1. The colors of fall. I could do without all the gray, but I love the gold and orange and red.

2. Breakfast for dinner. Even better when there are leftovers that you can eat the next morning, breakfast for breakfast.

3. Mostly healthy dogs. In the past week, we were treating Ringo for a suspected ear infection, and Sam banged up his knee and we had to start treating him for the same yeast infection he had on his lips that took so long to diagnose and fix six months ago. Then both dogs started sneezing and I was worried they might have kennel cough. I’m so grateful it was nothing more than a few sneezes, and that they are doing well with all the other stuff too.

my dogs like the rain just about as much as I do — which is not much

4. A happy anniversary, although we both had busy work days and then Eric had an evening webinar he had to do, leaving me to binge watch Netflix in my pjs on the couch with the dogs — not the worst date ever.

5. Some space to finally start working on my book. I’d like even more space, but for now I’ll take what I can get.

Bonus joy: texting with my brother, writing and coffee dates with friends, an advance copy of a friend’s new book, a puppy who’s grown up enough to take himself out to go potty in the morning, the Open Heart Project Sangha and the conversations we are having on Facebook.