1000 likes or thankfuls

 25th Sept 2020

1000 LIKES

I saw it somewhere. Someone did this list of likes, a thousand. It was her challenge to herself.

I thought, good luck with that girl, and thought no more about it, until this morning when I contemplated the  washing I'd left out yesterday because it got soaked and I wasn't feeling well and now it's still wet, but the wind is blowing through it. And I thought, yes, the washing might have got wet in the rain but the plants we've just put in have benefited and we didn't have to water up. So, I thought to myself, there's always something to like or to be thankful for, even in situations that seem at first to foster dislike.

And I wondered, could I get to 1000 likes or thankfuls?

So, here I am, here to give it a go. Let's see how far I get.

1-10.For the air that I breathe, that's just right,  that, with it's unique properties, sustains our  lives, keeps our hearts beating and our blood flowing and our brains thinking. Without it you I wouldn't be writing this. For all people on earth who have this same gift, each different but the same. The first then, 

10- 30 For a  walk by the sea, each step a joy, wind blowing through my hair, sun shining for the briefest moment warming my face, waves looking magnificent as they crash in on the pebbles, seagulls squawking as they dive bomb the whirling rubbish from bins and a kind man taking time to say hello as we are both nearly lifted off our feet, sharing together the moment, a human connection , a smile, a knowing. I like these brief brushes - a chance to cheer, to be cheered, to enter another life, sometimes to encourage, to dissolve a frown, 

30 -50  Staying with the  walk, I like the view of the old pier, standing proud, way out at sea, telling it's story of the past. Only close up can you see the destruction, but that I like too.  I watch clouds race  across the sky, the colours - grey, almost black, a dirty yellow,  is that purple -  all  thrilling. I think of warmer times with children everywhere -  ice-creams, swimming, splashing, diving in from the groins, running on pebbles with a puppy, warm coffee from a flask, shared with a loved one. 

17-30 I like feathers, but only on birds, fish, especially with chips- the chippy down the road is the best, grass under my feet, chicken casserole, bean chilli, chocolate biscuits , your smile, the crease in your neck, a new baby's smell, my camper, opening my eyes to a new day, lying next to you.

I like the rain because the grass and the plants need it and it keeps everything green 

30-50 Chatting with friends, drinking with friends or just with you, walking with you, having friends to dinner, you cooking, dancing with you, singing, driving, seeing, laughing with you, with children, with grandchildren, with friends, Michael McEntyre, true stories, true movies, true romances, true drama,  the truth.

50-80 Reading, to myself, to my children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, to an audience, to you, sharing poetry. Listening, to birds, cars, wind, music, Radio 4, children playing, singing, poetry, waves, rustling of leaves, a waterfall, the door opening when you come home, the door close when we go to bed, your breathing in the night, you playing the guitar, a voice on the phone - sister (x 2)uncle, aunt, cousin (x 4)  friend (x 6) you.

80-100 Clean sheets on the bed, a hot bath, having money in the bank, shoes- black, blue, pink, red, brown, heeled, flat, open toed, pointy toed,  colourful clothes, Colgate toothpaste, a new toothbrush, walking through the park, swinging on the swing, climbing mountains, playing tennis, long finger nails (never achieved)

100-120  Snow at Christmas, snowball fights, building a snowman, sledging with the children, Midnight Mass, incense, wishing people happy Christmas,  carols in Church and round the streets, around the crib, Christmas dinner ( not turkey), Christmas pudding, brandy, family, paper hats, decorations, card games, charades, the nativity play, getting together.

120-140 Birds - eagles, robins, kingfishers, blue tits, chaffinches, swans, geese, ducks, doves, cuckoos, the yellow wagtail we saw along the river. Putting my slippers on, getting into my PJs, slouching next to you, enjoying tv, a glass of wine, a packet of crisps, with you, knowing we are safe, secure, happy.

140-160 Remembering - Mum, Dad, Nan, baby Marianna, Win, Bob, Audrey, Jan, Brian, Josemaria, Alvaro, Michael, Nonie, Guadalupe, Joseph, Chris, David, Leah, John, Gwen

160-180 Getting the house to myself (rare), having no washing in the basket, someone else has hoovered or made dinner or cleaned the bathrooms or taken the bins out or done the weekly shop, or brought the washing in, or washed the floors or cleaned the windows, or put petrol in the car, or cleaned the fridge or weeded the garden, or remembered to pay the bills, or tidied the sides, or  done some baking, or organised the meals for the week, or just made me a cup of tea, and it wasn't you.

180-200 Helping you catch fish, gut fish, fry fish and eating said fish. Fourteen of us swimming and playing in the sea.  

200-220 When a friend returns a book they've actually read and we get to talk about it. Book group friends - Sarah, Theresa, Aine, Amanda, Ros, Kevin, Jayne, Rachel, Heather. Books - The Salt Path, Small Great Things, Guard a Silver Sixpence, The Grass is Singing, Empty Cradles, My Life is Worth Living, In Dialogue with the Lord, Death and the Penquin.

220-240 More books - In Cold Blood, The Seven Secrets of the Eucharist, Maria, Mother to Hundreds, The Words in my Hand, The Guest Cat, Good in a Crisis, The Obstacle is the Way, Blackbird, A Grief Observed. My list of books to get ( always being added to), being recommended a great book and recommending one, spending the day reading and not caring, seeing my husband enjoy a book, seeing one of my children enjoy a book, seeing one of the grandchildren enjoy a book, seeing a shelf full of books yet to be read, finding a cheap book I want in a charity shop.

240-260 Having hew turf laid, putting in new plants - clematis, roses, other bushes, looking at the new garden creation with pride, with the garden all weeded and tidy, getting the garden chairs out to enjoy the sun on the decking, with you. Planning a refurbishment of the pond, looking forward to acquiring some fish and lilies and having a waterfall.

Just gone a quarter of the way !!! Not easy now

260-280 I love a new pen, a good pen , a few good pens. I love starting a new journal, buying a new journal, pretty journals, lined journals, plain journals. I love to read my journals from years ago, to find little gems that inform my writing, to bring to mind things forgotten, to see how far I've come, to realise nothing much changes, to ponder on things from the past, to get some inspiration for new writing, to have in the future in case I get alztheimers and have difficulty remembering.

Got a bit fed up with trying to find likes and thankfuls.

So, I only got to 280, but there are so many more.