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All good things #3
Edition: 100
Year: 2002
Price: NFS
Spending peaceful times with Grandma Fritzi in the cottage on Lake Wissota, seeing sun and moon rises on the lake and listening to the waves, Kennedy and I receiving the "Good Egg" Award from the International Crane Foundation for our work for ICF and the cranes in Bhutan, China, Tibet, Japan, Russia, Viet Nam and the US Watching the very early morning arrival of Red Crowned Cranes on the silvery meadows all covered with hoarfrost in Kuchiro Marsh, Hokkaido Making it up to the third level guard tower on the Great Wall of China near Badaling, Successfully coordinating a fund - and awareness raising tour of our Bhutanese friends through the US jointly with many generous people all over the country,
Harvesting my own herbs every morning out of a whiskey barrel planter, Having Katrin be accepted and join SIPA, Hearing Peter Matthiessen speak and read from his new book, which Katrin had co-edited, the wonderful: "Birds of Heaven-Travels with Cranes", Folk dancing at Krisı Chiles wedding Going for a long Arboretum walk with Christopher and learning of his plans for his health, Meeting the family of a close, dear friend who had given everybody who knew her so much joy while she was alive, caramelized garlic melting on my tongue, watching my daughter eat and hum, Chelseaıs smile, the gap in between my fatherıs two front teeth, looking at my hands looking at my feet, swimming underwater, seeing justice done,
the hope of peace, reading a book, my black ass, Brooklyn, food- good food with friends, a good nights sleep with somebody (or a not good nights sleep with somebody music dirty vodka martinis with top shelf liquor, girls, a good story having something that makes you very sad, Maragu, Cabbage, Asparagus (makes your pee smell funny), A green Ford, First Cigarette of the day, Sunday morning coffee, crabbing in Edmonds, Washington, Reba, B-Mix, Grog, Haruki Murakami - Norwegian Wood- no bar code, Free Pool for Life, Blockbuster Card, Coffee, A rustic lifestyle Alot of RiboFlavin in your diet, $, corduroys, Hoping none of your loved ones go to jail, Brad Pitt, True Art, A healthy plant, a good peach, a jar of easy cheeze,
paradise, a plastic bag, Thumb Tacks, blank tapes, self supporting ash tray, the lucky last match, a bowl of encouragement, the myriad permutations of the word fuck, sesquipedalianism hah!, big, soft, lips that want to kiss you, pulling someone out of a funk on accident, just by showing up, and seeing them pulling you out of yours, good answering machine messages, the upright bass, negative STD tests, the phrase fucked by the fickle finger of fateı, life as a shorty shouldnıt be so roughı, Moles, Mustaches that taste like cigarettes and wine, Fistfuls of wild hair, The ear treatment, Earlobes, bony tapered fingers, Someoneıs head in your lap, Stories, Seeing your favorite book on someone elseıs shelves, Kissing that makes you wet,
Having someone special occupy your thoughts the next day, Skinny dipping, Daydreaming, Mayonnaise, Outdoor showers at night under the stars, Outdoor showers in the rain, Sleeping naked in a warm bed in a cold room, Sleeping outside, Potatoes just unearthed from the garden, Fresh herbs, Eating something you donıt recognize, Clothes that smell like someone else, Hiding money from yourself and then finding it, Smiling at strangers, Scrapbooks and photo albums of people you donıt know, Glasses that make you look really smart, Disguises, Blow jobs, Rug burns, Possibility, mystery, Not wearing underwear-ever, ice cream, good coffee, dark chocolate, fruit in season, snow days , my sofa, sweet dreams, Dashiel Hammet novels ,
free museums, New York, New York, Polka Dots, Omnigrid Rulers, velvet, Marc Chagall, hands, rain (the nice drizzly Seattle kind and hot chocolate, little plants that grow in the cracks between pieces of sidewalk, printmaking, wandering alone until you get yourself lost in the middle of the night, good friends, Having a conversation with a friend that is almost entirely in movie quotes, trading new music with friends, Waking up to your belovedıs face after a period of long separation, losing ten pounds, being surprised by a friendıs talent Enderıs Game by Orson Scott Card, getting her number, Movies that are so bad that theyıre funny, watching said movies with a like-minded group of people, The beaches of Cozumel,
Mexico, The beaches of Paradise Island, The Bahamas, skinny dipping on a clear starry night, Lake Powell, Utah, The Idea of a communally created book of good things, big dogs, ice cream, Stephen Sondheim, the harry potter books, the Lucia novels by F. Benson, sushi, good huggers, comfortable supportive shoes, light, a good long sleep, travel, all music except disco, country and rap thatıs not funny, Fred Astaire, Giacommettiıs sculpture, Nevelsonıs sculpture, David smith on David smith, elephants chipmunks, trustworthy friends, strong work ethic, meaningful artwork that speaks about something significant and is appealing to all your senses, a good meal after a hard days work, charity for people who are less fortunate than we are,
helping others in the slightest way, being kind, caring and considerate to others, being honest, humble and truthful to yourself and others, respect for all made by our creator and last but not least, our creator who continues to give us day and night as well as the energy to live from day to day.canned pumpkin, bread sticks, cow-shaped milk pitchers, pop can tabs, curd-of-cheese, old ladies who store leftovers in plastic recycled margarine containers, laundry markers, Big Stosh, the Allen Bradley clock over the Milwaukee skyline, the smell o brewers yeast, taxidermied pheasants, a station wagon filled with firewood, the smell of Wendyıs neck, red gerbera daisies, Dijon mustard,
the little grunt john doe makes just before he starts the third verse of "weıre desperate" on Xıs wild gift album, the miracle cross garden, Prattville, Alabama, picking wild chanterelles in the afternoon and sautéing them with butter, and shallots for dinner in the evening, my dog jinx chasing her tail, Rostropovichıs recording of Bachıs cello suites, climbing the glowing dunes of ice and grit at the lake Michigan shoreline in winter, Wild Turkey 101, Jenny, making stuff, doing things, cheese, Jesus, sleeping, bike rides, mail, being barefoot, making lists, The Chinese Scholars Garden on Staten Island in the rain, Wilson The Dog, Outdoor Phish Concerts, Bass Players, Samosa Chat, Spicy Tuna Rolls & Hot Sake,
Funky Bass Jams on a booming stereo system with a wide-open dance floor, Chinese warm noodles in a light peanut garlic sauce, French Silk Pie, Spicy Pumpkin Soup, The All Good Things Compilation, Hatha Yoga Practice, Tıai Chi with Christopher Lee, Buddha yard statues, Community Gardens, Afro-Cuban Music, Nigerian Afro-Beat Orchestras, Femi Kuti and Positive Force, marrying the man of your dreams on Treasure Island, dancing with everyone you know and love in the universe, free tickets to Europe, Swedish meatballs on a Volvo plate, Strolling in Venice on a warm night, Michealangeloıs David, Gelato in the afternoon (2 scoopes), Making out in the rental car we drove around Tuscany,
18 hour layover in New York with Monique and Ethan, Reggina Bell in her sun patch, TUSCANY, The red/green autumn leaves that fall on the sidewalk and are FREE! The fact that my entire family is alive and well, The ricotta citrus pancake I ate this morning, Singing the crocodile song to my nephew, That Iım not pregnant, Massaging, Peanut M & Ms and Salty Popcorn, Doing the Breast Stroke, My Nora Jones CD, Knowing that 150 counselors volunteered 1 week of their August to have fun and give love to Families with HIV at Birch Family Camp, My teeth, my rent stabilized apartment, Public Parks, Volunteering your time and love, Laughing, Clean Air, kisses, friends, Continuing education, That my bike has never been stolen,
reading, 400 thread count cotton sheets, Writing More than ten good things, Writing for writings sake, Creatively expressing your love through art-making, Baths, E-mailing overseas, Color, The Brooklyn Bridge, Thanksgiving, Karaoke, Freedom, That my computer is currently working, My fleece pullover & rain boots, Cheese, Sleep, Making love, smiling, The 8 unreturned messages still on my answering machine, taking Sunday morning to read on a couch, with coffee, and maybe with the radio on, getting something done that youıve been meaning to get done, admitting that youıre wrong about something without secretly harboring some resentment towards those who/that which pointed out your fault,
dancing till youıre sweaty with someone you like to sweat with, going to the market in a place youıve never been before, meeting someone on the street and finding out you have a lot of stuff in common, smoking pot and playing backgammon, rediscovering an old CD and being reminded of a period of your life when you listened to that CD non-stop, receiving mail, thinking your friends are the shit, hearing your child laugh, dreaming about dead people you miss, having a clean and organized house, getting published, not being in any physical pain, the smell of yellow freesia, being adored, performing for listeners, getting really good directions, being given a nice hand-me-down car, feeling sexy,
singing a pop song from the 80ıs outloud- with your best friend, a pint of fresh real ale, reaching the top of a climb, when you really thought you werenıt going to make it scones, fresh Devon clotted cream, strawberry jam and a pot of tea, a steaming bowl of porridge on a chilly morning, applesauce you make from apples that you pick yourself hitting a home run, making a diving catch, getting into bed and snuggling up to your warm, sleeping lover, snowboarding in deep powder, blowing a raspberry on someoneıs tummy, my dog, the smell of autumn, when you are screenprinting, and you put down the last color, or your keyline, and find out that all your colors are in perfect registration, hats and scarves,
the feeling of the wind in summer on a freshly shaven head, cooking for friends, being cooked for by friends, ice cubes, driving a motorcycle on the very first day of spring that it is warm enough to bring your bike out of storage (because maybe you are too wimpy to drive it in the winter), crushes, peas straight from the pod, necco wafers, The Arts and Leisure section, self-cleaning litter boxes, yet another news story about one of the Bush offspring in trouble with drugs, no cavities, magnets, voting booths that work, relaxing my tongue, Oakland, floating in an inner tube down the Little Pigeon River, swimming in lakes, warm weather, big hugs and snuggles, vegan frybread, sparkly silver pants, soul music, kim chee, New York City,
The back of my hand viewed while blocking the sun at the beach., Her side-long glance after leaving the bill for serving breakfast, Shoplifiting at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills, California, Transitional weather, especially the wind, from Fall to Winter, Video footage of tornadoes from local weather spotters, Walmart greeters that die on the job, Frown lines turning to smile, The American flag burning, A puppy jumping up and down excitedly while licking the hairless chest of a heart-attack victim, a man that spent the better part of his judgements criticizing people he wrongly considered beneath him. The puppy squats and shits in the mans gasping mouth just before medical help arrives to administer CPR.,
Fresh air, sunshine in the morning, mans humanity to man, generosity of spirit, Jessica Albritton and Samantha Heft, Baby Fur Heft (aka Patch [a dog]), cars that run uncomplainingly, wood type, Walterıs tabbouleh, red wine, metal type, macaroni and cheese, changing colors of the sky, stars (in the sky or doodled on a notepad), the color and softness of new grass, Tuscan sunlight, snuggling with a purring cat, cooking beautiful vegetables, having friends over for dinner, the sounds of water, daily celebration of love and togetherness, books (of course!), milk paint is good because itıs natural, sexy things are good because reflexively, theyıre sexy,
a veggie sub from subway with jalapenoıs is good because it now can come on garlic bread, and only costs $2.10 where i live, split keyboards for computers are good because they help me avoid wrist strain, all my friends are good, because if they werenıt, they wouldnıt be my friends, email is good because itıs an easy way to send information to a lot of people without directly killing trees and walking across town to find a mailbox, umbrellas are good on rainy or sunny days, but not windy ones, spiral scouts, alternative to boy and girl scouts: www.spiralscouts.org, goddammit sonic youth have been consistently better than good since for a long time, that enlightened feeling of being in the here and now, lilacs,
two empty seats at the bar at 11.30 pm, swimming holes, gift certificates, japanese maple leaves in october, anticipation, ceylon breakfast tea, real mail, a peach in august, new boots, guacamole, A babyıs sigh, A deerıs heartbeat, Fluffy clouds, Cat purring, Pizza, Ice cold water, A little girlıs giggle, Harmonizing voices, Fingerpainting, Snow Angels, listening to beatles records all day on a lazy sunday afternoon, special ordering chocolates from Varsanos & eating the whole box, laughing so hard you lose your breath and tears roll down your eyes, important jewelry, helping people accomplish there dreams, watching my dreams become reality, tubing at Louıs Tubes or on the creek in Claverack,
floating in the ocean & watching couples do naked yoga on Secret Beach, listening to my grandparents laughter, love, cooler weather for sleeping, growing friendships (tiny seed, little water, lots of love), movements of all kinds, .39/lb apples for pie makinı, pirating capital (aarrrgggh matey!), rememberinı past lives, toasts to long lost friends, best wishes to our enemies, sip of coffee, pull of smoke, sip of coffee, pull of smoke, bright fall mornings, so bright you thought you woke up to summer, homegrown, celebrating resistance, community sustainable agriculture, barn raisinı, really loud music, the butt shakinı kind, instant train connection, patience learned while waiting for train, the morningıs dawn so you can try it all again,
circulating struggle, telling herstory and history, when my truth mixes with your truth and the sound is deafening, more questions not more answers, pay in cash at the end of every week, three year olds, the smell of toast, the color of Medrone trees after it rains, making someone laugh, the sound of a trumpet switching from muzzled to unmuzzled (i donıt know the proper terminology for that trumpet plug dohickey thingy), the view from a plane window, dimples on cheeks, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge at midnight on a full moon and eating a sandwich 1/2 way across, falling in love, letters rather than bills, friends, how a baby walks, looking into peoples eyes, twin kittens, sleeping in on rainy days, friends, new and old,
cooking a successful meal, money in my bank account, flip flops, a new shoot on my bamboo plant, hitting all the green lights all the way to work, chicken noodle soup, good things are good things, knowing all the states and their capitals, knowing someone who knows things like when to use "capitol" versus "capital" walkman-wearing subway riders smirking to themselves as they try not to dance too obviously old, beautifully designed book spines, grilled cheese, the quince tree at the cloisters, anyone who can consistently find a good piece of fruit by smelling, pinching and prodding it, any empty corner of the met, diners smoking outside of Angelikaıs kitchen before going in to eat an all-natural meal,
real audio- being able to listen to archived radio shows on-line, eye contact, ripe avocado, when toilet paper glides right off the roll in a public restroom, dogıs eyes, the smell of rain, fresh spearmint leaves, multi-lingual newspapers being read on the subway ,street trees, right when the movie starts, skinny dipping under the stars, red apples on cold winter days, friends who like to cook, farmers markets 4:00-6:30am when iım actually awake for it, books, hoodies, game night, oral sex!!!!!, bike rides, deli food, sun/warmth, rain/water, earth/foundation, wind/movement, seed/potential, sprout/hope, bloom/sensuality, fruit/nourishment, getting your photos developed, macaroni and cheese, m.f.k. fisher,
the first cool night after a long hot summer, fine black rollerball pens, gingerbread, swimming in a cold sea, twilightıs blue sky, meeting the deadline, new shoes, movie popcorn thatıs as buttery/salty on the bottom of the bag as it is on the top, flying dreams, the sound of hot water heater pipes while watching the silence of snow, a free subway ride, coming home from vacation to a clean apartment, garlic, Wertherıs, Chia Tao, the dharma, the Leonid meteor shower, the moment on the elevator when everything is quiet before the hydraulics begin their whir, anytime my boss is gone, drag kings, kissing by streetlight in autumn, feeling rested, ancient jewish social workers with bad hair and good stories, librarians, bicycles,
accupuncture, hot baths, i am, Sound of sisterıs voice through receiver, Self-set parameters, Absence of bitterness in acknowledging limitations, A well-written letter in the postbox, The best music at high volume, Verification of ideals through read material, Articulation of thought, Suspension of cynicism, Establishment of a trust network, Comfortable shoes, Seeing planes fly over head, and imagining where they are going, Catıs ears, Knowing whoıs coming by the sound of their footsteps, The sound of people laughing and talking in the street when I am cosy in bed, The lobster scene in Annie Hallı, Being in someoneıs arms on a cold, wet day, Feeling perfectly warm under the duvet when you can see your breath out of it,
Baths, Take off and landing, When two people look up and smile at each other, unselfconsciously, Getting/giving presents out of the blue, Having a memory sparked that is unrelated to anything you are thinkingabout at that moment, Staying at a friendıs house and seeing the quircky places they choose to put their things, Watching dogs in the dog run, Meeting someone/ being met at the airport, That certain day when you know the seasons have changed, Watching children play together/ or overhearing childrenıs earnest conversations about something so totally surreal!, Chocolate covered ginger from Russ and Daughters, L.E.S., Cycling in Paris at 3.00am, down the usually crazy boulevards...now all empty,
Curled up cat belly smell, setting the alarm for sunrise to go out sledding, feeling the baby inside of you move when you sing to it, baking your own bread, waking up in the morning groggy from a deep sleep, a hummingbird outside your window feeding on your nasturtiums without it seeing you, having friends who are your heroes, puppy breath, loving where you live and no longer wanting to move somewhere else, fireflies on the ground in the fall, growing food, A visit to someplace youıve never been with someone youıd like to know better, Paper, pen, and thoughts, Susurration, Extra large condoms, A communication gadgets that get left at home at home at least once a week, Fearless vulnerability in love,
The seductiveness of old photographs, Eye contact with strangers, The laying on of hands, The sound of breaking glass, The shape a wallet assumes, time and a little more time and just a little more time and more time and even more time and more and more time and much more time and still more time and just a little more time and to live, to love, to do, to be. Realizing, (finally) that all the horrible nightmarish crap you went through was not your enemy, but a transformative fire, that which, once passed through, turned what may have only been a simple duck into a gleaming, golden, spirited swan, who travels the waves of light & darkness of the dreamtime with knowing and wisdom and a compassionate heart.
And finding gratitude for it all. A love that does not coddle, but nurtures the highest self with testing & challenge. Knowing that the protective spirit of your deceased maternal Grandfather was watching over you when you had to go through emergency surgery alone. Discovering the unconditional love you always wanted from others, inside your own heart for your own self.Laughing, Dancing & Singing in the face of all fear. Realizing that, having made it through yesterday, helps you know that youıll make it through tomorrow. Knowing thereıs a reason for everything, and if we can only open our minds to the answer of why, then we can only be changed for the better.
When the golden light of the setting sun illuminates dark storm clouds, How the light & darkness of that moment each seem to need & depend upon the other. The light defining the darkness and the darkness giving the light a place to lay itıs head, One day, looking into the mirror & seeing the perfect beauty of your body, which never conformed to the social, glamour magazine, supermodel, lets make women disappear because weıre so afraid of their creative power, status quo, And in that mirror seeing a reflection of the full moon & the living, sentient, mother earth and a spiraling, intertwining connection to all of life, Making your depressed best friend laugh out loud with Sammy the monkey puppet,
Finding the ONE who kisses just exactly the way you like too, The MAGIC recipe to manifest your dreams, Desire, Imagine, Intention, Action, Johnny on the spot boyfriend who you never have to ask to put on a condom, Laying in the arms of the Mother, Losing track of time, Breathing, After a lifetime of dreams about being enveloped by Tsunamic waves, One night you dream you are galloping across the ocean on the back of a blue horse, and when the horse begins to drown, you put you hand inside itıs chest & massage the life back into itıs heart with your bare hand. It comes back to life & the journey goes on, Anything made out of velvet, Ravens, A walk in the woods,12-year olds, A kitty asleep on your feet,
The Four Food Groups: hummus, salsa, chocolate and caffeine, Deep, slow kissing, The respect of your peers, Time in the studio, Sunlight, a healthy colon, Cream of Wheat, Posdnous, cold hardwood floors, warm blankets, Motherıs Day, your very own Architectıs scale, headphones, blue sweatshirts, dreams about Johnny Carson, music, in itıs many forms, a bottle of wine, a hand written letter from a friend, my galaxy twelve typewriter, desperation, four o clock in the morning, a couple of hand rolled cigarettes, a chair you can tip back on two legs, cheap paper rescued from the photocopier at work, typing a letter to a long lost lover at four oıclock in the morning, drunk on wine,
ok. so itıs not the best ten good things, but their all pretty good. you could also say: rock and roll, a pint in London, smoky pubs, the ringing in your ears, driving over the Thames in a bus at four in the morning , while the sun goes up on your left and moon goes down on the right, rain on the pavement, streetlight in the rain on the pavement, the sound of your footsteps in the rain on the pavement, that last right turn onto your street, finally getting to sleep, Mamalove, Relinquishing the Onus of Unrequited Love, Going to Unknown Places, Leaving, and the Hollowed Out, Space Behind You, Going Home, even without ever having been there, or Knowing it will be Home, simply finding it there when you Arrive,
Long Boys: Christopher David; Mateo Etienne; Ocean Mandela, Wild Girls: Kate; Ophélie; Ona, The smell of ink, the press of paper, the marrying of the twoBooks. Books, Printed Matter, Words Exhibited and Thoughts Transmitted, The Body in all its Permutations of Matter. Larger, smaller. with child, and with wrinkles, with another body inside yours, or inside another body, or without.Dancing, which is all of the Good Things comingled inside the Self and Released with a Huge Exhalation, and a larger Gulp, as Perception squeezes its way past the Constrictions of Language and Realizes itself within the Constraints of the Physical, the perfect snowflake, seeing family and friends are happy, my garden (weed-free!),
surprising people, holding hands with someone you love, wildflower bouquet, old friends, new friends, soon-to-be friends, first swallow of an ice cold beer, canoeing at midnight under a full moon..., jogging at midnight under a full moon..., a full moon! ripe strawberries (juice dribbling down the chin, of course!), visiting friends I havenıt seen in years accomplishing something Iım scared to death to try, 3 cats and a down comforter on a blustery october night, no moon and stars bright, a moose spotting, even if just a rumor garlic, parsely, lemon and olives with oil, over pasta or potatoes or quinoa, iris and daffofilseven the bulbs spark joy,
stovetop espresso makers, polaroid cameras, origami paper, thrift stores, cubaño sandwiches, stencils, transfer adhesive, bridges, "cabinet" magazine, small plastic boxes (at canal plastics), dancing to silly music with Ruby and getting unprompted kisses; dates are still great, and actually getting better; a pure compound; using NMR, HPLC,PDA, MS, GC, CC, TLC, MeOH, EtOH and DMT to get results; really good art; favorite new friends; a day without chores; real letters in the mail; the shape and pucker of Rubyıs lips when she sees a dog "vowvowvowvowvow"; tasting a new fruit for the first time and knowing that itıs a new love forever...
Breathing clean, cold air, swashbuckeled xerox copies, clear head and heart, plans working, feeling capable, living your life instead of your life living you, people doing what they say they will, emotionally connected people, not wanting something different all the time, Sun Ra and his intergalactic arkestra, Truth, altruism, warm sweaters, skiing, singing, stringed instruments, synasthesia, philosophy, undimmed intellect, love from friends far away, the chance to connect, clothes that fit you like a second skin, systems of order, chaos, unselfish behavior, happier, fitter, more productive, sleeping better-no bad dreams, kind to all animals, culture workers of all kinds, painting, micro chips, plum butter blintzes, squash soup, wild mushroom gnocci at Shopsins, stars fell on Alabama last night, living now
a recording session on may 25, 1961--john coltrane, mccoy tyner, eric dolphy, freddie hubbard, art davis, reggie workman, and elvin jones on Olé , a doe and her babes chomping down on halloween pumpkin, the first snow of the season that sticks, a reconciled family the possibility of love, hope for peace against all odds, Smell of the air after a lightening storm, Spinal zing from a kiss, Having fingernails to bite, A reason to bite them, Dizzying sensation of a martini on an empty stomach, Temptation of perfectly shaped ears, Ability to persuade oneself that oneıs forgotten about . . . Dimples, Ability to persuade oneself that oneıs learned from . . . Knowing this list would be different if I wrote it tomorrow.
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