A List

Our nephew and his family from Detroit were to arrive yesterday for supper. After a visit, we planned to get them settled into the guestroom over on the main campus. He called about 9 a.m. to let us know his 3-year-old daughter was sick, and they would not be coming. 

Since I now had unexpected free time in the evening, I browsed thru my composition book of notes from books about writing and the exercises I had penned. 

One of those exercises was to list 10 items that held emotional weight or meaning. I wrote my list about 4 years ago. Aside from a few of my mom's things I brought home after her funeral, overall the list would remain the same.

1. Diamond wedding ring set--38 years [now 42] of the ups and downs of marriage. I picked it out; romantic and old-fashioned. Still love it.

2. "Life scrapbook"--Corraling all the documents, certificates, bits and pieces of ephemera in one place. Deep down probably an effort to leave a record of me.

3. Blue/purple/pinkish bead necklace and earrings--My first attempt at beading. A connection with Jeanette who taught me, and with the other church ladies who learned with me.

4. Willow Tree Nativity--Rustic style suits me; separate pieces allowed me to leave out magi who were not at the stable. Remembering my Savior's birth.

5. Folder of decorating pictures [now grown to 8 folders!]--Clarifying my tastes. A lot of unfulfilled wishes but also vicarious enjoyment.

6. Gratitude/happiness journal--Way to focus on positives of daily life, not negatives which would be my natural tendency.

7. Miniatures in printer's drawer/box--Years of travel and good times.

8. ipad--Willingness to move beyond malfunctioning Nook; a way to get on with it. Made a financial commitment after disappointing loss, taking a risk on another device. Connecting to home when away, an umbilical cord to home.

9. Knitted dish cloths--Getting through tough time after foot surgery in productive way by learning how to knit. Distraction from pain. 

10. Collection of digital photos--Beauty. Enough to make Power Point slide show, a new but creative endeavor for me.

What would your list include?