1. Love. The above might just be the biggest kitchen counter love note Eric has ever made me, (that’s an 8 x 10 sheet of paper). My present to him was pretty good too – an entire case of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. The joke is that my friend is a troop leader so she has a full wall of cookies in her dining room and Eric finds that hilarious, and that for Eric a serving size of Thin Mints is a full sleeve, so I got him a whole case in the original box. Our favorite thing to gift each other is something that can be a joke at the same time it’s an awesome present, like the year I bought him a case of 700 dog poop bags or when he bought me a tiny wireless keyboard to use as a “remote” for our TV, (it has a computer hooked up to it and that’s how we watch “TV” on Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube).

2. 11 and a half weeks left at CSU!!! It’s going so fast. And I’m so ready, so done.

3. Teaching yoga. Because the one place I teach regularly is a veterinary clinic and one of the other places I sub is a gym that doesn’t really take yoga that seriously, I need to supply most or all of the props, which means at this point I have a portable yoga studio. I got to teach twice during Valentine’s Day week, and that was extra fun, to focus on the love and attention we give ourselves as we practice, and how that follows us off the mat and we are softer, kinder to others because of it.

4. Flowers in the bathroom. When it’s tulips, once they start to get all droopy is the best.

5. The amazing vet care in Fort Collins. I had a few reasons to think about this recently – Ringo had to go to the emergency vet for medicine for pink eye (our regular vet couldn’t get him in until the end of the week and we didn’t want to wait), he also had to go for his check up at the CSU vet hospital (getting the medicine for his ears sorted, he has a tiny allergy), and it was the anniversary of when Obi was diagnosed with lymphoma ten years ago. I have access to some of the best care in the country for my dogs, whether it is their regular vet, emergency vet, physical therapy vet, hospital, cancer care, or end of life care. I feel really lucky.

He has pink eye, was giving me the stink eye.

Hiding under the table at the dermatologists.

Sweet Obi, on one of his last hikes after he got diagnosed with lymphoma.

The very last picture of Obi. After I took this, I dropped and broke my camera (this was before smart phones), and he died the next day.

One of the last pictures of Sam and Dexter together.

6. My tiny family. We get on each other’s nerves sometimes, but we would rather be together than apart.

Sam sometimes helps me meditate.

I got up to go to the bathroom and they stole my spot.

From our walk this morning.

7. Morning and afternoon walks. I only got to do one morning walk this week, but I got to go in the afternoon a few times.

Bonus joy: my infrared heating pad, good TV (I just finished Russian Doll on Netflix and Pen15 on Hulu, both really good), a tall glass of clean cold water, getting the laundry done on Friday, a whole weekend off (with my yoga teacher training, these have been few and far between), computer glasses, hanging out with Mikalina, walking with Chloe’, texting with my brother, emails from my mom, napping, molasses, being able to work from home, sweet potatoes, down pillows and blankets.

1. Snow. Everyone I know in Oregon was posting pictures of snow, and it was so weird because they never get snow, and we usually do yet we’ve had so little this winter. A few days later, we got about six inches and it’s been pretty cold for the past few days, and I’m so happy about it.

2. Puppies. They never fail to make me smile. In particular this week, some friends brought home a new baby (five months old, so maybe more of a toddler than a baby). Her first family had her for just two months and then brought her back – she’d been their first dog and it was too much for them, (puppies can be hard, not just cute, and some people don’t realize that). I can’t wait to meet her, hope she loves Ringo and he loves her, (Sam prefers to have no more new dogs in his life, thank you very much). I think puppies are just the best. If you don’t believe me, look at these four.

The day we adopted Obi, April 20, 2002

Baby Dexter. We called him Batman when he was this little because he had such a dark mask.

Sweet Sam the baby bear

A baby dingo in the snow

3. Rest. I’ve needed a lot of it this past few weeks. I’ve been super busy and had a cold. Sometimes, when that happens and my anxiety starts peaking, it gets hard to rest. My brain won’t calm down enough for my body to relax. It’s a horrible state, to be so tired but unable to sleep. It makes me appreciate it even more when I can.

Sam decided I needed help meditating this morning

4. Ringo and Sam. The weekend before the snow came, we had a stretch of days where it was in the upper 50s. The boys took advantage of it and lounged in the sun in the backyard, one of their very favorite things to do together.

5. Thirteen weeks!!! That’s all I have left to work at CSU before I “retire.” This week we did interviews and hired two new interns to work with me (one I hired last semester stayed on, so there are three total). That’s the last time I’ll ever interview for that position, and the last two I’ll ever hire. Every day I work there now there’s at least one thing that reminds me why I’ve loved being there for so long, why I stayed, and at least two things remind me why it’s time to go, why it’s the absolute right decision to leave.

Brrr… from their walk this morning

Bonus joy: orange juice, West African Peanut Stew (Eric made this in our Instapot this week and it was SO good), good TV (I just finished Sex Education on Netflix and am going to start Russian Doll), teaching yoga, aqua aerobics, sitting in a 200 degree sauna on a morning when it’s -4 outside, good hand lotion (Aveda’s Hand Relief Moisturizing Creme is my favorite, smells so yummy), computer glasses, a clean bathroom, a warm shower, clean pjs, the blanket my niece made me years ago that turns out to be the best lounging on the couch blanket ever, writing with Chloe’ and Mikalina, Pilates with Carrie and Ashley, being done with another module of yoga teacher training (two more to go!), naps.