Medicine Buddha at Om Ananda Yoga Studio
1. Yoga. Teaching it, practicing, learning more, cultivating a relationship with my body and the present moment, embodying practice.
2. Meditation. The Daily Dharma Gathering, connecting to my breath and the present moment, cultivating a friendship with myself, learning how my mind works, understanding what it means to relax.
Pancakes by Eric, Marionberry sauce by my aunt, dog hair on the plate by either Ringo or Sam, eaten by me.
3. Marionberries, and all the tasty things you can make out of them. They only grow in Oregon, were developed in the place where I grew up — Marion County. I can order jam online, but still haven’t figured out a way to get pie delivered.
Love note from Eric with an arrow so I don’t miss it.
4. Eric. Laughing with him, hugging in the kitchen next to the warm oven, reminiscing about how much work Ringo was a year ago, the love notes he leaves me on the counter, how he asks me “Are you okay, Packo?” (Yup, that’s our nickname for each other, long story).
You can really see in this picture how much bigger Sam is than Ringo.
5. Sweet Sam and Ringo Blue. I still miss my Obi and Dexter, wish I had them back, am not over losing them, but I sure do love the two I have now.
Bonus Joy: Warmer weather which was like a little taste of Spring, watching a live streamed reading from poet David Whyte, my CSU work going well, teaching a yoga class of 15 people, the new twist and balance series I created, finding out I can order the Marionberry Jam I like so much direct from the company that makes it, writing and lunch dates with good friends, honoring my limits by skipping or canceling some things, prioritizing what’s important, remembering how much I like Field Report’s music, watching Glee even though it’s not as good as it was in the beginning.
Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray) 
You reminded me about David Whyte – where is that CD I have of him? (Like you, I need/want many bags to the trash!) Where did you hear him streaming? I love how you write. You are so blessed. The love notes from your husband are a treasure. Beautiful that you photographed it for all of us to see. I was married for 23 years – my husband and I were big card givers. Just opened a drawer I hadn’t opened since he left – filled with hundreds of cards. We even used to give each other cards from our cat, and I would write them in child-like handwriting and draw little kittie paws. (She died while we were still married – with us 15 years, so I identify with missing your dogs.) Deeply sad, (and what do I do with all those cards?), but I was NOT jealous over your relationship; I was happy to hear about your love, and smiled at how you must have felt seeing that note!
Jean-Nicole, David Whyte did a talk at Colorado College in Colorado Springs and they live streamed it. It’s funny because as soon as Eric found out I was saving his love notes, he started putting even more effort towards them. He even made a huge one on a piece of cardboard with a tiny note written on the bottom “how are you going to save this one?” We’ve been married 21 years, but it’s really only in the last year or so that he’s started leaving me notes all the time. We live through so much loss, it’s good to notice the joy, the sweetness, isn’t it? I confess when I recently had a lot of stuff from a failed work relationship and didn’t know what to do with it, I got out my old bbq and had a little bonfire in my backyard. 🙂
those pancakes look delish! hope you enjoyed them 🙂
So good. 🙂