1. Morning walks. Eric came with us a bunch this week, which is lovely but also in hindsight wasn’t the best idea since his sprained ankle/foot is still healing and he should probably be resting it more. By Friday it was clear that mosquito season has started — not my favorite. Because of how wet and cool the spring was, there are lots of wildflowers, including my favorite — Rocky Mountain bee plants.

2. Mom. They had to up her meds again this week as her agitation was increasing — trying to get out of bed even though she can’t walk and trying to pull apart her catheter, and it was starting earlier in the day. The more her dementia progresses, the more she’s convinced she needs to be somewhere, needs to get out of bed and go. I really wish she knew and could trust that the place she is and the people who are caring for her really are the best there is and could be completely content there. We are still sending each other selfies. She’s still here and she still remembers us.

3. #1000WordsOfSummer. I did it, completed the challenge — 1000 words a day for 14 days. I’m so grateful to Jamie Attenberg for hosting. I’m so much clearer about “The Book” now, which it turns out is actually six books. Some things I learned:

• The only way to start is to just start, and in related news, the only way to finish is to keep going
• If I sit down and start, it doesn’t really matter how it goes or what I get done, the act of showing up solidifies the habit and its value, and cultivates my confidence
• Knowing other people are doing it “with you” and having a distinct container with a specific goal makes the challenge seem workable, like how much easier it can be to meditate for a full hour with a group at a retreat
• Failing to show up would have been disappointing myself and I didn’t want to do that, no one else was going to care if I did it or not but I would
• There’s a distinct difference between being full and feeling satisfied
• I have been writing and blogging regularly for close to 15 years now, and that means I have a ton of content to sort through and edit, and it is all over the place, which is one thing that had been keeping me from even starting, as it seemed overwhelming
• Because so much of what I write is about my life, what I’ve experienced, and some of it is sad and messy, I was avoiding it because I knew it would be hard, that there would be a lot of feelings, and I was not wrong
• It really doesn’t matter how long it takes as long as you don’t give up
• Trust the process and you just might surprise yourself
• Even if you never finish, you won’t regret trying — but you will regret it if you don’t try

4. Good people. All those who showed up for the “No Kings” rallies yesterday, Eric’s D&D friends and wives who gather to do things other than play D&D, people who love to read, my book club, my Friday morning writing sangha, people at the gym, comedians, podcasters, librarians, those who are part of the ALT National Park Service, people doing what they can to thwart ICE, all those currently helping others in places where there is fire and flood, good Dads, good neighbors, people who love dogs, World Central Kitchen, Doctors Without Borders, people who carry Narcan, the ones who harvest our produce, and YOU, kind and gentle reader — and so many more. 

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. It is so quiet and calm here, so comfortable. It’s my safe place to land and I love it here, with them.

Bonus joy: Sunday morning Pilates, grocery shopping, grapefruit Bubly Water, libraries, poets and poetry, listening to podcasts, the peonies in my garden, bees, the feature in my image folder on my phone that allows me to search an image online so I can identify a flower or tree I don’t know the name of or be sure the spider I am letting live in my bathroom isn’t poisonous, silver, stickers, all the wonderful professional women who are part of Ringo’s care team, yoga at Red Sage, other people’s dogs and kids and gardens, naps, a warm shower, a big glass of cold clean water, the way it smells after it rains, birds at my feeder, the opportunity to start over as many times as necessary, refillable ink pens, clean sheets, the guy who led the “No Kings” march yesterday on horseback holding a huge American flag, how Taco’s parade was so quiet you could hear the wheels of the tanks squeaking as they rolled by, scissors and a glue stick, indoor plumbing, a/c, our whole house fan, decks and porches, house plants, trees, a bag of oranges, potatoes, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.  

1. Peonies in my garden. It’s strange this year because the dark pink ones usually bloom first, but this year it’s the white and the pale pink with the butter yellow centers. 

2. Morning walks. We are having a cooler, wet spring, which means we have to stay on the pavement and skip the dirt trails around the ponds and by the river, so I didn’t take many pictures this week.

3. Mom. We send each other selfies, (Chris helps her). I’m so glad she hasn’t forgotten me yet.

4. #1000wordsofsummer. Jamie said on the first day that there are something like 70,000 people who signed up, so I don’t spend any time on the message boards, but it’s nice to have the container of the 14 days, the 1000 words a day, and the daily letters of encouragement from various authors that Jamie sends. It’s really helping me to work on “The Book.” Here’s hoping I can maintain the momentum once these 14 days are done.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. I told Eric when I got in bed last night that even though I don’t ever take it for granted, sometimes I get overwhelmed by how grateful I am to have him, to be able to live my life with my best friend, my favorite person.

Bonus joy: a fish sandwich for lunch, cooking with Eric, leftovers, reading in the morning with a mug of hot green tea, books and those who write them, poetry and poets, libraries and librarians, Dr. Foster, yoga at Red Sage, how green everything is right now, clean sheets, a warm shower, house plants, comedy, true crime, music and musicians, my nutritionist, my acupuncturist, my masseuse, my Pilates teacher, going to bed early, fireflies (even though I’ve never actually seen one), birds at my feeder, my Merlin app, taco salad, a big glass of cold clean water, health insurance, our whole house fan, being able to leave the windows open, how soft and green the grass is in the backyard, having all the laundry put away, prescription glasses, down blankets and pillows, listening to or watching podcasts, other people’s dogs and kids and gardens, being able to start over as many times as necessary, grocery shopping, how much quieter it is living in a college town during summer break, the spicy sesame bowl at Liminal, rice, roasted veggies, citrus, naps, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.