1. God
2. Loaner cars
3. Eating apples so I can answer if someone says “how you like them apples?”
4. Root vegetables
5. A warm coat
6. Walking with Mr. Peabody who doesn’t mind the cold
7. Cats that snuggle close
8. A record waiting for me at the library
9. Talking with David and Chris about plans
10. Open hearts and open minds

1. God
2. Perfect fall days (before the cold shadows descend)
3. Sunlight on a house (it’s not mine but I like to walk past)
4. Coffee, and bones for Mr. Peabody and catnip toys for the cats, inside a surprise package from Crystal
5. Meeting other dogs
6. “Not my circus, not my monkey” (in other words, not my problem, from the Polish)
7. Sleep and wakefulness

1. God
2. Veterans
3. Soldiers
4. Families
5. Observance
6. Parade
7. Time at the end of the street

1. God
2. Sight
3. Sound
4. Touch
5. Smell
6. Taste
7. Reach
8. Body
9. Heart
10. Awareness

1. God
2. Gratitude finds you
3. Learning from Laura that the average bear is smarter than we thought, elephants have remarkable communication and emotions (maybe they dream of music,) and other non-human traits that belie human uniqueness (and aloneness.)
4. Hearing what I could not hear before
5. Not minding
6. Letting someone else figure it out
7. November
8. Company of cats
9. A dog with his own destinations and people who care for him and are happy to see him

1. God
2. Mr. Peabody, our new beagle
3. Cats
4. Dogs
5. Walking
6. Meeting the neighbors
7. Cassie’s enthusiasm and love
8. Pet sounds
9. Focus
10. Breaks

1. God
2. Storms passing over
3. Emily hosting David
4. Hannah’s continued success at school
5. Cassie finding supportive folks at work
6. Dropping a parking lot ticket in the airport, returning to the spot where it might be and finding it
7. Plans that energize

1. God
2. Cutting the last flowers before the frost and filling vases
3. Dried herbs
4. Cloud bridges
5. Seeing John C. again
6. Questions answered in their own time
7. Questions unanswered
8. Countries within

1. God
2. To you for tirelessly working towards a more open, affirming, compassionate church and world
3. For welcoming our family
4. For supporting Sarah throughout the ordination process
5. For blessing the pink house
6. Meeting you at the monastery and your kind whisper
7. For your kindness after Sarah made the change
8. For your embrace of Cassie and our family’s second iteration and your beautiful wedding gift
9. I was dismayed when you insisted that Sarah, who is now called Chris, take a leave of absence because of her/his next transition, it seemed punitive; and I was also moved when years later you acknowledged how your thinking evolved into acceptance (long road for us all, perhaps)
10. For your death with dignity, surrounded by your brethren, with reflections expressing sadness and above all, gratitude.

1. God
2. Roads
3. Avoiding big puddles
4. Wind
5. Clouds
6. Blessings
7. Erica’s industriousness