1. Another birthday. I turn 56 years old today. I’m so grateful to keep getting older, considering the alternative. No big plans (I’m not a big plans kind of person) — I got a massage yesterday, and this morning I slept in, went to the gym (hydromassage chair, pool, and sauna), ordered pizza, put clean sheets on the bed. After this, I’m going to shower, read, and maybe take a nap. Later I might talk Eric in to watching a movie. I’ve gotten lots of birthday love in the form of texts, emails, cards, Facebook posts, hugs, and presents. The only things I really wanted for my birthday were for Ringo to feel better and to take a nap, so I’m good. 

2. Ringo is feeling better. Ringo has a history of having a wonky belly from time to time. Sometimes it’s triggered because of his allergies, sometimes stress, sometimes eating something gross, and sometimes it’s a total mystery. Luckily because this isn’t something new, we know what to do and typically catch it faster than we might otherwise, so after a few hard days, he’s feeling much better. His birthday is tomorrow and he’ll be TEN years old. Only two of my dogs made it to ten years old, and even those didn’t make it much longer after that. May Ringo have much more life left, and an easy death when he doesn’t.

3. Morning walks. It’s not so much about getting out of the house as it is getting out of my own head.

4. Texting with Chris, Mom, Chloe’, Eric, Chelsey, Annie, and Dana. Sometimes a short conversation or funny memes or an interesting link can turn the whole day around.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. Eric is on Fall break and technically I am too and that makes me very happy.

Bonus joy: Hanging out with Chloe’ and Hendrix, commiserating with Dana, ideas for art projects, clean laundry, a big glass of cold clean water, good TV and movies, listening to podcasts, how much Ringo loves Teri, sunshine, down blankets and pillows and coats, wool socks, Cookie, the smell of citrus, the blooms on my cactus plants, twinkle lights, my moon lamp, my HappyLight, a pile of new books, a warm mug of green tea, stickers, practice, knowing I can always start over and it’s okay to rest, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.