Image by Eric

1. Sunflowers. They are a sign that the summer is waning, but I love the little birds who come around in tiny flocks to feed off them this time of year.

2. New recipes to try. The above takeout-style sesame noodles with cucumber from Smitten Kitchen with Japanese cucumbers from our garden would have been perfectly delicious if I just hadn’t undercooked the rice noodles, (it was the first time I’d made them, and I always forget that because of our altitude things take longer to cook). I got more noodles and as soon as we get a few more cucumbers, I’ll try again because everything else about this recipe was so yummy. Today I’m trying this tomato jam recipe, since we have more tomatoes than we can keep up with.

3. Doing fun stuff with my favorite humans.  I went to see Andrea Gibson with some friends and went to Danielle Ate the Sandwich the next night with Eric.

4. Knowing that every day I work at CSU is the last one like it. For example, today, September 14, is the last September 14 I will ever work there. Now that I know I’m quitting, all the reasons why are just so clear to me. I’m so grateful for the privilege to stop doing that and start doing something else. I think my new title, besides writer, will be Contemplative Practice Guide – what do you think?

5. Farmer’s market flowers. Even though it signals the end of the season, these delicate pinks are some of my favorite. Not in the bathroom this week, since the grocery store mums are still going strong, but rather on my writing desk.

6. My boys. The way Ringo asks to be put to bed at night – he won’t just put himself into bed when he gets too tired, he needs the routine of someone telling him “go out and go potty” and then the run back into his crate where there are cookies waiting. When he’s ready, he stares at the humans until someone figures out what he needs. Sam got a home visit from his favorite vet, some new meds and acupuncture, and is feeling better this week. We might get him figured out after all.

Bonus joy: watermelon, good sleep, cortisone shots that have made my knees feel so much better, clean sheets, naps, good TV (just finished the Netflix series Sisters and noticed there’s a new season of Call the Midwife), good books (Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward was rough, but still worth reading), good music (I can’t stop listening to The Wailin’ Jennys), finishing the laundry on Friday while working from home, ideas for new classes, meditating and writing in the morning, swimming, aqua aerobics, yoga, Pilates, the cooler and darker mornings, being able to maintain good boundaries.

1. Morning walks. We are still on a slightly goofy route, since Sam can only go two miles and then we have to drop him off at home and go another 2.5 or so. The other day, we went a half mile out of our way just so I could see the river again. I miss it so much. Once we drop Sam off, Ringo and I usually go to City Park. In the above picture, you can’t really see it, but this murder of crows was having an argument with a hawk high up in the tree.

2. Colorado sky. I grew up in Oregon, where the sky was mostly gray. Maybe that’s why I’m so in love with the sky here.

3. Shifting. Doing less of things I don’t love and more of the things I do.

4. Flowers in the bathroom. This week it was mums from the grocery store because the woman who runs the flower stall that I love wasn’t at the Farmer’s Market this week. Even so, there were some leftovers from last week I could put on my writing desk.

5. My tiny family. Just know that whoever you are, however close we are, however much I love you, these three are still my favorite.

6. Mail. That being said, I got some awesome mail from my awesome Auntie T this week. Get me all the fresh bread and biscuits, stat!

Bonus joy: aqua aerobics, swimming lessons, Pilates, Open Space Writing (taught my first class today with some of my favorite people – this must be what it’s like to do work you love and get paid for it!), lovely email exchanges, texting, good books, good TV, sitting in the sauna after spending time in the pool, grilled cheese sandwiches (I might just have a problem), hanging out with Eric, weekend plans, paying the bills and balancing the checkbook (the part where I’m done, that is), clean laundry, crossing things off my to-do list, a glass of cold clean water.