1. Morning walks. It was time to get Ringo’s coat out again. The mornings are much darker and the temperatures are colder, with some gold still lingering in the trees. We didn’t even get a walk on Monday morning because it was too windy, 30 mile an hour winds all day long. I had a bunch of early appointments and obligations this week, so the rest of our walks were in the full dark, where I had my headlamp on almost the whole way, so I didn’t take many pictures. The one above, Eric took on their walk this morning.

2. Practice. Yoga at Red Sage this week included some of my favorite people and one of my favorite dogs. Sometimes during class along with a few moans, groans, and complaints, a couple of jokes that typically require a break for us to laugh it out and get ourselves back together, they’ll say things like “I really need to do yoga more than once a week” or “I really needed this” and I love that. Almost the whole group was there to write on Friday morning, even me who thought I wouldn’t make it back from my early doctor’s appointment in time to join. It is a really magical practice and a group of amazing women. I’m so lucky. I’m restarting my eight week MBSR program because as well as I did the first week, the second was a mess and I didn’t meditate enough or do the full body scan every day, but luckily I can always start over, begin again.

3. Being able to choose. This week included making some big choices for my health, two new things to try and two things to let go. As for the letting go, one morning, in a fit of passion or rage or something else altogether, I deactivated my Facebook and Instagram accounts. It’s been a few weird days since then but I’m certain it was the right thing and I’m sure I’ll write more about that later, as well as the two other new things I’m going to try. 

4. Health care professionals and their support staff. In particular this week, the ones who take care of me and the ones I love.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. I love it here.

Bonus joy: finding a new recipe for peanut sauce, getting at least half the house tidied up, gummies, napping with Ringo, sitting out in the backyard in the sun with Ringo and Eric, libraries and librarians, poetry and poets, good TV, eBooks from the library on my Kindle, preordering books that haven’t been printed yet, other people’s dogs and kids, shade from a tree, a hot cup of coffee, a warm mug of green tea, the chance to start over, texting with my brother and Chloe’, finding ways to keep in touch that aren’t social media, book club and dinner after, clean sheets, a warm shower, my weighted blanket and weather cool enough to finally use it again, my Shakti mat (which Eric has been using as much as me lately), my sleep mask, my infrared heating pad, an “emergency” massage, grocery shopping, how Eric always loads my yoga gear into my car for me on the mornings I teach, how Ringo follows Eric out thinking he’s “helping,” cooking (when I want to be cooking, sometimes I DO NOT have the patience for it), slippers, down blankets and pillows, therapy, the other day when Eric forgot his phone and I rushed out to catch him before he drove away and when I came back towards the house the front door was open and Ringo was just standing there in the doorway watching (rather than running out and away, which he’s only done once to go after a cat I didn’t see when I opened the door), how being home with him more often I understand better what he needs from me, weekends when Eric doesn’t work, making each other laugh, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.  

1. Morning walks. This week they were mostly dark and cold with one especially foggy morning, but the trees were amazing, as are the neighborhood Halloween decorations. One of my favorite things about late fall and into winter is how quiet it gets. There are fewer humans out, because it’s too cold and dark so they either don’t come out at all or come later, after we are done walking. And yet, at first it’s strange to have it be so quiet, in particular fewer birds singing, and then it’s always a surprise when everyone starts to come back and the birds get so noisy again in the spring, after a long quiet winter of having what feels like the whole world to ourselves.

2. Practice. We didn’t have enough people for Red Sage yoga this week, and I have to confess that instead of doing yoga on my own anyway, I stayed in my PJs on the couch with my phone. Friday morning writing sangha was gorgeous and magical, again. And, I’m still meditating extra, sitting as well as doing a full body scan (which is a whole lot like yoga nidra) for the MBSR course I’m working through.

3. Making the right choice for me. As a people pleaser perfectionist in recovery, this keeps getting easier and easier. This week it was canceling my remaining physical therapy appointments because the value just wasn’t there.

4. Our pool and gym community. I finally seem to be able to work that back into my routine and I’m so glad. I start with the hydromassage chair, then attend an aqua aerobics class, stay after and “walk” or otherwise hop around for a mile, and then end with the sauna. It feels good.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. I was ready to head out the door when Red Sage texted to say they didn’t have enough people for yoga, and because Ringo expected me to be leaving he was already in his crate and got SO confused when I changed back into PJs and got on the couch. He quickly accepted the shift in plans, however, and got up on his chair to nap. Ah, canceled plans — IYKYK. 

Bonus joy: all those who rallied today, other people’s pets and kids, the gardens that are still blooming even now, the way people wave at each other in smaller neighborhoods, sitting outside in the sun when the temperatures are cooler and you can wear a hoodie, down blankets and pillows, listening to podcasts, leftovers, getting the laundry done, a warm shower, clean sheets, my Shakti mat, good TV (and sometimes even “bad” TV), libraries and librarians, poets and poetry, comedy, true crime, documentaries, the way fresh rosemary smells, the sound of the leaves rustling, our backyard covered in bits of gold, yogurt and granola and berries, making someone else laugh, someone else making me laugh, naps, gummies, a warm mug of green tea, reading and writing in the morning, beans, peanut butter, online shopping (yes, I know that there are “downsides” but not having to leave the house to go to an actual store where there are other people and weird lights and too much noise is ideal for me), prescription glasses, dental floss, wireless internet, dog rescue, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.