1. Morning walks. We walked some unusual routes and times this week because of snow, cold, and then mud, but it was still so pretty out there. People who’ve had the surgery I’m getting on Wednesday all say that the three things that are most important for recovery are: drink lots of water, walk and walk and walk and walk some more, and “don’t trust your farts.” 

2. Snow. I know lots of people are ready for winter to be over but I really like the snow and even the cold — not the gray sky though, never that. On Monday we were supposed to wake up to maybe a few more inches, and instead we got NINE and everything was canceled — SNOW DAY!!! The only drawback was the ground cover meant that the robins had to come to our bird feeder and those dudes are messy! Poop on and in the feeder and the whole thing went from filled that morning to nothing left by the end of the day. Thankfully once the snow melted they left the seed alone for the little birds and went back to pulling worms and bugs out of the dirt.

3. Hanging out with friends. I got to spend two whole hours with Chloe’, went out to dinner with Chelsey and Jon, caught up with Mikalina, and made art with Janice. I am calling this week’s collage “Church of the Wild.”

4. My big “Christmas” cactus finally bloomed. My friend Susan, when I posted that it was late but lovely, suggested it was an “Easter” cactus. 🙂

5. My tiny family, tiny home, tiny life. I have been soaking it all in, knowing I’ll be away for a bit. Eric and I went to our first movie in an actual theater in three years! Every single day here with them is the best, my favorite.

Bonus joy: good books (just finished Cloud Cuckoo Land, so good!), listening to podcasts, watching good TV, naps, grocery shopping, soft sourdough sandwich bread, Squeezed Vitamin Water, knowing I have everything I need, canceled plans when I can’t “people,” other people’s dogs and kids, a new notebook, stickers, Dot’s Honey Mustard Pretzels, down blankets and pillows and coats, wool socks, finding replacement bulbs for my HappyLight which is over a decade old, peanut butter and banana, refried beans, sweet potatoes, raspberries, writing in the morning while I drink a mug of green tea, the pool, the hydromassage chair, sitting in the sauna with Eric, pay day, clean laundry, health insurance (although, universal healthcare would be even better), good neighbors, the river and the trees, all the early flowers starting to bloom, bird song, how cute Ringo can be when he’s being so bad, libraries, flannel sheets, reading in bed at night while Ringo and Eric sleep.

And then there’s you, kind and gentle reader. I don’t tell you often enough how grateful I am for you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. ❤