Fifty is a big number for me this year. It all started in 1964 in New York.  Everyone was so excited for me, or maybe the World’s Fair?  But I arrived and now it’s fifty years later.  I’ve been thinking a lot about my new number. The number 50.  It’s kind of fun being around for 5 decades, watching the changes within and without.  Feeling the beat change as new music becomes old and then new again.  Listening to my parents play Downtown by Petula Clark.  Why do I love that music so? It moves me to a time and fills me with happiness.  It never seems to get old, just better.  Okay, that’s my goal.  I’m never going to get old, just better.  I feel like I’ve reached a significant dividing line in my life.  Like I”ve made it halfway.  Fifty down and fifty to go.  Now that I”m in the middle I want to pause.  Take a breath.  Reflect on the first half and consider the second.  I know what I can live with, I know what I can’t live without. For some reason I keep thinking about Japanese Maples. So I’m creating a list that represents me, or my favorite things.  Fifty things that make me Elaine. Who I am, who I was and who I want to be. They are not in any particular order, just stream of consciousness.  I recently read the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and that’s reflected in my top fifty.

1. Daughters and Son: Tessa, Carolina, Ariana and Zander
2. Elephants
3. Obsession with Julia Child Rose
4. Cookies are my life
5. The Birthday Sassy Dance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5Bqkr-lydk)
6. The ocean
7. Water: salt water, fresh water, drinking water, river water, ice water, water
8. Change produces creativity
9. It’s okay to lose something
10. The summer solstice
11. Spring and May 16th
12. The Dove Tree, Davidia involucrata
13. Books! The scriptures, fantasy, fiction, poetry, song
14. Brandon Sanderson
15. Pasta, pizza, salad and butter
16. The color blue
17. Biking
18. Walking through the woods
19. Hiking in the mountains
20. Running down the beach
21. Tidepools
22. Zooxanthellae
23. Skaneateles, New York
24. Spreckels, California
25. The Pacific Northwest
26. The sound of rain
27. Molluscs —Olivella biplicata
29. Michael Jackson Music
30. Downtown by Petula Clark
31. Emmanuel–Toda la Vida
32. Coldplay–Viva la Vida
33. The sound of ice tinkling in a glass
34. James Taylor–Up on the Roof
35. Cats, dogs, Neon Tetras
36. Friends–Good friends, old friends, new friends, best friends
37. Act the way you want to feel
38. If you can’t get out, get in
39. Let it go
40. Do it now
41. Enjoy the day
42. Keep smiling
43. Sing in the shower, sing in the choir
44. Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll
45. Robert Frost–The Road Not Taken
46. Witchhazel
47. Daphne and lilac and roses and gardenia and hyacinth
48. Pinus strobus ‘Mini Twists’
49. Japanese Maples
50. Love