 40’s and decided to learn to snow board. I went and sat and watched him on the beginner’s hill until he finally got the courage to head up the steeper hills. It really was fun to watch. Most people who are out skiing are having the time of their lives and love the sport. The last time I downhilled was in Whitefish, Montana. I was quite a bit younger. I couldn’t believe how high the mountains were. I was terrified right before I said, to heck with it and let go down the hill. I fell a few times. But mostly kept up with my more accomplished buddies who were skiing through each other’s legs and all kinds of tricks. My favorite part though was the ride up the lift that takes you to the top of the world. That’s got to be one of the most peaceful things ever.
Glad you got to get away for a while. It sounds like you had a relaxing Holiday vacation. We have to head over to some friends’ house soon to give Sub-Q fluids to one of her cats. She’s out of town and one of her cats who has IBS is having a little episode. I’ll be here a bit longer, then check in more later! Happy New Year, yb.
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diddy, I’m a big James Taylor fan and have been since his early days. In fact, we just watched him on Elvis Costellos’ Spectacle music show. I think it was on the Sundance channel. Anyway, it was really great because, like you say, he was explaining the story behind all of his lyrics and songs. The one I remember is Sweet Baby James which he wrote as a tribute to, I think, a nephew born into his family at that time who was named after him. But don’t quote me on this because I’d have to recheck the facts!
I remember that he was an addict back in his early days and wasn’t he also in a mental health hospital for a time? But then, yes, a door opened when he made the decision to turn his life around and he’s definitely done that for a long time now. Remember when he was with Carly Simon and they lived on Martha’s Vineyard. I only remember because it was about the time I happened to visit there and wondered where their house was.
Sounds like a great Christmas gift from A. Might have to watch it with you next time I’m there. James had a brother, too, Livingston Taylor (I always liked that name) who made a few albums. I think I still have them in the studio. Thanks, diddy. Welcome to another year. I’m looking forward to the promise of 2009!
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breathepeace, I think the cold has hit us now. Did you send it from Wyoming? It’s about -2 with a wind chill of -21. Temps took a big dive overnight! But warmer again tomorrow. I believe the same, that gratitude and joy are linked and that you can’t have one without the other. The more I remember to be thankful and to give back, the more joy I feel and the less disgruntled about the things in my life I’m not happy about. It’s hard to do sometimes. I think these concepts are universal, too, across all religions and types of spirituality, regardless of belief. Thanks, breathepeace.
Brian, the D for Death was a kind of strange one that came out on this list. I’ve been thinking about it a lot in 2008. A little something related to what my mother said to me that day we were walking in the cemetery, that if her time came, she was ready, and not to worry. It started to make me wonder, am I ready? And also my brother being ill last year, and I have another brother who has had several liver transplants and loves life so much. It all makes you wonder…in 2008, I was wondering.
Bo, Happy New Year. And thank you!
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QM, you know, I have to watch the DVD again soon. I missed a lot because most of the dialogue had me laughing! He did explain for whom Sweet Baby James was written. For the life of me I can’t remember for sure. Both J & I are big J.T. fans!
I forgot to tell you how much I love the photos of the tea roses! One of my favorites. Beautiful!
Also, underwear? Really? I did not wear them for a while, except to work. I hate wearing a bra & it is one of the first things to come off when I am at home.
But, your entire gratitude list is great! Many of the same things appeared in my gratitude list.
Oh, & just a reminder that the Eagles & Vikings play today at 4:30 on FOX. D
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You are my kinda gal!
Thank you for this!
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Beautiful list.
I’m grateful for you and YB as you have enriched my life through your posts here at red Ravine.
The tea rose reminds me of warmer times, and just looking at made me feel just a little bit warmer.
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