1. Morning walks. It’s getting darker and colder, but we still get to see the sunrise. This morning we heard two owls but didn’t see them. We also got to see the trail Christmas trees, which are always decorated right after Thanksgiving.
Look at me. Ringo, look over here. Ringo. Ringo. Hey, bub, look at me. Oh, never mind…
2. Wild Writing. I practice with Mikalina every Tuesday and write with a group of women led by my dear friend and beloved teacher Laurie on Fridays. The practice is such a gift, to my writing and my heart.
3. Meditation. I’ve been practicing for close to 13 years now, teaching for three, and I love the way I come to it every time and it’s both the same and different. The repetition, coming back to practice again and again, teaches me so much about myself, the spaces where I’m resisting, the places where I’m at ease. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to sit with my discomfort and open to what is, that I have the courage to keep coming back, to be honest, to not abandon myself, to not give up.
4. Yoga. I can’t wait until I get to teach again, be in a the same place with other humans, hold space and support them as they practice. In the meantime, I’m happy to have my practice all to myself.
5. Bird bath and feeder. This week, we had to move the feeder up higher (as we suspected we would) because there was a fat squirrel getting at it — but when it did, two of our crow friends showed up and shooed him off! There was also a pair of woodpeckers who showed up one morning for a drink but the water was frozen, so they pecked away at it like the trunk of a tree and gobbled up the ice cubes they made. The chickadees are the cutest, so timid that they fly over and take just one seed or nut, and then fly over into the lilac bushes to eat it.
6. My tiny family. Seriously, Ringo is so cute sometimes I can hardly stand it. Eric has been working SO much this week. I’ll be glad when he gets to take a break. I miss him, even though he’s just in the other room.
Bonus joy: my new favorite coffee mug from Chloe’, books, podcasts, the box of candy Carrie gave me that I forgot I had until I JUST this minute when I noticed sitting next to my computer, hanging out with Mikalina, all the Christmas lights people in our neighborhood have put up, decorating for Christmas, being able to find good presents I can order and ship to my family (so I don’t have to go into stores to shop or stand in line at the post office), the greenest freshest spinach I’ve had in a while, a warm shower when I’m cold, a big glass of clean cold water, napping, watching Guy’s Grocery Games with Eric, masks, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.
1. Flowers in the bathroom. Eric got me some lily’s for my birthday and I’ve been amazed by them all week — are we absolutely certain that lilies are flowers and not aliens?!
2. Vacation. It’s so weird how I’m not working, but Eric being on a break from his work feels like I’m on a break. I have no pictures of the morning walks this week because Eric has been running with Ringo and taking him to a bunch of different places they don’t usually get to go during the week, while I sleep in a bit and have a leisurely morning. It’s been nice, but I’m also looking forward to getting back to our normal schedule next week.
4. Eric got me a bird feeder. My new favorite pastime is standing at our front window watching the birds, looking up the ones I don’t recognize, being able to name them: chickadees, finch, nuthatches, blue jays. 
5. My tiny family. I’m so so so lucky we like spending so much time together, get along so well. I can’t imagine doing this — a global pandemic, life in general — with anyone else.
Bonus joy: Texting with my mom and brother and Chloe’, hanging out and writing with Mikalina, late birthday presents that mean I get to see a good friend in person even if I couldn’t hug her, the pool (they dropped the cap on aqua aerobic classes to only eight people in the pool and we’ve been wearing our masks even in the water), sitting in the sauna with Eric (wearing masks there too), watching Guy’s Grocery Games with Eric (we finally watched all the Forensic Files episodes and with the election results we are open to thinking about things that are more fun), podcasts, movies, cooking with Eric, laughing with Eric, getting on Zoom with friends we haven’t seen in too long, grocery pickup, online shopping (this year I’m going to try and do all online and ship direct so I keep out of the stores and the post office), getting all the laundry done and put away, my HappyLight, napping, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.
Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray) 