Got to Philly and back without a problem. I had been worried about this for weeks because I'm nervous going up there. (Talk about lists; I have a long list of things to worry about--very convenient, as I can just pick and choose.) Pat's hearing aid has to be sent away to be repaired and he may need a stronger one, but for now, the present one's okay.
Earlier, I attended the Friends of the Little Egg Harbor Library meeting. I'm not sure how interested I really am in this. They seem pretty backward-looking, acting alarmed when I suggested using e-mail to inform people of gatherings, even though they had bemoaned drawing so few attendees. The way they let people know what's going on is to post information on a piece of paper over the copy machine (!). I think they have a newsletter, but the president said she "hasn't been keeping up with it." They do have $4000 in the treasury, and are trying to entice a mystery writer from NYC to speak at an upcoming meeting.
Alison called last night and invited us for Easter--great! Hope J., J., J., and little Whosit will be there.
Okay, my list of joys--not at all comprehensive, of course:
Sunsets over the trees behind my house: They may not be as spectacular as Arizona's, but they're beautiful--all gold, rose, and purple.
Our home itself. It's been four years since we moved here, but amazingly often, I'm aware of how much I love it and how lucky I am.
Being able to drive: I didn't get my license until I was 45 and I still get a thrill out of it--I mean I often consciously think "I can drive!" (For a wonderful treatise on this, see Agatha Christie's autobiography.)
Being with my children, grands, and great-grands: This may be a cliche, but I don't care, I never see enough of them.
My glass of wine at night. I look forward to this with a rummy's fervour.
Right now, spring, with the flowers coming up and the trees budding. This always seems like a friggin' miracle to me! When we lived in Ewing, Pat and I used to walk around outside the house during the first spring days and survey our plantings. Then the thought always came to me--melodramatic, but hell, that's my persona--"We survived another winter."
Poetry.
Good books--OR books I enjoy, "good" or not.
Having Pat able to still go to the bay everyday.
Touring old houses.
Travel. I had a small window in my life when I could go places--after the Taking Care of Kids, Scarce Money, College and Career considerations eased up and before the caregiver situation. I loved it all, especially California and Asia, and hope to do it again.
I just took a sip of another joy: my coffee in the morning.
Getting out of the shower and into a freshly-made bed.