1. Snow! What I’m actually grateful for is that even though it was a bit earlier than usual, and because of that we didn’t have snow tires on the cars yet, we made it through okay. On the morning I walked dogs and it was only 5 degrees out, I was especially grateful for the hour I got to spend under my infrared heating pad and a couple of blankets. And on all the other cold mornings, Eric ran with the dogs while I stayed home in our warm bed.

2. Writing with friends. I got to do that twice this week. There was a bit more conversation than writing, but that’s okay too.

3. Trying new recipes. Eric made General Tso’s with cauliflower instead of chicken (good, but I missed the chewy texture of the chicken, as the cauliflower is pretty soft), and I made oven fries with three different kinds of potatoes. We also tried spaghetti with Quorn Meatless Grounds, (recommended, in fact it might have been even better than a meat version). We are trying to add more plant options and eat fewer animal products. It’s so much easier to do now than it was 20 years ago, with all the new products you can buy and the ease of searching the internet for recipes, (although 90% of the time, I land at Smitten Kitchen).

4. Practice. Being able to come back to it, depend on it, no matter what else might be going on. It keeps me steady and sane.

5. My tiny family. Ringo is getting used to me being home more often, asks for and offers me more attention than he has, (Eric’s his primary person, the guy who does all the fun stuff like running, hiking, and playing Frisbee, but I’m the one he cuddles with). Sam is still my baby at almost 10 years old, looking to me for, well, everything. Eric and I did a salt tank sensory deprivation float last week, and while I was a partial fail on the float (I could float, but not with the hatch closed), it was fun to try something new with him.

Bonus joy: a crunchy Gala apple, a glass of cold water, sleeping in, sitting in the sauna when it’s cold outside, down blankets and pillows, clean sheets, TV shows where most of the characters aren’t white, grocery shopping, getting all the laundry done and put away, pay day, being able to pay all our bills and have money left over, my new therapist, snow tires.

1. Morning walks. Yesterday we startled something in the tall grass and trees by one of the ponds, but I have no idea what it was. It’s dark almost the full walk this time of year. We leave early and are on our last mile when the sun is coming up. With Daylight Savings Time, that will shift, but it only lasts for about two weeks before we are back in the dark again. That doesn’t mean we’ll ever wait and go later, when there’s more light and other people with their dogs and cars. Even in the dark, it’s nice to feel like we have the world all to ourselves for a bit.

2. Finishing my Yoga for All teacher training. One down, one to go, (I have a bit left for my Curvy Yoga certification, but the plan is to finish that by the end of next week). One of the things we had to do as part of our final was to share our biggest “a-ha moment” or the most impactful thing we got from the training. I answered in two parts: “First, I realized taking this training how excellent my teacher training experience was and how much work I’ve done on my own to learn more — basically, I was pleasantly surprised how much I already knew. The thing I’m taking directly from this training that has the potential to have the most impact is that there are lots of resources and support available for me and my students, but the best resource is our students and their awareness of what they need and what isn’t working. Helping our students cultivate that awareness and self trust and being open to supporting them however we can will have the biggest impact on their experience of yoga. They have so much to teach us.”

3. One year anniversary teaching at Red Sage. The commitment these humans have to caring for themselves and in turn our furry ones is such a gift. I’m so lucky to teach them, to practice with them. I mean, seriously, they are generous and kind and funny and almost every class, there’s a dog or two close by. It’s the perfect gig for me.

4. Random love notes. This one is on the side of some construction equipment working in our neighborhood.

5. Trying new recipes. Last night I made breakfast burritos using this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I’m really enjoying trying new stuff, the time spent chopping and assembling and especially eating.

6. My tiny family. Sam went to physical therapy yesterday and is doing so well, we finally stopped giving him all his pain meds. Fingers and paws crossed that there’s no impact, but even if he needs to go back on a low dose, I’m so happy he’s recovered so well. In the next few months, he’ll turn 10 years old, which means he will most likely end up being our oldest dog yet. Ringo is turning six the day after my birthday next month and I’m only just now getting used to the idea he’s not a puppy anymore. Last but not least, Eric and I are going to do a float tank and infrared sauna together this afternoon — one of the things from our “25 things for 25 years” list we made on our anniversary last year that we still hadn’t done.

Bonus joy: Hanging out and writing with Mikalina, Chloe’s new niece, good TV (Modern Love on Amazon Prime was sweet), good books (I thought I was almost done with the autobiographies of Maya Angelou, but I just started the final one last night, which means I’ll need to watch the documentary about her next), getting all the laundry done, a massage on my schedule, aqua aerobics, sitting in the sauna, watching TV and “trading some” with Eric, trusting my body and honoring what it needs, an appointment with my new therapist, a clean-ish garage (thanks to Eric), a yummy new essential oil, sitting under my infrared heating pad and my favorite blanket after a long walk on a cold morning, reading in bed at night while Eric and the dogs are asleep, stretching out to press my feet into Eric’s just before we get out of bed in the morning, kitchen counter love notes.