1. Morning walks. We had one walk this week where everything was blue and another where it was more pink. When I look back at my pictures, I notice how the same spot can look so different day to day, season to season, mostly because of the varying light. It’s one of the things I love most about where we live, that after 20+ years of walking dogs, I’ve seen the landscape change but I also remember every other version of it and every dog I walked there. I’m one of those people that doesn’t really need to travel because what I love is to know a place, to really know it, to know where the fox dens are or the best place to see a heron on the river or where you should look if you want to see an owl. 

2. Trees. I’m not talking about trees in general (although I pretty much love ALL of them), but the fact that I have favorites, and that only comes with living in the same place for a long time. This can also cause me pain, because sometimes trees get broken or sick, die or get cut down. That was the case this week. Our next-door neighbors just moved out and while the house is empty, the landlord is having people do some maintenance inside and out. When I was leaving for the gym yesterday, two tree service trucks arrived, and I assumed that if they were there for that house, they’d surely be taking down the 60 year old mostly dead cherry tree in the front yard. I was heartbroken when I came back home to see the gorgeous massive pine tree in the backyard already half gone, with a man in a hardhat holding a chainsaw harnessed to the top of what was left. I didn’t ask them why and they removed what they cut down and even ground the stump so I couldn’t snoop and see if the tree was diseased or dying. Eric assures me no landlord would pay thousands of dollars to take out a tree that didn’t need to be removed. I hope he’s right, but I’m still so sad about it.

3. Ringo. He’s doing so good on his new food. I still haven’t found a vitamin supplement that works for him (because we don’t feed him raw and he’s allergic to so many things, there are nutrients like calcium that he’s missing), but we’ve got the main thing sorted and that makes me so happy. You can tell he feels better because he’s back to doing all the things that can be so annoying. Take this video as Exhibit A.

Also, I was looking through my archive of pictures, looking for something else entirely, when I stumbled across this picture of Ringo. It’s not even bragging on myself to say it’s a gorgeous picture.

4. Practice. The reason I’m still here.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. I must sound like a broken record, but it’s hard, week after week, to come up with a different way to say it: I love it here. There’s no place I’d rather be, no one I’d rather be with. This is my favorite. It’s everything I ever wanted. I’m so lucky, so grateful.

Bonus joy: a good night’s sleep, delicious nutritious food, clean air and water, laughter, tears, being outside, dogs and babies, poetry, song, twinkle lights, citrus, a clean and comfortable home that contains things I care about, being connected and in relationship, community, being creative, joyful movement, hugs, helping others, curiosity, peanut butter, celery, a crisp gala apple, a day of rain that you know will be over in a day and the sun will come back out, practicing yoga at Red Sage, being in the pool, sitting in the sauna, the light at the end of the tunnel, the gift of art supplies from Shellie and all the good links she shares, making art with Janice, writing with my Friday morning wild sangha, flannel sheets, down pillows and blankets, borrowing books from the library, watching true crime, listening to podcasts, the playlists Spotify makes for me, electricity, a strong consistent internet connection, texting with Chloe’ and Carrie, sharing reels with Kari, talking to my mom on the phone, my rockstar brother, an old style grilled cheese, taking care of myself, stained glass, quilts, imaging (it is a miracle that we have the technology to see what’s going on INSIDE our bodies), people who rescue and recover lost and injured animals, vaccines, potlucks, naps, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.