Top Seven of Two Thousand Seven

So much, this year. I cannot even begin to reflect on the difficult--the lump, the loss of my grandfather--but the good, too--the wedding, the journeys--to Boston, the Carolinas, camping, Alaska--Carolyn Forche and writing, the memories with my girl friends. I look to the next year, and there is already so much hope--Kelly's baby, my graduate school applications, two trips in the works, the first full year of marriage (and the ninth year of being) with the love of my life.

So here is what I have, as two thousand and seven winds down:

In all cases, that I experienced, discovered, revisited etc.--not that were released in this year, and are certainly not ranked (as limiting it to seven was difficult enough!).

(online) Poems:
1. "Infidelity" by Stanley Plumly
2. "Curriculum Vitae" by Lisel Mueller
3. "Pink" by Eireann Lorsung
4. "Sonnet XVII" by Pablo Neruda
5. "A Blessing" by James Wright
6. "Bathing the Newborn" by Sharon Olds
7. "I Am Thinking of My First Deer" by Teresa Ballard

Books:
1. The Last Life by Claire Messud
2. Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
3. music for landing planes by by Eireann Lorsung
4. Surfacing by Margaret Atwood
5. Killing Floor by Ai
6. The Curator of Silence by Jude Nutter
7. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

(Number of books read in 2007: 80--pathetic!)

Films:
1. Kramer vs. Kramer
2. The Sea Inside
3. Little Miss Sunshine
4. Babel
5. Flannel Pajamas
6. The Safety of Objects
7. The Tiger in the Snow

Songs:
1. 1234 by Feist
2. Fidelity by Regina Spektor
3. Be Here Now by Mason Jennings
4. Forever My Friend by Ray Lamontagne
5. Where Are You Going by Dave Matthews
6. Mushaboom by Feist
7. Samson by Regina Spektor

Favorite pictures of the day:
I tried to pick the seven favorite posts. Maybe there is this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. But also, I've labeled the ones I like the most as favorites.

Favorite blogs of 2007:
1. 3191
2. my topography
3. early hours of sky
4. something about poetry here
5. avoiding the muse
6. sunday school rebel
7. oh bara

Memories:
1. Husband and his unwavering kindness and support--the daily touch, the nestling, the perfectness of how I feel for him (eight and a half years now!)
2. remembering the writer inside
3. Kelly's wedding, her perfect poise and grace through the day, her teacup spinning on the dance floor, the speech of love her husband gave her, a spontaneous gift
4. Husband and my trip to Boston, holding hands on the cobblestone streets, dancing close in a pub, holding his nephew and laughter
5. The wedding, the honeymoon, the continuance of happily-ever-after
6. Meeting Carolyn Forche, having her become my mentor
7. The trip to North Carolina with two girls I adore
8. poetry postcards & mentorships & Palm Beach & "Counting" in Dislocate
9. Kelly's bun in the oven. :) (plus, Mandy had her baby! and Jen is pregnant too!)
***(I couldn't limit it to just seven. It's been a good year)***


Worst (Anything):
1. the nasty pit-in-my-stomach feeling of "we're going to have to let you go" (budget cuts)
2. teetering off balance and the path it takes to become balanced again (but best: learning to be balanced again, finding ways to be better, cleansing myself, and the great passion of life that wasn't there before, had been taken for granted)
3. the lump
4. Virginia Tech
5. Husband losing his grandmother after a long battle with Alzheimer's
6. the drought, the flood, the 35W bridge collapse: the summer of calamity in Minnesota
7. my own grandfather's descent into Alzheimer's & his passing

You may also see Top Six of Two Thousand Six.

How about you? What are some of your big moments of two thousand seven?