#8

For the citrus smell that lingers on my hands after I peel an orange to share with my son.  As Pablo Neruda wrote, "Orange, / the world was made / in your likeness."  I can share the world with him, bit by bit, the sweet and freshness of it, and carry some reminiscence with me.

#7

For unexpected opportunities, like my in-laws from across the country potentially moving in to our guest house, and the extended possibility that my brother-in-law might come, too, from China.  You never know how the trajectory of your life might turn on a dime, in a day, and how perceived tragedies might bring with them unexpected blessings.

#6

During a week bookended by holidays, I spotted a butterfly flitting about my neighborhood on Christmas Eve, drove two hours north to meet Santa on a train and play in the snow, narrowly escaped being stranded by a blizzard, saw snow flurries in north Phoenix, and watched Spitfire take her first tentative steps on a pair of roller skates.  Despite never really having settled in to life in the desert, this week has held a mystique that can't be found in many places, and reminds me to appreciate what this place has to offer.  After all, if you can't be with the one you love... love the one you're with.