1. SNOW!!! We finally got some actual, honest-to-goodness, full on, genuine snow. We had one morning early in the week where it was very cold and there was just a dusting of snow, but a few days later the real storm showed up. They’d predicted 1-3 inches, but we got eight. It was up to Ringo’s knees. We’d had such a long warm dry fall into the beginning of winter that when the snow came, there was still a lawn chair in the yard and our sun umbrellas were still outside.

2. Morning walks. Because of weather and such, I only ended up on one of these this week, which was weird. It was also a late walk because it was extra cold so Ringo and I waited until later in the morning to walk.

3. Family. Mom is still doing good, sleeping more and talking a lot less, but still remembers who we are and getting such good care. Jessamy’s baby is due late January so she had an ultrasound where we can see the baby’s face. I’m going out to Oregon sometime the end of January, to visit and give Mom a haircut she badly needs, start getting her house ready to sell (*sigh*), and if I’m lucky, meet the new baby. 

4. Practice. No yoga this week either, and I’m really starting to miss them. I had a whole plan for a practice honoring the Full Cold Super Moon, but I’ll just bring it next time. Writing on Friday morning was magic, medicine — oh how I adore that group of women! My meditation practice has been easier to find and settle into, which typically happens during this darker season.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. I’ve still been telling Eric every day, “I’m glad you’re home,” even though he’s been back from trip for two weeks. Really, I could tell him that every day for the rest of our lives, because I am always glad he’s home.  

Bonus joy: lunch at Mount Everest Café with Eric, texting with Chris and Chloe’, other people’s kids and dogs and Christmas lights, reading poetry, down blankets and pillows and coats, wool sweaters and socks, slippers, watching good TV (right now that’s The Pitt on HBO), listening to podcasts, shopping for Christmas presents (I don’t love everything about it but when I think of something I know someone is really going to like, it makes me happy), a big glass of cold clean water, naan and onion pakora, a hot cup of coffee and warm mug of green tea, Panda Peanut Butter Puffs cereal with Fairlife milk, the moonlight reflecting off the snow, therapy, being able to message my doctor and get a quick response rather than having to schedule and wait for and then pay for an in office appointment, being able to schedule or change or cancel appointments online, Hendrix’s school picture (I know I said that already but it’s right here where I can see it and I just looked at it again), making each other laugh, the hydromassage chair, aqua aerobics, getting to see Frank (my gym dad), sitting in the sauna, snow tires, a warm shower, clean pjs, yoga videos on YouTube (because sometimes I like someone else to tell me what to do, without having to leave the house or put on a bra), naps, clean sheets, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.  

1. Morning walks. We got to walk all three of us together a few times this week. To be fair, we could have done that every day but some mornings Eric and Ringo went and were back before I even got out of bed. We still haven’t had any snow. The forecast keeps teasing it and then taking it away again. I think this is the latest we’ve ever gone without any snow in the 25+ years I’ve lived here. 

2. Ringo got his own apartment for one night. Eric and I were so tired one night, we forgot to put Ringo in his bed, or rather I thought Eric had and he thought I had and Ringo was so crashed out in the living room he didn’t even notice us go to bed and slept out there the whole night. When Eric went to let Ringo out of his crate in the morning, half asleep still, he found the door open and the crate empty, but still he stayed there for a few minutes, saying over and over, “he’s not in there, where is he?” We both got up and walked down the hall and by the time Eric turned on the kitchen light, Ringo was up and heading in for breakfast. I always thought if we left him out, he’d come find us to remind us, maybe even try to get in our bed, or that he’d go outside at some point and I’d wake up to hear him barking in the backyard. None of those things happened. He just slept and so did we. We aren’t going to repeat it though. I like him sleeping where I can hear him.

3. Thanksgiving. It may have been the quietest one yet. We spent the day, just the three of us, cooking and napping and eating. I texted with my brother and he called his dad, but we both were missing our moms.

4. Reading. I just realized that I probably read 2-4 hours every day, which is more time than I spend doing anything else, besides sleeping.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. I’ve told Eric every day this week how glad I am that he’s home, after being in California most of last week for a work conference. He’s got about two weeks of work left before winter break and next semester he’s on sabbatical to finish a book he and his teaching partner have been working on and then it will be summer break, so soon and for a while I’ll get to see a lot more of him. 

Bonus joy: stuffing (or since I don’t stuff a bird with it, maybe I should call it dressing?), apple pie, having all the laundry done, the way Eric cleans when he’s bored, pay day, stained glass, my Merlin app, sunshine even on a cold day, birds, Hendrix’s school picture, other people’s kids and dogs, cat purrs, down blankets and pillows, a big glass of cold clean water, grapefruit Bubly, grocery shopping, listening to podcasts, listening to audio books, watching good TV, movies on demand, streaming content, libraries and librarians, poetry and poets, texts from Chloe’ and Kari and Shellie, still laughing about Maria and Jackie’s comedy shows, that Andrea Gibson gave so many interviews and made so many videos so I can still hear their voice and see their face, that “the girls” started reading again now that they are older so I can share my favorite books with them, dinner plans with Chelsey and Jon, Christmas lights, napping, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.