Gratitude Friday

goodboys

1. My boys. Other than pictures for the August Break photo challenge and a whole bunch for work, the only thing I had time to take pictures of this week were these two. They are doing so well with their training, and continue to be such good company.

2. A new therapist. She’s good. I like her and I needed it. Bonus joy: since I’ve met my yearly deductible and she bills my insurance, it’s cheap.

3. Good books. Reading is one of the only true pleasures I manage to give myself no matter how busy or tired I am otherwise.

4. Cooler weather. I know I wasn’t even here for the worst of the summer weather this year, but I still had plenty enough of it to be over it.

5. Friday. There’s lots to do this weekend, but I’m still looking forward to a few days off from work to rest and have a bit of fun.

Bonus joy: coming home tired from work and Eric having dinner ready and dogs walked, clean sheets, soaking in the tub, a waterproof phone, my new car, seven applications for the internship position I’d filled at the end of last semester but had to rehire for at the last minute, knowing who I am, allowing myself to rest when I need it, sitting in the shade in the backyard, the sound of bees, a really good salad, fresh cucumbers from my garden, good neighbors, being able to say “no,” a good pair of jeans.

gardenwindowview

1. Our garden. This week we picked and ate our first watermelon and we are still getting strawberries. I especially love the view of the front garden from our bedroom window. I’m so glad we decided to convert the front into garden space instead of keeping the lawn.

2. A successful first week back at work. I am SO tired though, and my job just seems to keep getting bigger and bigger, even though I’m the same size.

3. Some good training sessions with the dogs. We have a private lesson tomorrow morning, and Ringo and I start our Canine Parkour class on Monday. I feel reasonably confident that we can do this.

4. Sam and Ringo. This week I realized that they love me as much as I love them, in the way that dogs love humans that is.

samwithkong ringocloseup

5. Eric. This week I started getting kitchen counter love notes again, which almost makes going back to work worth it. I also am loving all the cool pictures he’s been making with the Prisma app.

ringoprisma02 samprisma

Bonus joy: free lunch, watermelon from our garden, a cold clean glass of water, a warm shower, clean sheets, weather cool enough that I have to put socks on, making people laugh, my new car, getting all the laundry done on Friday, walking with each dog alone rather than both of them together, going to bed at night and reading something good on my Kindle, ibuprofen, fresh peaches, peanut butter, texts from my brother, good friends that feel close even when I don’t get to see them that often, healthy babies, how my little friend Sam saw me today and wanted to crawl up in my lap, listening to a room full of English people (students and faculty) share their favorite words, the enthusiasm of freshman their first week on campus, the sidewalk repairs almost finished on our block, remembering to bring my umbrella on a day it rains, good poetry and the poets who write it, dresses with pockets.