1. Kitchen counter love notes. Even though I’ve been home for the past week recovering from surgery, Eric has still managed to sneak a couple in.

2. Good food. Bran muffins with dried raspberries, smoked salmon, avocado, sour cherry juice, big bowls of fruit salad and green salad, ice cream sandwiches.

3. Paid sick leave, along with good health insurance and the ability to work from home, as well as a boss who would never give me a hard time about needing the flexibility and two awesome interns who can keep things running while I’m away.

4. Time to rest and heal, not needing to be responsible for anything, getting to read and watch TV and take lots of naps. I’m healing specifically from my surgery, but I needed this time for other reasons too.

5. My tiny family. There’s a picture I took of Eric last week that as I was taking it he was laughing and saying “do not put this on social media.” You are just going to have to take my word for it that it’s both adorable and hilarious. He’s been taking such good care of me, and Ringo and Sam have been being so good, keeping me company.

“Can we haz lunch now, Mom?”

He was falling asleep like this.

Bonus joy: That the human(s) who got into our cars the other night didn’t take anything of real value or do any damage, the sunshine, clean laundry, a hot bath in a clean tub with clean water, going to the grocery store (which is a big deal when you’ve been housebound for the past week) and having it not be very busy and the shelves newly stocked, lots of comfortable and clean pajamas to wear, friends who text to check in, Voxing with Justine, sending a surprise present to someone, talking to my mom on the phone, Valentine’s Day, love, laughing with Eric, my knee getting better as it gets rested by default as I heal from something else.

Image by Eric

1. Eric made it home safe, after being in Arizona for three days. And luckily, my knee held up doing all the dog walking while he was gone, and the dogs were so good for me.

2. Good food. This week it’s been split pea soup in my favorite dog mug and bran muffins with raspberries and dried strawberries.

3. Flowers in the bathroom, extra special ones because Eric was going to be gone.

4. My surgery going well. I know, you might be saying to yourself, “what surgery?!” and you wouldn’t be wrong — I haven’t said anything about it here. It’s not the type of surgery you really want to talk about, to anyone, ever, and I was really nervous about it because it’s the first time I’ve gone under anesthesia. Now that it’s over and I’m at home recovering, and that seems to be going okay, even though I’m tired and sore and sometimes feeling a bit sorry for myself, I am so grateful — especially for health insurance and paid sick leave, and two awesome interns that can take care of things while I’m gone.

5. My tiny family. The dogs have been being really good, keeping me company and not needing too much, and Eric’s been taking really good care of me, feeding me good food and taking care of everything so I can rest.

Bonus joy: Oranges, sour cherry juice, clean water, hot water, soaking in the tub, good tv, clean sheets, staying in my pjs all day, good books, effective pain medication, friends who text me to see how I’m doing, emails from my mom, knowing that I don’t have to be responsible for anything right now and no schedule applies to me, naps with the dogs.