Celebrating Twenty on Twenty
Inspired by my friend Molly O’Neill who shares a birthday with me, I wanted to do a list of 20 things that stood out during this past year of my life. (If you didn’t know, today is my birthday and I sometimes get all reflective and kooky about life on August 20th). Obviously, this list does not include all the special moments, just 20 that I can look back at and smile. What are your 20?
1. Watching the awesomeness of Niagara Falls with my family standing around me. It was inspiring and hilarious as we (my husband, kids, parents and sister) were all getting drenched on the Maid of the Mist and yelling, “This is not a mist! This is not a mist!”
2. Celebrating the book launch of The Red Umbrella with about 400 people crowded into Books & Books in Miami. (Okay, this was probably #1, but then I’d sound so… I don’t know…me, me, me. Blech.)
3. Watching my sons play at the beach. This is a favorite of mine wherever they are.
4. Going to my room late at night and finding my sons sleeping in my bed, then snuggling in next to them.
5. Having my husband all to myself every once in a while for date-nights.
6. Watching my grandfather teach/play poker with my boys.
7. Seeing my grandfather teach my youngest how to shoot pool.
8. Knowing that my sons are too young for my grandfather to teach them how to smoke cigars or drink. J (Just kidding, my grandfather doesn’t do that…anymore).
9. Seeing my mother-in-law enjoy traveling the world with her friends.
10. Having a sister who will bring lip gloss, a hairbrush and powder to my book signings so I don’t look too bad in pictures.
11. Being able to visit schools and interact with kids and teachers (especially those teachers that are old friends).
12. Watching my brother-in-law film and make the most amazing book trailer for The Red Umbrella. (Seriously, go look at it on youtube if you don’t believe me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1WIeamMlWw )
13. Participating in a debut group of authors called the Tenners who have shared this incredible year with me (all the ups and downs).
14. Having my dog survive when we thought all hope was gone.
15. Reuniting with a friend I hadn’t seen in 15 years and feeling like we’d seen each other last week.
16. Finding friends from when I was young on Facebook.
17. Making new friends on Twitter/Facebook and meeting them at my signings.
18. Watching the series finale of LOST. (Yes, I was a HUGE fan).
19. Finding a double rainbow (while at Niagara Falls) and cracking up just thinking about the double-rainbow guy. (“What does it mean, man?”)
20. Realizing that naming 20 on 20 is not that difficult of a thing to do. I am blessed.