1. Morning walks. I feel so lucky that we live near so many good places to walk. I’ve been braving the mosquitoes near the river and ponds because they haven’t gotten too bad yet. With all the rain we’ve had this year there are lots more wildflowers. Since it’s already warm at 5 am, we don’t see as much wildlife, mostly bunnies and birds. Even though I didn’t get a good picture of it, this week I saw a blue grosbeak for the first time. AND there were two elk wandering around in Old Town — visited the main drag, the library, The Lincoln Center, and City Park, which is where Eric and Ringo saw them on their afternoon walk.

2. Practice. Writing with my Friday morning sangha, yoga at Red Sage, working on “The Book,” writing in the morning in front of my happy light, meditating in my practice room. It all keeps me from going completely off the rails.

3. Texting. In terms of keeping in regular touch with people, it’s a highly sensitive introverts dream. I tried to explain to my aunts this summer that “phone calls are for emergencies” and they thought I was crazy, think it’s easier to “just pick up the phone.” They are also a generation that thinks “just stopping by” without scheduling that ahead of time is totally acceptable. 

4. A quiet, small life. Some people would think my day to day life is boring but it is a perfect size and pace for me.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. As I’ve said a hundred times, I love it here, with them.

Bonus joy: sending each other selfies, afternoon storms, libraries and librarians and all the books, poets and poetry, other people’s dogs and gardens and kids, a picture of Hendrix playing in the water under the setting sun that reminded me of the particular joy of every summer when I was a kid, groceries, clean sheets, a big glass of cold clean water, cancelled plans, online appointment scheduling, our whole house fan and a/c, down blankets and pillows, weird dreams — especially the ones I can remember and tell Eric about, ice cream, cake, peanut butter balls and cups, onion buns, getting in the pool, the hydromassage chair, sitting in the sauna with Eric, naps, ordering things online so I don’t have to go shopping in person where there are people, prescriptions, tortilla chips, streaming content, listening to podcasts, Teddy Swims, GoldFord, book club, getting books from the library for my Kindle, when things are easy, a supportive partner, when he brings home flowers after he stops at the store for groceries, how he cleans my bathroom, when he “naps down/rests down” with Ringo before they go on an afternoon walk, reading in bed at night on my Kindle while they both sleep.

1. Morning walks. Summer is such a strange season for walking. Once it starts to warm up, you have to worry about ticks and then mosquitoes, and you can’t really hike higher up because then you also have to be careful of the rattlesnakes, and you can’t have a lazy morning because if you wait until the sun is all the way up, it’s too dang hot. There are also more people out early so we have to give up having the world mostly to ourselves. And yet, even in the “worst” season, there’s just nothing like an early morning walk with a dog or two — Ringo and I got to take a short walk with Grover and his Kahu this week, so bonus joy for sure.

2. Practice. Sitting on my meditation cushion in my practice room at home, practicing yoga at Red Sage, writing in the morning in front of my HappyLight, and writing, sharing, laughing, and sometimes even crying with my Friday morning writing sangha. 

3. Ringo. I love this time of year because once he blows his winter coat, his stars and spots are more visible and he’s not quite as dark.  Eric has been teasing me that he’s now “my dog.” When he was younger and liked to run and hike and play frisbee and in general be more rowdy, Eric was the cool dad and I was the boring human, but now that he’s gotten older and is the only dog and I’m home more often, he sticks closer to me. We’ve both noticed that now that he’s older, he insists on more affection, giving and getting it but mostly getting. My favorite shift in his behavior is he comes back with me into my office and hangs out with me while I write. In fact, right now he’s sleeping on the floor behind me.

4. Peony season. This was the last week for that, and the last few are currently starting to wilt in a vase on my desk and another in the bathroom. They are just so gorgeous, and each one has been planted in memory of someone I loved and lost — tender and terrible, beautiful and brutal.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. It’s everything I ever wanted and even better than I imagined. I’ve been loving sitting and talking with Eric in the backyard or on the couch now that he’s been home more often.

Bonus joy: fish sandwiches, oranges, strawberries, a big glass of clean cold water, book club, sitting in the shade with my bare feet in the grass, my tall spikey yellow centered white irises from my friend Ann who is no longer here but I’m reminded of her every year when they bloom, therapy and such every other week, being able to do what I can from a distance, naps, listening to podcasts, seeing Chris Fairbanks at The Comedy Fort last week and being able to pick out Chloe’ and Ralf’s laughs in the crowd, other people’s kids and dogs and gardens, delight, poetry and poets, comedy and comedians, libraries and librarians, true crime, writing 1000 words, reading in the morning before I write, a/c, our whole house fan, clean laundry, texting with my brother, sharing reels and memes with Shellie and Kari and Carrie, cancelled plans, reading in bed at night while Ringo and Eric sleep.