"When life doesn't seem like a bed of roses remember who wore the thorns." -Unknown

Ok Brad, here ya go. I don't have much that doesn't involve a whole lot of sighing but I'll give it a shot.

It's been a long time since I've publically counted my blessing and the small things that help me put one foot in front of the other. It's about time though.

1. My beautiful, smart, funny, sensitive and thoughtful babies.

2. The craptastic mommymobile. And it's bald tires, and scraped paint and leaky radiator. I've driven a minivan for more than 10 years...my dues are paid.

3. My patients who remind me to slow down and bring me roses from their garden even when they yell at me. We all have challenges and I don't get to see many folks on their best day. But sometimes I do.

4. Fritz's lowfat ice cream.

5. Reunions

6. CO2 cartridges. I had a flat for the first time out on the road and I walked down to a park to change it and happened to change it right next to a friendly triathlete. Her presence may not have helped much aside from significantly reducing the amount of cussing that usually accompanies my tire adventures.

7. Wednesday nights. Silly songs. Beer.

8. 10th row seats at the Brooks and Dunn concert. Blake Shelton is hawt.

9. Vacation.

10. The babysitter/second mom my girls had the good luck to spend time with the last 6 years. She's moving and I am realizing that I didn't show her how much I appreciated all she's done for our family. It is beyond words.

Please share your list...if anyone is still out there. I'm not packing it in yet. I just haven't been inspired lately. I think that it requires a certain amount of balance to be able to organize thoughts into something meaningful. I am the opposite of balance. I am reeling... stumbling, really. But I haven't fallen yet. And if I do, I have to trust that the inertia of memory will not allow me to quit. Even scraped knees and elbows bring with them a good story.