1. Sunflowers. In my bathroom, and in my garden.

2. Flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. We have some in our garden, and the other morning on our walk, we saw a hummingbird by some flowers we don’t have, but will be getting, because, hummingbirds!

3. Peach season. It’s very short, actually, and I can never manage to eat enough of them, but there is pie.

Can you believe Eric made this on our barbecue?! He also makes the crust from scratch. #marriedagoodone

4. Joyful movement. Yoga, Pilates, aqua aerobics, walking with the dogs, stretching, riding a bike, even being still napping or meditating or staring at my toes.

5. My tiny family. I’m having such a wonderful time just hanging out with them this summer.

Bonus joy: good books (just finished Sherman Alexie’s new one), good tv (started watching Queen Sugar, so dramatic, so beautifully shot, such good acting), good movies (I can’t wait to see The Big Sick), clean laundry, getting chores done, tart cherry juice, clean sheets, long naps, rain, strawberries from my garden, the memory of the raspberry sorbet my cousin made, peaches (because they are so good they are worth mentioning twice), Wild Writing, air conditioning, Fridays (even when you are on vacation).

Road closed

Y’all, I’m on summer vacation. This means my internal clock and calendar are a little “off.” Which means on a Friday, I might remember to go to yoga and aqua aerobics and even to be home in time for a play date for Ringo and his buddy Pancho, but it also means that even though I think about it a few times throughout the day, I might forget to do this post.

1. Hiking with Eric and the dogs. I haven’t been hiking since I hurt my knee this winter, which lead to months of physical therapy and the eventual diagnosis of osteoarthritis, which limited my activity, had me on a “Floor to 5k” program because “Couch to 5k” was too advanced. This week, I went on a 5.5 mile hike with Eric and the dogs without any pain in my knees, and I am beyond grateful.

2. Aqua aerobics, Pilates, yoga, careful weight lifting, physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, and massage. These are all keeping my body feeling strong and relatively pain free.

3. Three new swimming suits, and the confidence to wear them in public. Shopping for them was shockingly easy as well.

To see any of them in full, you’ll have to meet me at aqua aerobics. I’m confident, not out of my mind.

4. Summer vacation. I’ll be flying to Oregon for a short visit next week, and have spent the last two weeks doing just what I want: moving my body, resting, reading, watching tv, listening to podcasts, and hanging out with my tiny family and friends. When I get back, there are some chores to get done, but I think I’ll be ready for the work by then.

5. My tiny family. I’ve loved getting to spend so much more time with them.

Bonus joy: good documentaries (I’m kind of obsessed right now, especially those involving mysteries and/or crime), good books, pay day, a few cool days to break up the heat, wearing pajamas more than regular clothes, Downward Dog the TV show (which I have to watch when the dogs aren’t around because they think our TV is just a big window and the dogs on TV are real and trying to get us), sour cherry juice, berry pie, cabbage rolls, a big salad, fresh eggs, meditation, a hot shower with clean water and a clean towel, sunflowers, wildflowers, bees and ladybugs.