1. Morning walks with the dogs. It was a bit darker this week and there was a full moon. This morning, we went 4.7 miles, and I totally could have done five, and that makes me so happy.

2. All those who are helping me be healthy and get stronger. My Pilates teacher, my acupuncturist, my physical therapist, and my masseuse. It’s a team effort right now.

3. Sweet Sam. He got his teeth cleaned this week, had to go under anesthesia for it so he was pretty confused and clingy for a bit that day, but he did so good. Because I was a little nervous about it, I made sure to get a few good pictures of him this week, which normally I’m not very good at, (black dogs are hard to get a decent picture of, and Sam usually won’t look at the camera, and how many pictures can one person have of one dog sleeping?).

4. My tiny family. Taking naps together is one of my favorite things.

5. Signs of spring. Daffodils in the bathroom and in my garden, a giant hawk hunting along the river this morning, warmer weather (some of it a bit insane — like 80 degrees tomorrow?!).

Can you see the hawk?

Can you see the hawk?

Bonus joy: Roasted sweet potatoes, planning what’s going in our garden this year, tiny chocolate muffins, a big glass of cold clean water, trash service and the people who do that work, soaking in a warm tub of water, space heaters, good movies, good tv, the opportunity to make mistakes, getting to start over, Spring Break, video chatting with friends, the internet, a good camera on my phone (or maybe I should stop calling it a “phone” because really it’s a tiny computer I can carry in my pocket more than it is a device I call people with), streaming and on demand media, my Kindle, books by Roxane Gay (I am devouring everything she’s written right now, and can’t wait for her next book), a washer and dryer in my house, being able to do laundry any time I want to, people who understand when I cancel plans, clean pjs and clean sheets, sunshine.

1. Morning walks with the dogs. This week I was back on our regular schedule of solo walks two mornings of the week. I am not back up to 5 miles just yet, but I’m getting there. I especially appreciated the light this week, since Daylight Savings time this weekend is going to steal an hour, plunging us back into the dark for just a bit longer.

2. Signs of spring. Crocuses are popping up around town and things are starting to turn a tiny bit green around the edges. I got so excited the other day because I remembered I planted daffodil bulbs in the fall. Fingers crossed that some of them come up.

3. Chat dates with people I don’t get to spend nearly enough time with.

4. The sweetest little plant from a work colleague. I’d helped her with some computer stuff so she brought me a purple shamrock. I looked up how to care for it and learned one of its common names is Love Plant.

5. Golden years with the dogs. Especially when you have two dogs of varying ages, there’s a thing I refer to as the “golden years.” This is an all too brief moment of time when no one is a baby and no one is dying. Add to that the precious moments where no one is sick or injured, and you get this minute of time where you simply get to enjoy each other’s company. It didn’t last very long with my first two pairings of dogs, so with this third one, I’m reminding myself to savor it.

Bonus joy: bran muffins with dried raspberries, sour cherry juice, being caught up on the laundry, sunshine, good books, naps, having enough money, good health insurance, subbing for one of my favorite yoga classes, my Bluetooth speaker, a clean car, clean sheets, dark chocolate with salted caramel, flowers, the promise of another garden, roasted sweet potatoes, all the good dinners Eric has been cooking, the internet and a good connection.