Great Stupa of Dharmakaya, Shambhala Mountain Center

1. Fearlessly Creative: A Meditation and Writing Retreat, the reason why I’m posting this on Thursday instead of Friday. I’m leaving this afternoon and have made every effort to get everything I needed to done so I can leave and just simply be on retreat while I’m gone. This is the fifth time I’ve gone on retreat with Susan Piver, and the fourth time to this one in particular. I love her, I love this place, and I adore the practice. I’m so grateful I can afford to go, that my sweet husband agrees to it, even though I’ll be gone for his birthday.

2. Eric. It’s his birthday tomorrow, but since I won’t be here, I made him open his presents this morning. I am going to miss him while I’m gone — walking the dogs with him, hearing him laugh, the way he talks to the dogs when he thinks no one else is listening, the stupid jokes we make that probably only we would find funny, falling asleep next to him, spending the morning while it’s still dark sitting together in the living room with our Christmas tree and lights and Happy Hearth DVD and sleeping dogs.

3. Our Christmas tree. I’m so glad we got one this year. It’s just so sweet and twinkly.

4. A great night out with good friends. We ate an amazing dinner at a fabulous, beautiful place (the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House) and saw a hilarious show (Tig makes me laugh until my face hurts).

Boulder Dushanbe Tea House

5. Ringo. This dude never fails to cheer me up. He’s just so goofy and cute sometimes.

Christmas couching

I use this folding card table to wrap Christmas presents. Ringo uses it to get a better view of the street.

Those ears!

6. Sam. He turned seven years old this week. He’s such a good guy, so sensitive and sweet.

What seven looks like

What eleven weeks old looked like, his first day as a Salahub

7. Morning walks in the snow. So pretty.

Bonus joy: a neighbor’s dog who’d been lost showed up at their back door two days later and barked to be let in — stinky and tired but otherwise fine, clementines, knowing that sometimes I don’t need to give anything away, setting boundaries (I didn’t used to be too good at this), saying “no,” changing my mind, snow tires, practice, getting enough sleep, soaking in the tub, trusting myself, Voxing with Justine, texting with my brother, letters from my mom, the cheer of Christmas in a dark season.

1. Flowers in the bathroom.

2. Good friends. And the technology that allows me to stay connected to them even when they are far away or we are on different schedules.

3. Practice. Yoga, meditation, writing, and dog. They all work together to keep me sane.

4. Snow. I could have done without the super cold temperatures we’ve had, but I do love the snow. I was especially happy to see the trees along the trail decorated again this year, some one else’s lovebomb.

5. Eric. He’s so good to me, does so much good stuff, takes such good care of me. For example, for the past three mornings when it’s been too cold for the dogs to walk (because if they walk, the snow gets clumped up in their feet and their feet get too cold), Eric’s taken them running.

6. Sam and Ringo. They make me laugh, and cheer me up when I don’t feel like laughing. And, they make sure I never have to bathe alone.

Bonus joy: clementines, Solange’s new album A Seat at the Table, people who are working so hard and make it so easy for me to help, Fridays, the weekend, clean sheets, a house that smells like cookies, ibuprofen, good podcasts, the Voxer app, snow tires, gortex shoes, a warm coat, tape, sleep, flannel pajama pants so worn and soft they are almost falling apart.