1. Trees. I have lots of favorites. The ones above are a stand of Narrowleaf Cottonwoods at the edge of McMurry Ponds. There are four trees just in our neighborhood that are my favorites — a Redbud around the corner that is so bright it looks fluorescent when it blooms, two Maples that stand together in a tiny front yard on opposite sides of a sidewalk leading to the the front door, and one that I’m not sure of the variety but the way its branches curl and reach out over the street cause me to stop and look up almost every time I walk past.

Another one of my favorite trees

2. The morning walks. The moon was still out the other morning and I saw an owl flying across a field, then we startled a heron by the river, and both days we saw the herd of White-tailed deer who take their morning walk about the same time, along almost the same route as we do.

3. Friday, and this list. Seriously, today I could have called it “Tude Friday” because I am feeling pissy today, have a bad attitude. The sky was gray all day yesterday and the weather forecast is for at least three more days of the same — the guy on the radio this morning said, “great weather, if you’re a duck.” And I’m tired, and cranky about having to work so hard all the time but still feeling like I never get anything done. But it’s Friday, and writing this list reminds me that there are good things, things to be grateful for.

4. My tiny family. I love my stupid dogs, too much, more than is probably healthy, but they make me so happy, and sometimes so stressed out. That’s where Eric comes in — he helps calm them down, calm me down.

My secret shortcut to my CSU office, much better than having to walk past the construction site for the new stadium

5. Being good to each other. I noticed this so many times this week, the ways that we help each other, encourage each other, make each other laugh. It feels just as awesome to be the one offering it as it does to be the one getting the good — win/win.

Bonus joy: payday, having a massage be the only thing on my schedule this weekend, my new car, flowers in the bathroom, my favorite towels, the promise of pie, texting with Eric, good books, good tv, roasted vegetables, naps, sleeping in, good feedback on my work, the camera on my new cellphone, knowing that this too shall pass.

1. Morning walks. We had a rough one this week with lots of offlead (rude) dogs (people) and a skateboarder that Ringo and Sam decided they hated, but mostly I love that time.

Our view of the foothills during the last mile of our walk

Right before the skateboarder rode by, the calm before the chaos

2. The Colorado sky. It is a particular kind of magic. Last night at a poetry reading by CSU English department alumnus Yusef Komunyakaa, he opened by saying, “I don’t think I would be a poet without being in Colorado. I saw the mountains and couldn’t back down. And the sky…”

3. Sam and Ringo Blue. Oh how I love them. Oh how they can make me crazy sometimes.

Couching

Ringo “helping” me meditate

4. Spring blooms. The cherry trees, our first lilac buds. I’m so happy the snow this weekend didn’t ruin them all.

5. Our department retreat. It was a lot of hard work to plan, but it turned out great. One of the highlights was a Lego model of our remodeled building built by one of our faculty.

Bonus joy: FRIDAY, good friends, poets and poetry, clean water, feeling safe, the music of Prince, a good pen, a blank notebook, the camera on my new phone, the promise of rest, good TV, good food, voices of reason to contradict the crazy, apple and cinnamon oatmeal, sunshine, green everywhere, sleepy dogs, naps, sweet potato and black bean quesadillas, stretching, summer vacation so close I can smell it.