1. Morning walks with the dogs. This week I was back on our regular schedule of solo walks two mornings of the week. I am not back up to 5 miles just yet, but I’m getting there. I especially appreciated the light this week, since Daylight Savings time this weekend is going to steal an hour, plunging us back into the dark for just a bit longer.

2. Signs of spring. Crocuses are popping up around town and things are starting to turn a tiny bit green around the edges. I got so excited the other day because I remembered I planted daffodil bulbs in the fall. Fingers crossed that some of them come up.

3. Chat dates with people I don’t get to spend nearly enough time with.

4. The sweetest little plant from a work colleague. I’d helped her with some computer stuff so she brought me a purple shamrock. I looked up how to care for it and learned one of its common names is Love Plant.

5. Golden years with the dogs. Especially when you have two dogs of varying ages, there’s a thing I refer to as the “golden years.” This is an all too brief moment of time when no one is a baby and no one is dying. Add to that the precious moments where no one is sick or injured, and you get this minute of time where you simply get to enjoy each other’s company. It didn’t last very long with my first two pairings of dogs, so with this third one, I’m reminding myself to savor it.

Bonus joy: bran muffins with dried raspberries, sour cherry juice, being caught up on the laundry, sunshine, good books, naps, having enough money, good health insurance, subbing for one of my favorite yoga classes, my Bluetooth speaker, a clean car, clean sheets, dark chocolate with salted caramel, flowers, the promise of another garden, roasted sweet potatoes, all the good dinners Eric has been cooking, the internet and a good connection.

1. Morning walks with the dogs. Oh how I’ve missed this. Finally mostly healed from a bum knee, a fall on the ice, and surgery, yesterday morning I was able to go on my first solo morning walk with the dogs. It did not disappoint.

2. Teachers, writers, and friends that say and write the most amazing, helpful things — things that on some days are the only thing that will keep me from giving up. Tenderhearted, smart, kind, funny humans like Jeff Oaks and Jena Schwartz and Laurie Wagner and Susan Piver.

3. Practice. Meditation, yoga, writing, and dog. And, as I was telling my friend Justine, even marriage. With the right intention and an open heart, it can all be practice.

4. Sweet things, salty things. Ice cream and chocolate and potatoes and cheese, in particular but in no particular order.

5. My tiny family. Cuddling with Sam (which he doesn’t do very often, so it’s special), laughing or taking a walk with Eric, and just waiting around for the next thing Ringo is going to do, because it’s guaranteed to make me crazy and happy, simultaneously.

Bonus joy: being able to walk 3.62 miles without pain, a good week at work, good TV, good books, good food, clean water, soaking in a tub of hot water, clean sheets, finishing the laundry, being able to pay bills and give, being seen, taking a nap, sunshine, Wild Writing, spending time with good people.