1. Morning walks. Fall is my favorite time of the year for morning walks. It’s easy to get out early enough to see the sunrise, the mosquitoes are mostly gone, things are turning golden, it smells amazing, the temperatures are getting cooler, and there are a lot fewer people out. There was some excitement on Eric and Ringo’s walk this morning: Ringo went nose to nose with a baby skunk! Eric pulled him away as soon as he realized what was happening but the skunk didn’t ever turn and raise its tail — maybe an “are you my mother?” moment. My reaction was both “yuck!” and “aww, baby skunk!”, both oh no and utter joy.

2. Kindness. I’ve been moved by so many moments of this in the past week, both in person and online. When you look at things from one angle and they are so awful, it’s a relief to know there’s an antidote.

3. The earth and environment. It can be unpredictable, even cruel, and we’ve treated it so horribly, and yet it continues to sustain life in so many glorious forms, to be so gorgeous and magical.

4. Cooking with Eric. In particular recently I’m loving how we are able to take what we have and without much of a plan make something nourishing and yummy.

Bonus joy: grapefruit bubbly water, clean sheets, clean laundry, that corner of the couch, hanging out with Mikalina, Jessamy’s birthday and the pictures she sent me of the kids, my ice compression gloves and hand massager, my general practitioner and her assistant, my masseuse, the hydromassage chair, training with Shelby and the gang, a/c and fans, ice, strawberries, greek yogurt, hard boiled eggs, cheese, my office and practice room, Eric having a three day weekend, a warm shower, dental floss, meditation, Carrie Grossman’s version of the Ra Ma Da Sa mantra, books, good TV and movies (let’s be honest — sometimes even the versions that aren’t “good” are just what I need), listening to podcasts, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep, the sky over our backyard.