1. Sunrise. I haven’t been going on morning walks (with Eric on break, they’ve been running in the morning and I’ve been sleeping a bit later), and yet I still get to see the sun rise, which is especially beautiful this time of year.

2. Eating “normal” food. My CT scan results found that my abscess is “resolved” so I can start to eat more fiber again, which means a much more expansive and joyful eating experience. I’ve been eating oatmeal from breakfast the past few days with a modified version of this apple compote recipe. I modify it by using Penzeys pie spice blend instead of all the individual spices the recipe calls for.

3. Christmas. It was also a bit modified this year (especially our dinner menu), but every bit as lovely. With all the travel horror stories, the brutal weather and canceled flights and people getting sick, I was happy to be safe at home with my tiny family.

4. Rest. I’ve been getting so much and it is greatly appreciated.

5. My tiny family, tiny home, tiny life. There’s no where I’d rather be, no one I’d rather be with.

Bonus joy: a whole new year (and yes, I realize time and calendars are “made up”), writing in the morning with a hot cup of tea, my weighted blanket, the lights on our tree, the rosemary bush our old neighbor’s gave us when they moved, texting with Mom and Chris, marionberry jam, down blankets and pillows, clean sheets, naps, snow, good TV (finished It’s a Sin on HBO and started the second season of Sort Of on the same), clean laundry, pay day, watching The Great British Baking Show with Eric, the sweet text he sent me when I was spinning out about my possible upcoming surgery, pictures of Hendrix sledding, Pickle the cat, that our new neighbors had to block the part of the fence we cut out to allow the ash tree on our property line to stay when we put in our new fence because their little dog could sneak through into our yard, that the chicken and rice and veggie teriyaki bowls I like so much are Eric’s favorite too, gingerbread, yoga with Sarada, yoga with Abrona and Jamie too, the hydromassage chair and pool and sauna, how well Ringo has been doing with his arthritis even with all the snow and cold, new calendars, meditating to mantra tracks on Insight Timer, listening to podcasts, a warm shower, new books, oranges, grilled cheese sandwiches, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.

1. Morning walks. The quiet, the space, the animals, and the rising sun. I still haven’t gone out for one since I got home from the hospital and I’m missing it. It has been COLD (as it has been everywhere, apparently), down to -17 degrees one day.

2. A white Christmas. Especially here, where it can be so sunny and nice even in winter, I was so happy to get some snow this week and that it will mostly stick around through Christmas.

3. Christmas music and movies. It’s such a limited amount of time that they are enjoyable. Too soon or too late and they just don’t make sense, but at the right time, they are the best.

4. A more diverse diet. Because of my hospital stay and currently sensitive GI tract, I’ve had to be careful, but as I feel better, I get to add things in. Who knew I’d ever be so happy to eat a carrot or an orange? I also made gingerbread muffins today and the one I ate tasted so good I almost wanted to cry.

5. My tiny family, tiny home, tiny life. Eric has been taking such good care of me and Ringo is exhausted but also so happy to have us both home.

Bonus joy: naps, watching The Great British Baking Show with Eric, sitting in the dark in the morning with the Christmas tree lights on, not needing the pain meds, Ringo back to running with Eric without hurting, racoons and otters, birds at the feeder, baby elephants, books, cooking with Eric, slowing down, talking to Mikalina about the cool project she’s starting, texting with Mom and Chris, a warm shower, a big glass of water, clean sheets, down blankets and pillows, how warm our house stays even when it’s so cold out, electricity, internet and wifi, all the rescue dogs who got homes for Christmas, Christmas cards, the hydromassage chair, the pool, the sauna, writing in the morning with a cup of hot mint tea, meditating, headphones, medication, citrus, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.