1. Snow! What I’m actually grateful for is that even though it was a bit earlier than usual, and because of that we didn’t have snow tires on the cars yet, we made it through okay. On the morning I walked dogs and it was only 5 degrees out, I was especially grateful for the hour I got to spend under my infrared heating pad and a couple of blankets. And on all the other cold mornings, Eric ran with the dogs while I stayed home in our warm bed.

2. Writing with friends. I got to do that twice this week. There was a bit more conversation than writing, but that’s okay too.

3. Trying new recipes. Eric made General Tso’s with cauliflower instead of chicken (good, but I missed the chewy texture of the chicken, as the cauliflower is pretty soft), and I made oven fries with three different kinds of potatoes. We also tried spaghetti with Quorn Meatless Grounds, (recommended, in fact it might have been even better than a meat version). We are trying to add more plant options and eat fewer animal products. It’s so much easier to do now than it was 20 years ago, with all the new products you can buy and the ease of searching the internet for recipes, (although 90% of the time, I land at Smitten Kitchen).

4. Practice. Being able to come back to it, depend on it, no matter what else might be going on. It keeps me steady and sane.

5. My tiny family. Ringo is getting used to me being home more often, asks for and offers me more attention than he has, (Eric’s his primary person, the guy who does all the fun stuff like running, hiking, and playing Frisbee, but I’m the one he cuddles with). Sam is still my baby at almost 10 years old, looking to me for, well, everything. Eric and I did a salt tank sensory deprivation float last week, and while I was a partial fail on the float (I could float, but not with the hatch closed), it was fun to try something new with him.

Bonus joy: a crunchy Gala apple, a glass of cold water, sleeping in, sitting in the sauna when it’s cold outside, down blankets and pillows, clean sheets, TV shows where most of the characters aren’t white, grocery shopping, getting all the laundry done and put away, pay day, being able to pay all our bills and have money left over, my new therapist, snow tires.