1. Morning walks. There were some chilly ones this week. Cold but quiet and beautiful.

2. The season of lights, generosity, good food, and rest. These are all of my favorite things about this season. Since so many of my family and friends live in Oregon, today I’m going to spend the day wrapping presents and packing them to be ready to ship, while playing holiday movies in the background — some of the ones I love to rewatch are Elf, Scrooged, Single All The Way, Die Hard, Love Actually, lovehard, Jingle Jangle, Let It Snow, and Home Alone. Tomorrow, we’ll go pick out a tree.

3. Good friends. It’s especially import to me, since I prefer staying home and being alone. The friends I have are kind, smart, creative, and funny — the best kind of humans. Also: take pictures with your friends. I’ve loved and lost people and don’t have any pictures of us together and that’s a particular kind of heartbreak.

4. Practice. I wouldn’t still be here without it.

5. My tiny family, tiny home, tiny life. They might be tiny, but they are everything, the whole world to me.

Bonus joy: music, listening to podcasts, my infrared heating pad, Wild Writing with Laurie and our “coven,” small group training with Shelby and the gang, the hydromassage chair, the pool, the sauna, my weighted blanket, the tiny computer/camera that I call a phone, an internet connection, true crime, down pillows and blankets, a warm shower, clean laundry, groceries, pay day, snow tires, electricity, clean water, heat, a white noise machine, chocolate, broccoli, roasted brussel sprouts, balsamic vinegar, walnuts, caramel, vaccines, painting, making art with Mikalina and Janice, texting with Chloe’, Mike Birbiglia, writing in the morning with a hot cup of coffee, sitting in the morning with a cup of green tea and my weighted blanket across my lap, hugs, laughing, naps, reading in bed at night while Ringo and Eric sleep.