1. Morning walks. Even though there are mosquitoes, I wanted to see how swollen the river was with snow melt and all the rain we’ve had, so we walked down to the edge but turned right around after I took a few pictures. It’s nice to get to walk with Eric in the morning, and still sort of weird to only have one dog between the two of us. Ringo, on the other hand (paw) LOVES the fact that he has two humans who both carry treats and he’s the only one who gets (or wants) to eat them.

2. Making art. It is a particular kind of magic and medicine to sit down at my desk and let myself make something just for the pleasure of making, added bonus if I’m hanging out with a friend on Zoom at the same time.

3. Books. I’m in a phase where every book I read is so good, exactly the book I wanted and needed at the exact right moment.

4. Practice (and peonies). I’ve really been leaning in as I move through some difficult things and as I step back into the role of “teacher,” holding space for other people also moving through hard stuff.

5. My tiny family, tiny home and garden, tiny life. I’m not a fan of summer temperatures or bugs. I am, however, a HUGE fan of the garden and Eric being home more often. Lounging in the backyard or napping or cooking or taking a walk, all three of us together is the best.

Bonus joy:  crossing things off my list, completing asks and tasks without having to talk to an actual human, training with Shelby and the gang, weeding (yes, I have absolutely lost my mind), clean laundry, clean sheets, wild-ish writing with my tiny writing group, setting a schedule to teach yoga at Red Sage and getting back on the sub list at Om Ananda, pictures and video of dogs who are no longer here in a dog body, scissors, tape, glue stick, green, clean water and air, good neighbors, texting with Chloe’ and Barb and Chris and Mom, that someone filmed Rita’s memorial service so I could “be there” even though I couldn’t be there, strawberries, cucumbers, stickers, paint, down pillows and blankets, our whole house fan, lawn chairs, the kitty Ringo didn’t see who followed us down the block while we were walking this morning, comedy, listening to podcasts, streaming content, true crime, poetry, ice cream, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.

1. Morning walks. This season is a weird one for walks. We have to avoid getting too close to the river because of ticks and mosquitoes, mud and flooding. Eric is also on summer break so our schedules are different and sometimes we are walking together — that last part I like but it also means I don’t take as many pictures. It is kind of fun to explore the various neighborhoods close by, to see what people have done in their gardens, to see the updates they’ve made to their houses, and to see their dogs or cats or kids.

2. Books, reading and writing. I sometimes wonder if it was a love I was born with, or even before that, when my tiny would-be-body had a heartbeat but before my brain started to develop. It feels like it’s always been there, no real beginning and no end. I’m particularly grateful for those writers who tell the truth, because as Andrea Gibson always says, “even when the truth isn’t hopeful the telling of it is.”

3. Practice. Meditation and yoga along with writing has been supporting me as I stay with some big difficult feelings.

4. Our garden. This week we put in tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, watermelon, pumpkins, and zucchini. We also have a few more strawberry and raspberry plants, and I got some columbine, one yellow and one purple. In between the rain, I’ve been slowly weeding and “cleaning up” and wow it does so much for my mental health, allows for a particular kind of ease and focus that is so beneficial and welcome. I’m looking forward to when the peonies start to pop.

5. My tiny family, tiny house, tiny life. So much love, so lucky and so grateful.

Bonus joy: music, birds at the feeder, how happy Ringo is helping me chase squirrels trying to get in the bird feeder, a new baby in the family, the satisfaction of a weed-free flowerbed, crossing things off a list, stickers, comedy, podcasts, TV, poetry, that corner of the couch, cooking with Eric, eating the good stuff we cook, a new treatment option for the pain in my knees, the quality of the close up pictures I can take with my new phone, the extended battery life of my new phone, shopping at a plant nursery, grocery stores, the massage chair, the pool, the sauna, making each other laugh, naps, texting with Chloe’ and Mom and Chris, lunch with Janice, pay day, having a clean office, a warm shower, clean sheets, a big glass of cold clean water, dark chocolate covered walnuts, ice cream, remembering, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.