1. Morning walks. I didn’t actually go on any this week, so these are all pictures from Eric and Ringo’s walks. They saw a bald eagle and a beaver, along with lots of racoons and a few deer. It’s been almost four weeks since my surgery and my goal this next week is to start doing some walks with Ringo on my own, (if Eric lets me).

2. Surprise gifts. I was on Facebook yesterday and saw this. The fourth anniversary of Sam’s death (which was also a surprise but not so much a gift) is next month, so it’s a little bittersweet, but more sweet than bitter.

3. Good books. In particular, I am working my way through just about everything Brianna Wiest has ever written. I don’t agree 100% with her, (I don’t really believe that the things that happen to you are what is “supposed” to happen to you or that you even chose those things as a “soul contract” before you were born, etc.), but 98% of what she says is really helpful. I was trying to explain to someone the other day and I said, “It’s not so much new information, most of it is things I already know and could write myself, but somehow I needed the reminder. It’s sort of like having a conversation with my wisest self.” The one I forgot to include in this pile is The Pivot Year: 365 Days To Become The Person You Truly Want To Be, which includes a lot of prompts perfect to use in a yoga class and are nice short readings for before I meditate in the morning.

4. Writing. I write every day, have filled over 100 notebooks and published 2500+ blog posts in the past 10+ years, however to sit down in front of my computer and open up a blank document and start typing is more complicated. There are so many things I want to write about and have written about but not published and it can feel overwhelming. Yesterday, I told myself to just sit down for 15 minutes, even if all I did was stare at a blank screen. This is a trick I know well and I always fall for it, because as soon as I open a space, I start typing and suddenly an hour has passed.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. The dumbest things make me happy, like this morning when I was sitting at my desk writing and Eric came in to hug me. He had to do a splits variation to get low enough, which was rough because he’s sore from a long run yesterday, and I teased him and said, “come on, do a Jean-Claude Van Damme,” which lead to him saying things like “Jean-Claude Van Damme-it” and “If I did, I’d do some Jean-Claude Van Damme-age to myself.”

We also realized that Eric doesn’t mind rinsing dishes and loading the dishwasher, but doesn’t like unloading and putting things away, but I DO, so another chore successfully assigned based on who doesn’t mind or even likes doing the thing. Unfortunately, neither one of us really likes cleaning bathrooms or dusting, even though we do it anyway because it’s nice when it’s done.

Ringo has been cracking us up lately because he’s decided he needs to go to bed earlier, more like 7 pm than 8 pm, so after we are done watching an episode of Iron Chef and just starting an episode of Snapped, he insists on being put to bed. Next month, he will officially be the oldest dog we’ve ever had and I am wishing for at least another four years, (cattle dogs life expectancy is 12-15, but I’ve known a few even older).

Bonus joy: Texting with Chloe’, watching movies, listening to podcasts, baking (today is raspberry bran muffins and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies), Mike Birbiglia, a massage with Dana, paying all the bills, getting our taxes done and submitted as well as refunded and paid, being back in the pool and sauna, clean sheets and laundry, daffodils and forsythia blooming, sunshine, being on the other side of a major windstorm, other people’s dogs and kids, honey mustard, ice cream, canceling things when I can’t people, trees, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.