1. Morning walks. This morning on his walk with the dogs, Eric saw some of this year’s baby deer playing in the sprinklers at the park.

2. End of summer harvest. It’s zucchini, tomato, peach, and watermelon season right now. Yum. I made more zucchini bread, and this time I remembered the toasted walnuts.

3. Practice. While I was meditating this morning, Sam got up on the futon behind me and took a nap. I feel so much more relaxed with him there.

4. Being able to rest, do what I want. I am still amazed how much recovery is necessary, how lucky I am to be able to read a book or take a long nap or try a new recipe, until I remind myself I’ve been going nonstop for the past 40 years.

5. My tiny family. Last on the list, but not least.

His legs are SO long

Bonus joy: being able to say “no” to something that doesn’t feel quite right, getting all the laundry done and put away, clean beds for the dogs, that Ringo is finally grown up enough to just hang out most of the day instead of needing to be entertained constantly, hanging out with Mikalina, good movies (we watched Arctic last night), good TV (I needed something easy, so I started watching Jane the Virgin), reading in bed at night while my three boys sleep, cooler weather, pay day, aqua aerobics, yoga, Pilates, the house smelling like something yummy after I’ve cooked.

1. Morning walks. We are back on a regular, “back to school” schedule now, with the sky dark enough that I have to wear a headlamp to start. Still too many mosquitoes to get back close to the river, but that should happen in just a few more weeks.

2. Cooking. I love the process (when I have the time and energy) and having lots of leftovers to choose from. The zucchini bread I made last week, both “regular” and lemon (pictured), didn’t last very long.

My yoga props for when I teach

3. Practice, both teaching and doing.

4. Being content with not going back to work at CSU. It was move in day yesterday for the students who live in dorms, and the traffic was crazy. I told Eric last night that even though I’m not exactly sure what my “new life” will look like yet, I am completely sure that leaving CSU was the right choice.

5. My tiny family. They are my favorite.

Bonus joy: writing with Mikalina and Chloe’, cooler weather, aqua aerobics (especially after the pool was closed for close to two weeks!), sitting in the sauna, hanging out with Eric, reading, watching good TV, napping, vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and walnuts, writing, getting ideas for things I want to work on but knowing I don’t have to do them right away, “winning” in my Life class again because I worked so hard (although I’m not really competing with anyone but myself).

I was an animal