1. Morning walks, in particular this week was the snow and the sky — oh my, the SKY.

2. Birthdays. Yesterday was mine and today is Ringo’s, (he’s eight years old, one half naughty puppy and one half grumpy old man — which if you know anything about Cattle Dogs, you know they are just built that way). To both be alive and together for another year is a wonderful thing.

3. Cooking and eating good food. I realized this week that I’ve reached a whole new level of skill when it comes to cooking because there was one night that I made a whole new dinner out of leftovers and what I had in the fridge, no recipe, and it turned out really yummy. Eric made me a pineapple upside down cake for my birthday — yum.

4. Practice. Getting comfortable with discomfort.

5. My tiny family, tiny home, tiny life. This week an old boyfriend from high school who did NOT treat me very well sent me a friend request on Facebook. As I was deleting it, I thought about all the awful relationships I was in before I found Eric, and how grateful I am I ended up here, with him. I am so lucky.

Bonus joy: a new therapist who is a good fit from the get go, the new hydromassage chair at the gym (I am IN LOVE), getting in the pool, sitting in the sauna, writing with my Friday morning group, texting with Chloe’ and Mom and Chris, cancelled plans, naps, our first baby snow, flowers from Calyx, a birthday text from my dad, taking myself out to lunch, watching the squirrels eat the pumpkins and apples in our compost pile, joy, ease, a warm down blanket and some pillows, that corner of the couch, videos of the blue taco baby, emails from people who love me sent just to say so, good books, podcasts, TV, new music, reading in bed at night while Ringo and Eric sleep.