1. Morning walks. As I mentioned, they’ve been a different route because there are too many mosquitoes by the river. Ringo and I spent this week walking around the City Park Cemetery trying to find the nest with two baby owls. We haven’t found them, but it’s a nice place to walk — lots of shade from huge trees, quiet, and right now there are so many peonies blooming there.

The light though…

2. Peonies. We’ve had such hot weather the past few days that the season is almost over already, but I’ve been cutting them and bringing them in the house, have a vase in almost every room.

3. Practice. It keeps me from giving up, when so many sad and awful things are happening in the world and I’m so tired and don’t know what else to do.

4. Teaching yoga. I subbed three classes this week. I don’t want to teach that much all the time, at least not right now, but in a short burst it’s really lovely.

5. Strawberries. We are getting a TON from our garden this year. Eric even made a pie this week. It’s one of the things he’s the best at, making pie. Eating it is one of the things I’m the best at. 🙂

There really is pie under there somewhere

Today’s harvest.

6. My three boys. I love just being home with them, taking naps and hanging out.

Bonus joy: San Pelligrino Orange Sparkling Water (there’s something wrong with how much I crave this), Wild Writing with Mikalina and Chloe’ (although, not much writing happened today), air conditioning and a whole house fan, all the work Eric does on our garden and how well it’s doing, Sam getting better from his injury but getting old all at the same time, Ringo getting to make friends when he’s out on a walk by himself, swimming lessons (I did SO GOOD this week!), the privilege of summer vacation, clean sheets (which I’m heading to put on right now).

1. My peonies are blooming. I love them so much. The two bushes with the least blooms are coming in first, and there’s at least 20 blooms each on the two bigger ones, so FYI: there are going to be lots of pictures until they are done.

The ants and ladybugs love them too

2. Morning walks. Because there are so many mosquitoes out by the river right now, we’ve been having to walk to City Park and the lake instead. It’s a nice walk, but I miss the river already.

3. Swimming lessons. I took my first one yesterday. I put my face in the water a bunch of times, and only panicked a little lot. I think once I can get past that part, the rest will be easier, more fun. I have a good teacher and the willingness to try, and that seems like a good place to start.

Me after my lesson and ten minutes in the sauna

4. Joyful movement. Aqua aerobics, Pilates, yoga, and walking with Eric and the dogs. For so many years, exercise was about what I should do, about punishment and discontent. I’m so grateful I found new things that I enjoy and feel good doing.

5. My tiny family. I really would rather be with them than anywhere else.

Bonus joy: strawberries from our garden that taste like sunshine, good books (I’m reading Lilith’s Brood by Octavia Butler right now – so good), good TV (I just watched the first two episodes of season three of Queen Sugar), sleeping in, napping, clean sheets, air conditioning, clean water, writing and hanging out with Mikalina, texting, not checking my work email.

Yum