1. Flowers. Especially this time of year when my garden is hibernating. One of my not so secret dreams is to turn our garden, front and back, into a tiny flower farm. Places like Floret Flower Farm are so dreamy — fields of flowers covered in bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. 

2. Good food. The nice thing about cooking a special seasonal meal for just the two of us is we have food for the next three days, don’t have to worry about cooking and get to eat some of our favorite things, like apple pie and stuffing. I made bran muffins with dried raspberries this morning, which are one of Ringo’s favorites. 

3. Four day weekend. In particular, one like this where not only does Eric get to be home from work, but those last four days of his break, there’s NOTHING on our schedule, nothing extra that has to be done.

4. Good content. Books, magazines, TV, films, podcasts, music, comedy, and art. And I’m also grateful for all the makers.

5. Morning walk. It looks so different out there now, full winter.

6. My tiny family, tiny home, tiny life. I am so lucky, so grateful.

Bonus joy: lots of naps, drinking green tea in the morning in the dark while sitting in my practice room, my aunt’s quilts (a long time ago, on a completely different website, I did a tour of my house and all the quilts of hers I have — I need to do that again), watching true crime with Eric, being retired, writing in the morning with a cup of coffee, a warm shower, grapefruit bubbly water, raspberries, apple pie oatmeal (one part oatmeal, one part apple pie), poetry, blankets (in this regard, I may have a problem, kind of like I have with books — there can never be enough!), birds in the feeder, dreaming about Sam, all the things Ringo does that drive me crazy but also mean he’s happy and healthy, walking with Eric and Ringo at City Park, hanging out and making art with Mikalina, texting with my brother, neighbors putting up their Christmas lights and decorations, the hydromassage chair, the pool, sitting in the sauna with Eric and Janice, making art with Janice, training with Shelby and the gang (which one day this week included Eric), realizing I’m getting physically stronger, dog rescue, snow tires, a washer and dryer inside my own house, hot water right out of the tap, sunshine, electricity, the internet, clean water, kitchen towels, blank journals, purple highlighters, baby chickens, snail mail, yoga, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.