1. Practice. It keeps me sane, and as a teacher, it feels like something worthwhile I can share.

2. Fall color. Even when it’s competing in my backyard with an early trace of winter.

3. Kitchen counter love notes. It’s the best thing about coming home from work, that and how excited the dogs get. Oh, and being able to take off my bra.

4. Texting. Even when it means getting a picture of your boys, happy after a hike, when you are sitting at your desk working.

5. My tiny family. They saved me this morning — I was scheduled to sub a yoga class at 7 am, but somehow I got the dates mixed up in my head and thought it was next Friday, so I slept in this morning, but Eric came back from walking the dogs at 6:30 and woke me up, which gave me enough time to get to the gym and get set up, and I don’t think anyone even realized that I taught a class I planned right there on the spot. That last part is something to be grateful for too — to have taught yoga long enough and enough times that I can just show up and teach, no worries.

Waiting for the dad to come home

The look he gives me when I won’t share my lunch

When it’s too crappy to play outside

My date at Chelsey and Jon’s wedding (Jon dancing with his mom in the background)

Bonus joy: Wild Writing, texting with friends, laughing with Eric, sweet potato and black bean quesadillas, sunshine, our new fence, no more yellow jackets or mice in our house, saying “no,” sleeping in, napping, clean sheets, our new bed, snuggling with the dogs, how worried Sam gets when I run the washing machine, how Ringo thinks he needs to yell at anyone he can see from our front window no matter what they are doing or who they are, a thin soft wool sweater, computer glasses, my Kindle, aqua aerobics.

My friends, Chelsey and Jon, dancing their first dance at their wedding

1. Love. I have a good reason this week for this post being late. I’ve been busy, marrying my friends Chelsey and Jon. It’s the second ceremony I’ve officiated, and just like the last time, I was marrying people I love dearly, who love each other even more. It’s just so great to see people you love so happy together. And, p.s., tomorrow is Eric and I’s 24th anniversary. And, p.s.s., sorry I forgot yours again, Mom and Dad — somehow I always thinks it’s on the 11th, after ours. Hope you had a lovely day even though your kids suck and probably both forgot.

2. Fall in Colorado. I’ve been drinking it in this weekend. It’s supposed to snow tomorrow, and even if we don’t get the full 4-8 inches they are predicting, it will for sure pull a lot of the red, gold, and orange off the trees, fast forwarding us towards winter.

3. A new fence! After a few rain delays, it’s finally done. I will never take having a fence for granted, no matter how run down, because my dogs really really love to go hang out in the back yard, play or lounge around, and it’s so much easier when they can just go out when they need to, instead of needing me to suit them up and take them out. And it doesn’t hurt that our new fence is so nice.

Sam approves

Having to play inside just isn’t the same

4. Walking with the dogs in the morning. It’s so dark we can hardly see anything at first, but it’s so lovely and quiet.

5. Flowers in the bathroom. With the snow coming tomorrow, this will most likely be the last ones from the farmer’s market.

6. My tiny family. There’s nothing I love more, nothing that makes me feel more content, than being with them and knowing they are healthy and happy.

Bonus joy: working out in the pool, taking a long nap, crispy gala apples, dog sighs, clean sheets, good books (just finished Buddha in the Attic, so good!), good TV (lots of my favorites are back on, like Queen Sugar and Superstore and Grey’s Anatomy), computer glasses, getting up and down the mountain safely, going to lunch with Eric at a place we’ve went to for the first time 25 years ago, pancakes and waffles, our new bed, clean water, all the good people working to resist the awful things being done, knee braces, dog toothpaste, our new furnace.