1. Farmer’s Market flowers in the bathroom. This week’s bunch was so gorgeous, but because it’s the end of summer, it didn’t last as long. I won’t miss the heat (we are supposed to get to 96 on Sunday), I will grieve the loss of the flowers, fruit, and vegetables.

2. Morning walks with the dogs. It’s getting darker in the mornings now, which means we get to see the sunrise somewhere in the middle of our walk. I don’t want to jinx it, but the dogs have been so good for me lately when I walk them by myself. And my knee is better enough that my physical therapist doesn’t need to see me for three weeks.

3. The birds and bugs our garden attracts and feeds. This isn’t a great picture of the goldfinch who eats our sunflowers, but he’s pretty shy so I could only capture him if I stayed in the house, on the other side of the window.

4. Three day weekend!

Sam gets to ride in the way back all by himself because Ringo is sometimes a jerk

5. My tiny family. I love women, and my other family and friends are great, but these three dudes are my favorites.

Watching the dad cook some meat, “Can we haz some, please?”

Bonus Joy: kitchen counter love notes, water aerobics, Pilates, yoga, Wild Writing with two of my favorite people, cold root beer, good TV, sweet potatoes, a warm shower, a cold glass of clean water, sitting on the couch with a heating pad, down pillows and blankets, the way Ringo stands with one of his feet on one of my feet, the way Sam doesn’t like to cuddle except for when he gets in bed with us early in the morning, a new dog bed, how easy it is to text someone “I love you” or “how are you?,” clean laundry, being dry and safe and together.

1. Grocery shopping. I know this might make me weird, but I love grocery shopping. The privilege of being able to enter a store and buy anything I want and know that I don’t ever have to go hungry is something I never take for granted, and as someone who lived with an eating disorder for decades, there’s a newfound freedom and ease there too.

2. Eclipse shadows.

3. Flowers in the bathroom. I got to the Farmer’s Market later this week, so there weren’t as many left at my favorite stall, but still they are gorgeous.

4. Having my car back. It was in the shop for almost two weeks getting a dent in the door fixed, and I didn’t realize how much I’d miss it. This little grasshopper hitched a ride with us to the post office and back today, reminding me of another thing I love so much about a summer garden — all the bugs and animals it houses and feeds.

5. My tiny family. I’m especially grateful recently because one of Ringo’s brothers has been missing for three weeks. I can’t even imagine how painful that must be for his family, and I hope I never know.

Bonus joy: Wild Writing with my cool girls’ writing nerd club, aqua aerobics, my heating pad (which I realized today I may have “borrowed” from you at some point, Mom…if so, sorry, and thanks), ripe peaches, a warm shower and a clean towel, sleeping with the window open, good interns, a fan in the bathroom, physical therapy because even though it hurts it’s helping, fresh watermelon, when Eric laughs so hard he can barely talk.