1. Morning walks. We went to a natural area we hadn’t been in a while because when we drove by it last week, there was so much color and I knew it wasn’t going to last much longer. I was sad when we got there because it was super foggy that morning, so I thought I wouldn’t get any good pictures. Instead, the first part of the walk I got some cool foggy pictures and then the sun came out and I captured the color — which is all gone now, after a really cold night early in the week that made most of the leaves die or drop. Still no chance of snow yet, which is really late for us, but I’ve also heard we are going to get a lot of it this year, so I can wait.

2. Practice. I showed up for yoga at Red Sage and it was so clear that the idea I had for class wasn’t what was needed, so I shifted to begin in shavasana with extra blankets and challenged myself to teach an entire class where if one wanted, they’d never have to take the blanket off. We had a small but vibrant group for Friday morning writing and I got to share three Leila Chatti poems from her new book. My meditation practice has been rough, but I welcome the difficulty knowing there is space for it.

3. Infinite opportunities to begin again. Especially when the new habits you are trying to cultivate are complicated, remembering that it takes time, and that you will most likely fail and have to start over a few times, is such a comfort. As long as you are still here, still breathing, you can try again.

4. Books. I’ve been reading and listening to some really good ones lately, but it also feels like that’s been true for the past few years. 

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. I just got back to my computer after taking a break to sit in the sun in the backyard with Ringo and Eric, one of my favorite things to do. I’m going to miss getting to do that with Eric’s mom when we go to Oregon this summer. 

Bonus joy: good TV, listening to podcasts, watching a movie, finishing the laundry, leftovers, a warm shower, clean sheets, down blankets and pillows, the sound of the furnace kicking on in the morning, other people’s kids and dogs, a hot cup of coffee, a warm mug of green tea, refillable ink pens, stickers, finding the last three bags of candy corn that woman at the store was so sad was all gone before she’d left the aisle and I could still catch her, snack size candy bars (although just about now, I kind of wish there weren’t so many of them at my house), slippers, libraries and librarians, poets and poetry, comedy and comedians, music and musicians, art and artists, true crime (although Eric said I may be watching and listening to too much of it considering I had a dream last night that I was wrongly accused of poisoning him), pictures of my dad as a little kid (seriously, he was so cute), pay day, warm fall days that are cool enough to wear a hoodie but still nice enough to sit outside in the sun, how the deer are so unbothered by us when we see them on our walks in the morning, how when we walk around Lincoln Jr. High if they do the morning announcements Ringo stops and listens as if they are talking to him and he needs to find out where morning study hall is being held, naps, used books, new books, gummies, changing my calendars to a new month and choosing a new desktop calendar image, cleaning off a counter or table, having the sauna all to myself, aqua aerobics, Sunday morning Pilates, cheese, pizza, texting with Chris, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.