By the time I finish writing this, I will be turning thirty-three.
It probably feels a lot like thirty still, which, surprisingly, feels a lot like twenty-three. I will wake up in a few minutes to my sweeting who still wants to nurse, and I will disappoint him when I say no, and instead rub his back until he falls back asleep, then go back to sleep until it is time to  be up, just like I did yesterday, just like I'll do tomorrow, just like I did a year ago today, though I suppose then I was looking to get as many hours of sleep out of the morning as possible. I will wake on a Saturday morning, just like that Saturday morning, all those years ago when I was born, like a baby, as my mother would say, only as an adult with children of my own now.

So, in honor of the close of my second sixteenery and turning thirty-three, I'm going to share thirty-three spiffy things that I've seen, done, been involved with, etc, building on last years list.


1. Created Human Life. Twice.
2. Edited and published an anthology.
3. Sang in an Opera. Twice.
4. Ate dinner with Benazir Bhutto.
5. Wrote a novel in November. Thrice.
6. Wrote a screenplay in June. Twice.
7. Learned to quilt.
8. Wrote a novel in a weekend.
9. Fell in love.
10. Got married.
11. Breastfed my son.
12. Learned how to play the piano.
13. Learned to ask for help when I need it.
14. Sang my way to my AA, studying music.
15. Earned my BA in history, my worst subject.
16. Joined a fraternal organization.
17. Learned to TYPE.
18. Composed music that wasn't awful.
19. Volunteered.
20. Swam in the Ocean.
21. Reclaimed my sense of self.
22. Conquered my fear of roller coasters.
23. Experienced a tornado from the inside.
24. Became a human lightning rod.
25.Learned to ride a bike at the age of:
26. Saw a water spout stop at a stop light, wait for it to turn green, and continue on it's way.
27. Learned to sew.
28. Had my artwork displayed in museums.
29. Survived a mild stroke.
30. Discovered the power of *friends*
31. Saved a life.
32. Taught a new generation how to sew.
33. Learned to sew scary things like button holes.

It's been a great year, I hope yours was too, and that the next one is even better.