1. Morning walks with the dogs. Oh how I’ve missed this. Finally mostly healed from a bum knee, a fall on the ice, and surgery, yesterday morning I was able to go on my first solo morning walk with the dogs. It did not disappoint.

2. Teachers, writers, and friends that say and write the most amazing, helpful things — things that on some days are the only thing that will keep me from giving up. Tenderhearted, smart, kind, funny humans like Jeff Oaks and Jena Schwartz and Laurie Wagner and Susan Piver.

3. Practice. Meditation, yoga, writing, and dog. And, as I was telling my friend Justine, even marriage. With the right intention and an open heart, it can all be practice.

4. Sweet things, salty things. Ice cream and chocolate and potatoes and cheese, in particular but in no particular order.

5. My tiny family. Cuddling with Sam (which he doesn’t do very often, so it’s special), laughing or taking a walk with Eric, and just waiting around for the next thing Ringo is going to do, because it’s guaranteed to make me crazy and happy, simultaneously.

Bonus joy: being able to walk 3.62 miles without pain, a good week at work, good TV, good books, good food, clean water, soaking in a tub of hot water, clean sheets, finishing the laundry, being able to pay bills and give, being seen, taking a nap, sunshine, Wild Writing, spending time with good people.

1. Spending time with lovely humans. My favorite kind are the ones who are curious, smart, kind, creative, and funny, and I got to hang out with a couple of them this week.

2. Good food. Linden Street Cafe (formerly known as Cafe Ardour) has some seriously yummy food and drink. Eric has also been cooking some really good stuff for dinner, which means I get the bonus of some amazing leftovers for lunch too.

3. Having a short car. Seriously, yesterday was a sloppy mess with no signs of stopping, and I really really needed a spot in the parking garage so I didn’t have to clean my car off again, but there were only two faculty spots left: one was for an electric car and one for a short car.

4. Ringo Blue. I love both my dogs equally (for different reasons), but the adorableness of Ringo is sometimes more than I can handle.

5. Sam. That being said, the sweetness of Sam is often just as hard to handle. Whenever my three boys get back from a walk, he’s the one who always has to come find me right away, check in. And in the morning, after he gets breakfast and goes potty, if I’m still in bed, he jumps in, gives me a kiss, and then curls up next to me. How hard he tries to protect me, even when he doesn’t need to. How patient he is. How he hides from the washing machine. How he runs out of the room if someone sneezes or coughs.

It’s hard to get a good picture of a black dog.

Bonus joy: Some really good documentaries, a good week at work, pay day coming soon, snow (even though I’m kind of over it and need some sunshine), my “new” bathroom (which is over a year old now), snow tires, wool socks, clean sheets, soaking in a tub of hot water, laughing, really good writing, the technology that allows me to connect with people I love even though they are far away, knowing I’m good at what I do, being able to say no.