1. Fall. How fat the squirrels are getting eating goodies from our compost pile and our pumpkins (see the above before and after shots for proof), the little girls from down the street who knocked on our door and told me they liked our pumpkins and took a few home with them even though they were the last ones left and total Charlie Brown Christmas tree pumpkins, how Eric left a bunch of them at the end of the driveway with a sign “take a pumpkin” expecting a few to be gone when he got back from hiking with the dogs only to be surprised to see them all gone, the cooler weather, down blankets, wool socks.

2. Skyping with friends. Technology makes it possible for me to hang out with people who live in a whole other time zone the same as if we were sitting at my kitchen table. It’s magic, and it’s medicine.

3. Roasted Butternut Squash with olive oil, a ton of garlic, and a bit of sea salt. So good.

4. Making stuff, like a writing class for Inky Path, another Wild Writing Crazy Wisdom workshop as well as a shorter version without the yoga, blogging, Wild Writing, taking pictures, art journaling, collaging, cooking.

5. Sweet Sam and Ringo Blue. We are in the sweet spot with these two right now — no one is a baby and no one is dying, no one is sick or hurt. Since it’s fall, Eric has been hiking with them a lot again, so when they are home they are so tired they just lounge around. Such good boys.
Bonus joy: new music which means I’m making myself a new playlist, flowers from Eric because “they were pretty and I knew you’d like them,” teaching yoga, reading Big Magic, documentaries about musicians (I watched one about Paul Williams and another about Glen Campbell and want to watch the one about Amy Winehouse this weekend), birds still feeding on our sunflowers which are so wilted and dead you’d think there was nothing left to them, a podcast of my favorite morning radio show without commercials or music, trusting myself.

The Eddy Hall atrium was wet and empty yesterday, but beautiful (I work on the third floor of this building)

I made a decision this week that since it was almost exactly a month until my birthday, I was going to spend the month celebrating, and without much effort on my part, every day since something really good has happened. I think it’s probably always true, I’m just paying closer attention right now, making sure. I want to share with you how that looked this past week, so the structure of this list is a bit different.

Saturday: I got a massage. I’ve been trying to get them more regularly because the issue in my foot travels up my body and everything is extra tense, out of wack. Massage really helps. I feel five pounds lighter every time, like I’m floating. It’s one of the things I have a hard time doing for myself, because it somehow seems like such a luxury, but in this case a massage is most certainly physical therapy, necessary.

Sunday: I took a three mile walk. It was so good to get back out with the dogs, to be outside. It felt so…normal. I made bran muffins, and I’m not sure exactly why (maybe because I used a different yogurt, maybe because I forgot to preheat the oven and they had to sit on the counter and wait to go in?), but they are one of the best batches I’ve ever made. I also roasted some butternut squash with olive oil and garlic — so good!

Monday: I took a sick day because I was feeling really tired, had no energy, just couldn’t make myself take a shower or put on real clothes, let alone leave the house, but that meant I got to nap and cuddle with the dogs, and that was awesome. I also got a really sweet package in the mail.

Tuesday: Maya Stein shared a poem that had been on Writer’s Almanac, “Want” by Carrie Fountain. It’s so beautiful, the reason for a word like swoon. Then I got an email inviting me to teach a writing class for Inky Path. So excited!

Wednesday: Had my last session with my therapist, took myself to lunch to celebrate, had coffee with a friend later in the day. We also finally turned the heat on. There’s something about the sound of the furnace running that is so comforting to me.

Thursday: Did work at CSU that felt more like my kind of work, was more creative and authentic and natural. It was the 22nd anniversary of Sarah McLachlan’s “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy” album, so I listened to it while I worked, reminded of how it was the soundtrack to the beginning of Eric and I’s marriage, how much we loved it and her, still do. We finally got the Honda back from the shop (just warranty work, nothing major), and one of the guys there asked if we were really selling it when we got a new car, asked how much we wanted for it — if he buys it, it will make things so much easier on us. Eric made homemade pizza for dinner, and after I was done eating, Ringo got up on the couch and cuddled with me.

Friday: I woke up to discover Adele had released a full video of her new song. She is so perfect. Her new album releases two days after my birthday. P.S. Mom, you know you are getting a copy of this for Christmas. 🙂

It was a good week. I hope you had one too, kind and gentle reader.