10/10/10

So there's something beautiful about the symmetry of today's date, and I find myself inspired to create lists of ten.

Ten people who have influenced me greatly:
1. My mom
2. William Shakespeare
3. My Grandmother
4. Howard Carter, Egyptologist
5. Dorianne Laux, Poet
6. Dr. Freedman, WMU professor
7. My best friend K.L.D.
8. My husband
9. Margaret Mitchell, Novelist
10. Cleopatra VII, final queen of Egypt

Ten books I love:
1. "Outlander" by Dianna Gabaldon
2. "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell
3. "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
4. "When God was a Woman" by Merlin Stone
5. "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens
6. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
7. "The Mists of Avalon" by M.Z. Bradley
8. "The Secret Garden" by Francis Hodgson Burnett
9. "Book of Shadows" by Phyllis Currott
10. "Committed" by Elizabeth Gilbert

Ten places I love
1. Stratford, Ontario
2. Hershey Park, PA
3. Durham, NC
4. Chapel Hill, NC
5. Van Buren State Park, MI
6. Asheville, NC
7. Florence, Italy
8. Paris, France
9. Kalamazoo, MI
10. Wrightsville Beach, NC

Ten dreams I am striving towards:
1. Publishing a novel
2. Publishing a poetry collection
3. Forming a small press
4. Having a book signing
5. Teaching a course on Shakespeare or just straight literature
6. Traveling to Hawaii
7. Traveling to Ireland
8. Reaching my goal weight
9. Finding a literary agent to stick with me
10. Continuing to write

Ten amazing accomplishments I can already claim:
1. Publishing three poems
2. Traveling to China
3. Traveling to Paris
4. Learning how to use a dark room
5. Completing two novels
6. Completing a novel in one month (NANO 2009)
7. Purchasing a house
8. Completing my Masters
9. Completing my Bachelors
10. Finding my mate

And finally, ten things that keep me sane:
1. Large bodies of water
2. Meditation
3. Yoga
4. Reading
5. Writing
6. Fresh air and sunshine
7. Warm weather
8. Love
9. Tea
10. Music

What are your lists of ten?