1. Morning walks. Saturday morning I had planned on sleeping in, skipping the walk, taking the morning slow and getting some laundry done. Instead, Eric woke me up (or rather Ringo did when Eric opened the bedroom door and he got up on the bed and booped me awake) at 6:30 to ask if I wanted to go with them, that they hadn’t left yet. Even though my half-awake mind was grumbling about it, listing all the reasons I should stay behind while they went without me, I got up and got ready to go, because the thing I know (and this is true of both morning walks and yoga) is that I will never regret going but I might regret not going. And once again I was right.

2. Peaches and watermelon. I know I said last week was probably the last of them, but I managed to squeak out a few more.

3. Practice. Yoga at Red Sage and the gym, writing with my Friday morning sangha, meditating, writing in my journal in the morning, reading poetry, pulling a few tarot cards.

4. The colors of fall. The past three days and have really felt and looked like fall, and I am so happy! It’s my favorite season in Colorado.

5. Comfort food. Sometimes “eating healthy” means taking care of yourself in a different way, and eating nourishing food doesn’t always mean only vegetables. And usually if I want something baked, like a cake, I’m better off making it myself rather than trying to buy it somewhere.

6. My tiny family, small house, little life. Eric has been sick but is thankfully feeling better. He got me my very own murder of tiny brass crows, hid them around my computer to surprise me. I came out after reading, writing, and having my morning drinks, and he asked if I’d noticed anything, but I had no idea what he was talking about, didn’t understand, hadn’t seen them yet because I was sitting at my other desk. It wasn’t until later that afternoon that I sat down and reached for my keyboard and saw two tiny crows sitting on my spacebar and looked to my left and saw more scattered on the desk, a few perched on the modem, and more lining the shelf in the corner. I called out to tell him now I understood what he was talking about, but he didn’t hear me because he was fast asleep on the couch, where he’d been spending a lot of his time. Ringo got acupuncture this week with Bronwen, who even though she pokes him with needles still manages to be one of his favorite people. He’s doing really well for almost 13 years old, was making us laugh last night chasing his tail after dinner, trying to get someone to play fight with him.

Bonus joy: texting with Chloe’ and Chris, good books, listening to podcasts, other people’s dogs, chrysanthemums, cooler weather, down blankets and pillows, comedy, poetry, short videos, pasta, a big glass of cold clean water, my new laptop, watching Death in Paradise with Eric, listening to music, cream cheese buttercream frosting, a couch comfortable enough to spend the night on, battery operated candles, garbage collection service, a washer and dryer in my house, bluetooth speakers, gummy supplements, that Ringo is easy to give pills and other supplements to (because he gets a lot of them), our futon and the wool topper, wool slippers, being able to help, pictures of the little humans in my family, the doodle notes Chris makes, inviting my father-in-law to come stay with us for Christmas (not sure yet if he will), horses, owls, indoor plumbing, sitting out in the yard with Eric and Ringo, stickers, new Birkenstocks, lip balm, lotion, an electric toothbrush, canceled plans, getting things delivered, prescription glasses, mint and ginger drops, naps, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.