1. Morning walks. I feel so lucky that we live near so many good places to walk. I’ve been braving the mosquitoes near the river and ponds because they haven’t gotten too bad yet. With all the rain we’ve had this year there are lots more wildflowers. Since it’s already warm at 5 am, we don’t see as much wildlife, mostly bunnies and birds. Even though I didn’t get a good picture of it, this week I saw a blue grosbeak for the first time. AND there were two elk wandering around in Old Town — visited the main drag, the library, The Lincoln Center, and City Park, which is where Eric and Ringo saw them on their afternoon walk.

2. Practice. Writing with my Friday morning sangha, yoga at Red Sage, working on “The Book,” writing in the morning in front of my happy light, meditating in my practice room. It all keeps me from going completely off the rails.

3. Texting. In terms of keeping in regular touch with people, it’s a highly sensitive introverts dream. I tried to explain to my aunts this summer that “phone calls are for emergencies” and they thought I was crazy, think it’s easier to “just pick up the phone.” They are also a generation that thinks “just stopping by” without scheduling that ahead of time is totally acceptable. 

4. A quiet, small life. Some people would think my day to day life is boring but it is a perfect size and pace for me.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. As I’ve said a hundred times, I love it here, with them.

Bonus joy: sending each other selfies, afternoon storms, libraries and librarians and all the books, poets and poetry, other people’s dogs and gardens and kids, a picture of Hendrix playing in the water under the setting sun that reminded me of the particular joy of every summer when I was a kid, groceries, clean sheets, a big glass of cold clean water, cancelled plans, online appointment scheduling, our whole house fan and a/c, down blankets and pillows, weird dreams — especially the ones I can remember and tell Eric about, ice cream, cake, peanut butter balls and cups, onion buns, getting in the pool, the hydromassage chair, sitting in the sauna with Eric, naps, ordering things online so I don’t have to go shopping in person where there are people, prescriptions, tortilla chips, streaming content, listening to podcasts, Teddy Swims, GoldFord, book club, getting books from the library for my Kindle, when things are easy, a supportive partner, when he brings home flowers after he stops at the store for groceries, how he cleans my bathroom, when he “naps down/rests down” with Ringo before they go on an afternoon walk, reading in bed at night on my Kindle while they both sleep.