1. Yesterday was Eric’s birthday, the love and light of my life, my favorite. We’ve had a rough year, especially the past few months, so we celebrated with a quiet day — he walked Ringo in the morning, then we went to the gym and sat in the sauna, then to lunch at one of our favorite places (Mount Everest Cafe), napped, watched one of our favorite movies (Joe Vs. The Volcano), etc. This morning a woman saw his age and that it was his birthday yesterday, and said “Happy Birthday! I was so young when I was your age!”

2. Morning walks. Since Eric is technically on fall break, (technically because he’s still having meetings and doing work), he went with Ringo and I on some of our walks this week. We hardly ever go all together anymore so it’s fun when we do.

3. Christmas movies. There are a few I rewatch over and over: Elf, Scrooged (the one with Bill Murray), Die Hard (it’s a Christmas movie — fight me!), Home Alone, Single All The Way, Love Hard, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The other day while I was wrapping presents, I watched a new one, Candy Cane Lane. It was good. I’m going to finish wrapping presents that need shipped after I publish this post, so I’ll be putting another one or two on, but I haven’t decided what yet.

4. Other Christmas things: cards in the mail, presents, the tree, twinkle lights, cookies and candy. All the things that make the season so sweet, so merry, so bright. So far, we haven’t even put ornaments on our tree, just the lights, and there’s a really good chance it might stay like that — the lights are the most important part anyway.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. The more I settle in, the better it gets. And, it’s snuggle season for Ringo, who the rest of the year isn’t really interested in a cuddle.

Bonus joy: clean sheets, my weighted blanket, good books, listening to podcasts, wrapping paper and tape, those cast iron skillet garlic biscuits Eric made, breakfast burritos, a big glass of cold clean water, Mom at home recovering from her surgery, Hendrix’s first school picture (so cute!), texting with Chloe’ and Chris and Mom, sharing Instagram reels with Carrie and Shellie, down blankets and pillows and jackets, Skippy’s Natural Super Chunk Peanut Butter, a crispy gala apple, marionberry gummies, the chance to start over as many times as necessary, teaching yoga at Red Sage, the pool, the hydromassage chair, a massage with Dana, finding the perfect Christmas present, sharing food, good neighbors, other people’s kids and dogs and cats and wombats, talking with Dr. Gaffney, Etsy, the kindness of strangers, knowing I made the right choice for me, sneezes that smell like honey (even though it means my blood sugar is most likely too high), our couch, reading in bed at night while Ringo and Eric sleep. 

1. Morning walks. Enough snow melted that we got to go back around the ponds and by the river later in the week. I think I was so excited about it, I took extra pictures. It’s funny how some (most?) mornings I just want to stay in bed or on the couch instead of going out in the cold, and yet EVERY time I go out, I’m so glad I went.

2. Comfort food. Sure, a necessary function of food is fuel and nutrition, but getting joy and comfort from food is pretty important too. When I am stressed, I cook. More specifically, I bake. If I feel bad and there’s not much I can do to “fix” what I feel bad about, I’m gonna bake. This week I’m planning on making two or three different kinds of cookies because it’s my great niece’s sixth birthday next weekend and she loves cookies. It might just be the best thing about having me as a local friend because I usually make more than we can eat and love to share. 

3. Practice. It’s a pretty raw, rough time for me. I’m so glad that I have practice as a refuge.

4. Wild Writing, Small Group Training, Aqua Aerobics, and Yoga at Red Sage. Quite honestly, I don’t leave my house much, don’t go to church or have family living nearby or a “real” job, don’t have a lot of friends or a busy social life — which is more than fine with me. And yet, there are a few groups of people I get to see on the regular that I enjoy so much, am so grateful for.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. I’m looking forward to a quiet, cozy, restful, healthy winter holiday season here with my two favorites.

Bonus joy: Smart Food white cheddar popcorn, apple pie, chicken noodle soup, marionberry gummies, good books, a blank notebook and a good pen and a hot cup of green tea, crispy gala apples with crunchy peanut butter, molasses, chrysanthemums, other people’s dogs and kids, massage, down blankets and pillows and jackets, electric cars, space heaters, urgent care centers, pharmacies open on the weekends, vaccines, my infrared heating pad, texting with Chris and Mom and Chloe’, meditating “with” Chelsey, text conversations that are nothing but memes, lunch with Janice, sitting in the sauna, Christmas movies, true crime, comedy, listening to podcasts and audiobooks, making other people laugh, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.