24 | April | 2015 | A Thousand Shades of Gray

April Love prompt: “Spring/Autumn.” One of my favorite trees on campus at Colorado State University. The color it turned this past Fall was hard to even believe, and there’s something about the way it stands there all alone against the wall of windows.

April Love prompt: “When I was small,” I was so awesome — funny, sweet, smart, sensitive, and creative. All I need to do is remember her, know that she is me…still.

April Love prompt: “Trees.” I have my favorites. Not just kinds, but individuals, pairs, stands. I could take you on a tour where I live, walk you through my neighborhood, the parks, and campus, and show you them. Until then, there’s these two who rest across the trail from the river.

1. Breakfast with good friends that I don’t see nearly enough. Friendships that last decades without needing to try, love that lasts just because it does, women who are smart and kind and funny.

2. Feast with Rachel Cole and a whole group of amazing women. I’m grateful it was, and I’m also grateful it’s over now.

3. My Kindle, and all the books on it that I can read whenever and wherever I want. Don’t get my wrong — I’m not giving up paper books, but it’s nice to have another option.

4. My tiny family, my three boys.

5. Friday. Thank goodness.

Bonus joy: making it home from our walk before it rained, homemade ketchup, hummus and sweet potato corn tortilla chips, the grocery store stocking my favorite granola bars again, yoga teacher training, sangha, the Daily Dharma Gathering, the Open Heart Project, Season 4 of Girls on Amazon, funny people, smart people, the memory of peach pie, sleep, a cold glass of water, a hot shower, soft dogs, clean sheets.