Road closed

Y’all, I’m on summer vacation. This means my internal clock and calendar are a little “off.” Which means on a Friday, I might remember to go to yoga and aqua aerobics and even to be home in time for a play date for Ringo and his buddy Pancho, but it also means that even though I think about it a few times throughout the day, I might forget to do this post.

1. Hiking with Eric and the dogs. I haven’t been hiking since I hurt my knee this winter, which lead to months of physical therapy and the eventual diagnosis of osteoarthritis, which limited my activity, had me on a “Floor to 5k” program because “Couch to 5k” was too advanced. This week, I went on a 5.5 mile hike with Eric and the dogs without any pain in my knees, and I am beyond grateful.

2. Aqua aerobics, Pilates, yoga, careful weight lifting, physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, and massage. These are all keeping my body feeling strong and relatively pain free.

3. Three new swimming suits, and the confidence to wear them in public. Shopping for them was shockingly easy as well.

To see any of them in full, you’ll have to meet me at aqua aerobics. I’m confident, not out of my mind.

4. Summer vacation. I’ll be flying to Oregon for a short visit next week, and have spent the last two weeks doing just what I want: moving my body, resting, reading, watching tv, listening to podcasts, and hanging out with my tiny family and friends. When I get back, there are some chores to get done, but I think I’ll be ready for the work by then.

5. My tiny family. I’ve loved getting to spend so much more time with them.

Bonus joy: good documentaries (I’m kind of obsessed right now, especially those involving mysteries and/or crime), good books, pay day, a few cool days to break up the heat, wearing pajamas more than regular clothes, Downward Dog the TV show (which I have to watch when the dogs aren’t around because they think our TV is just a big window and the dogs on TV are real and trying to get us), sour cherry juice, berry pie, cabbage rolls, a big salad, fresh eggs, meditation, a hot shower with clean water and a clean towel, sunflowers, wildflowers, bees and ladybugs.

1. Morning walks with Eric and the dogs. There are so many mosquitoes by the river right now that we’ve had to temporarily reroute and walk through our neighborhood and around City Park instead. It’s a great place to walk later in the day in the summer because there’s lots of shade.

Sometimes when it’s hot in the afternoon, Ringo stops in the shade and takes a break (for being Australian, he does terrible in the heat)

The baby geese are so big right now that you can barely tell them apart from the adults

2. My tiny family. My favorite part of summer so far is getting to spend more time with them.

My view from the couch

3. Peonies. A few from my garden are still lingering.

4. Pie season. Peach, blackberry, marionberry, strawberry, and apple are my favorite. The first one Eric made is already gone.

So pretty it’s almost a shame to eat it…almost.

5. Eric. Besides being a master pie maker, he does what he has to in order to get great pictures.

The picture he took of Ringo

What he did to get the picture of Ringo

Bonus joy: breakfast with a friend, the first swimming suit I tried on being the one that worked AND it was on sale, naps, good books, good TV, fish tacos, coleslaw, fresh tortillas, pinto beans, clean sheets, being able to wear my pjs almost all day, some cool weather after too many days of too hot, good podcasts, teaching a surprise yoga class on International Yoga Day, clean water, a warm shower, nose work class with Ringo, sleeping in with Sam, laughing with Eric.