Gratitude Friday

1. Morning walks. I’m loving getting to leave earlier, still see the sunrise, walk a bit further, and make it home in time to do all the other morning things. This week was the last one of golden leaves on the trees, so of course now the sky is showing off.

2. Practice. Soothing, supportive, stabilizing, sustainable.

3. Cooking. Not gonna lie, sometimes when I want something in particular, I really want someone else to do the work — getting the ingredients, making the effort to measure and mix, then the actual cooking, cleaning up after — and I could just do the eating part. Today, however, I made myself broccoli parmesan fritters for lunch, did all the work myself, and I was very happy with the eating part of the deal. Besides teaching me to read, cooking is one of the best skills my parents (Mom in particular) taught me.

4. Joyful movement. Walking with Ringo, aqua aerobics or swimming, training with Shelby, and yoga.

5. My tiny family, my tiny home, my tiny life. I’m so grateful that Eric is so good at doing all the maintenance care for Ringo: nail trims, ear cleaning, allergy shots, and baths. With Eric at work so much this semester, Ringo is more my dog and I don’t mind that at all, except for how he keeps stealing my spot on the couch and being so cute doing it that I don’t want to make him move.

Bonus joy: writing with my Friday morning group, training with Eric on Saturday mornings, sitting with him in the sauna, good books, naps, listening to podcasts, good TV, a new therapist (fingers crossed it turns out to be a good fit), down blankets and pillows, clean laundry, clean sheets, the last bit of peach compote I made with this summer’s peaches on my morning oatmeal, pancakes, snow tires (although it hasn’t snowed yet, I’m ready), vaccines, hanging out with Calyx, texting with Chloe’ and Mom and Chris, good neighbors, libraries, the weekend, reading in bed at night while Ringo and Eric sleep.

1. Morning walks. This was a strange week because we had some rain/snow and cold weather at the beginning, but the ground was still so warm that it didn’t exactly freeze over. When it comes to the dirt trails by the river and around the ponds, that can make for a muddy, messy walk so we had to find the spots with more paved trail than not. And yet, even under those circumstances, where we live does not disappoint — the sky, the water, the trees. Getting to spend time with Ringo while he’s doing something he also loves is an extra bonus.

2. The lingering fall. I got my snow tires put on this week and am ready for winter weather, but the color and sunshine of fall that remain are glorious.

3. My “support team.” I feel really lucky that I can identify and seek out help when I need it, and especially grateful that it is accessible and involves people who are kind and wise.

4. Practice. I had a few insights as I was writing this week that made all the effort worth it. I am also so lucky to have found solace and comfort in things I can do regularly and wholeheartedly.

5. My tiny family, my tiny home, my tiny life. Love, love, and more love.

“Can I haz this stick, Mom?”
“Uh, that’s not a ‘stick’.”
“Oh right. So, can I haz it?”

Bonus joy: sitting in the sauna with Eric, getting in the pool, chatting with Janice and Sarah, texting with Chloe’ and Mom and Chris, the cute pictures they send me of cute kids, Eric’s parents finally getting phones we can text and send pictures to (now they just have to figure out how to open them and respond…), my little desk at the dining room table, watching the birds in the feeder while I sit at my writing desk, the crows and bluejays taking actual baths in our bird bath out front, naps, health insurance, vaccines, the “kids” who work the front desk at the gym, training with Shelby, missing Calyx but knowing she’s “still there” and I’ll see her soon, chrysanthemums, sweet potatoes, green grapes, smoked salmon, roasted almonds, the crunch of the leaves and the way they flutter to the ground when they fall, Ringo lounging in the backyard in the sun, naps, reading (The Prophets and Braiding Sweetgrass are my current reads, both of which I recommend), listening to podcasts, being able to find just about any music I want to listen to on Spotify, good TV (I have watched a few really good true crime limited series recently), cooking, a warm shower, clean laundry and sheets, laughing with Eric, reading in bed at night while Ringo and Eric sleep.