1. Love. The above might just be the biggest kitchen counter love note Eric has ever made me, (that’s an 8 x 10 sheet of paper). My present to him was pretty good too – an entire case of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. The joke is that my friend is a troop leader so she has a full wall of cookies in her dining room and Eric finds that hilarious, and that for Eric a serving size of Thin Mints is a full sleeve, so I got him a whole case in the original box. Our favorite thing to gift each other is something that can be a joke at the same time it’s an awesome present, like the year I bought him a case of 700 dog poop bags or when he bought me a tiny wireless keyboard to use as a “remote” for our TV, (it has a computer hooked up to it and that’s how we watch “TV” on Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube).

2. 11 and a half weeks left at CSU!!! It’s going so fast. And I’m so ready, so done.

3. Teaching yoga. Because the one place I teach regularly is a veterinary clinic and one of the other places I sub is a gym that doesn’t really take yoga that seriously, I need to supply most or all of the props, which means at this point I have a portable yoga studio. I got to teach twice during Valentine’s Day week, and that was extra fun, to focus on the love and attention we give ourselves as we practice, and how that follows us off the mat and we are softer, kinder to others because of it.

4. Flowers in the bathroom. When it’s tulips, once they start to get all droopy is the best.

5. The amazing vet care in Fort Collins. I had a few reasons to think about this recently – Ringo had to go to the emergency vet for medicine for pink eye (our regular vet couldn’t get him in until the end of the week and we didn’t want to wait), he also had to go for his check up at the CSU vet hospital (getting the medicine for his ears sorted, he has a tiny allergy), and it was the anniversary of when Obi was diagnosed with lymphoma ten years ago. I have access to some of the best care in the country for my dogs, whether it is their regular vet, emergency vet, physical therapy vet, hospital, cancer care, or end of life care. I feel really lucky.

He has pink eye, was giving me the stink eye.

Hiding under the table at the dermatologists.

Sweet Obi, on one of his last hikes after he got diagnosed with lymphoma.

The very last picture of Obi. After I took this, I dropped and broke my camera (this was before smart phones), and he died the next day.

One of the last pictures of Sam and Dexter together.

6. My tiny family. We get on each other’s nerves sometimes, but we would rather be together than apart.

Sam sometimes helps me meditate.

I got up to go to the bathroom and they stole my spot.

From our walk this morning.

7. Morning and afternoon walks. I only got to do one morning walk this week, but I got to go in the afternoon a few times.

Bonus joy: my infrared heating pad, good TV (I just finished Russian Doll on Netflix and Pen15 on Hulu, both really good), a tall glass of clean cold water, getting the laundry done on Friday, a whole weekend off (with my yoga teacher training, these have been few and far between), computer glasses, hanging out with Mikalina, walking with Chloe’, texting with my brother, emails from my mom, napping, molasses, being able to work from home, sweet potatoes, down pillows and blankets.