1. Farmer’s market. This was the haul from last week. It just makes me really happy to buy directly from who made or grew it. I also love the ritual of going downtown early in the morning at the beginning of the weekend and walking around.

2. Getting help with a nasty nest of yellow jackets. I find no joy in killing anything, and yet, once these mean little dudes (did you know they have TEETH, and they can chew through concrete?!) got inside our house (the crawlspace), it became them or us. I was really happy to find someone who not only could take care of it, but was a decent human being and made me feel better about the whole thing.

3. Practice. When it’s hard to breathe because I’m so anxious and heartbroken, this is always a soft place to land.

4. Morning walks. I love where I live so much — the access to green space and trails, the sky and the water.

5. My tiny family. It can be hard to manage everyone’s health and happiness (including my own), but the pay off is so worth it. And p.s. Eric takes such good care of all of us.

Bonus joy: Wild Writing, water aerobics, my not new anymore but still feels new to me car, a warm shower and a clean towel, a cold glass of clean water, watermelon, fresh corn, strawberries, remembering who I am, good TV (I’m watching The Sinner and it is the guiltiest pleasure, also One Mississippi and Better Things are back), good books (I’m finishing up Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates), clean sheets, cooler weather.