1. Morning walks. After a week of relatively normal temperatures and dry ground, another storm is coming, bringing with it snow and much cooler temperatures. I’m happy to have it, even though it will mean some late starts to our walks next week. I swear this week I heard a few types of birds that usually announce the arrival of spring, and sure that’s coming, but not for at least another month or so, and we won’t be past the chance of snow until mid-May.

2. Practice. Yoga at Red Sage, my Friday morning writing sangha, meditating in my practice room at home, and sitting in front of my HappyLight with a mug of warm green tea writing in my notebook.

3. Taking care of my physical and energetic body. I haven’t been doing a very good job of this lately. It’s understandable — when I was writing this morning, I made a timeline of the past two years: the end of a long and complicated friendship, all the trips to Oregon, the hospital stays and doctor visits (both mine and my mom’s), the surgeries, the grief and caretaking and stress and loss. Add to that what’s happening in “the world” and it’s been rough. And, it’s time to do better for myself. I saw my primary care physician this week to talk through things and I made an appointment with a nutritionist who specializes in working with people with eating disorder histories. I’m shuffling around the ways I move my body a bit and searching for a new therapist. I’m also recommitting to doing what I already know to do in order to regulate my nervous system, (my left eye has been twitching for the past seven days).

4. Books. Writing and reading have always been and continue to be some of the best things, my favorite ways to spend my time, the place I look for answers and solace.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. It’s good to have Eric home after being away last week. I am so lucky to have him, that he indulges my need for a dog or two and all that brings, and that he loves those dogs as much as I do.

Bonus joy: 11:11, taco salad, poets and poetry, libraries and librarians, the way Eric talks to Ringo when he thinks no one is listening (there was just a whole conversation about the vacuum cleaner that was hilarious), how Ringo tries so hard to figure out what we are talking about even though he only recognizes a few of the words, finally getting to the end of the two weeks of laundry I had been ignoring, training with Shelby, my Shakti mat, sharing videos with Shellie and Kari and Carrie, sitting in the sun in the backyard with Ringo, sunshine, blue sky, sunrise, having a long term relationship with a doctor who actually cares about my experience and really listens and wants what’s best for me, texting with Chloe’ and Chris, other people’s kids and dogs, watching TV and movies, listening to podcasts, a warm shower, a big glass of cold clean water, a Mount Everest Café lunch date with Eric, naps, down blankets and pillows and coats, wool shirts and hats, reading in bed at night while Ringo and Eric sleep.     

1. Morning walks. Seeing the sun rise, being out before most people are even awake, spending the time with Ringo, the magic of the river.

2. More snow!!! I have been snow starved this winter, so was so happy when it started to snow last night. We are predicted to have super cold temperatures the next few days as well, so it will stick around for a bit.

3. Eric. This morning while I was folding laundry, I noticed a thick red smear on the waistband of a pair of his underwear. I laughed, because rather than evidence of bad behavior, like a smear of lipstick or the smell of someone else’s perfume, it was a mark left from one of his fancy art pencils that he sometimes uses to make love notes for me — he leaves them in the cabinet where I keep my tea that I drink every morning while I write, a new one every morning.

4. Practice. “Our” puppy was at my Red Sage practice this week — he’s getting so grown up already. It was one of those days where I sort of had something planned but was still surprised by what came up and it felt really good to my body. We continue to have lower numbers in my Friday morning writing group because “life” but every week, there’s still someone there to write with, and being able to practice with people you trust so much, know so well is very special, sacred even.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. Eric and I went to see Marc Maron last night. We get season tickets to our local theater every year, the package where you pick five shows, and usually there’s at least one comedy show I want to see and even if Eric doesn’t really know who they are, he’s more than happy to go with me. Laughing with him is one of my favorite things.

Probably because it’s so cold more than anything but it seems as Ringo gets older, he gets more affectionate, and you KNOW that makes me happy.

Bonus joy: running into friends unexpectedly, hugging friends (remember COVID when we couldn’t do that? it was awful…), twinkle lights, other people’s dogs and kids and holiday lights and gardens, being kind as the ultimate revenge against someone who is a jerk, reading and writing in the morning with my HappyLight and a mug of warm tea, soft bread, crunchy lettuce, sweet and savory, citrus, warm toast, the hydromassage chair, the pool, the sauna, training with Shelby and the gang — especially Bryan now that he’s back from vacation (I reminded him again that he’s the glue and we fall apart when he’s gone), my Shakti mat, a massage which comes with the added bonus of getting to “hang out” with Dana, libraries and librarians, poets and poetry, comedy and comedians, true crime, a big glass of clean cold water, the way Eric talks to Ringo when he thinks no one is listening (there was just a short conversation in the kitchen about pooping that was hilarious), videos of baby Ringo (he was a maniac!), dreams, listening to podcasts, nuts, how chubby our squirrels are most likely because of our compost pile, snow tires, an unscratched lottery ticket (No, Eric — I STILL haven’t scratched it), stickers, having a washer and dryer in my house that I can use any time I want and I don’t have to save my quarters for it or worry that someone will take my stuff out before it’s done or there won’t be any available machines, texting with my brother and niece and Chloe’, sharing reels with Shellie and Kari, lunch with Eric at Mount Everest Café, mood lighting, that particular color of blue, an accidental calendar that turned out to be perfect, how Eric shovels the neighbor’s sidewalk just because, the softest merino wool, down blankets and pillows and coats, that my dog walking coat matches Ringo’s coat which isn’t on purpose but looks like it is, The Lincoln Center and especially how close it is to our house, being able to easily pick Carrie out of a crowd because of her gorgeous gray curly long hair, watching videos, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.