Things that are good (because I need reminders right now)

• Despite everything that’s happening, our friends and family are all okay right now.
• Our coffee this morning was delicious.
• We had croissants.
• Mom and I truly like one another and agree on all things political and social. We enjoy one another’s company. Always. That doesn’t mean we never disagree on anything, but those things are minor in the grand scheme of things and can be negotiated. I understand how rare this is and how blessed we are in this regard.
• The people at the French bank were very nice, and we hopefully will have an account by the end of the week once they verify our residence.
• All of our savings and money from the sale of our house is now in euros so we don’t have to worry about exchange rates anymore. This has been a major source of anxiety for both of us, so it’s wonderful having that issue behind us.
• The local city bus system is completely free.
• Mom and I had wonderful pulled pork chimichanga salads at a Mexican/French fusion restaurant. It’s a new favorite for us now.
• We found a local wine that tastes delicious and only cost 3.80 euros. Wahoo!
• Mona still likes her French brown crunchies and will eat them unadulterated.
• This city is a beautiful place to walk, no matter the time of day.
• We’ve fully adapted to doing laundry without having an electric dryer.
• Our home purchase is still in process and staying on track to close within the next 6-8 weeks.
• My French is improving every day, and I’m able to manage all our everyday needs without any real difficulty.
• Mom’s medicines are up to date, and she’s feeling healthy.
• We’re grateful for the mild winters here.
• Mona is happy with her new rubber bone and Squeakée le squirrel.
• We found some tasty tea with orange at the market, and it’s making my evenings calmer.
• Mom is reading French history every day. She’s past Versengetorix and the Romans and is now learning about the Visigoths.
• Last year, I’d lost patches of hair from stress, and now it’s all coming back. It’s totally white, almost clear, but it’s about an inch long, and I’m confident that by summer, you’ll never know I had a problem.
• In two months, we’ll be moving into our house and setting up our summer garden.
• We chose the furniture we want to purchase from IKEA, and we plan to explore the used furniture stores here in town in the coming days.
• I found a spiral notebook and pens at the local shops, so I’m not solely reliant on electronics to make progress on my work.
• Soon, I’ll be able to have the rest of our clothes, currently in storage, shipped to us, and by the time we’re ready to move, the remainder of our belongings can be sent as well.
• There is cheese in our refrigerator.
• I’ve written a little over 2000 words this week.
• I found tortillas at the local market and can make breakfast burritos tomorrow.
• Our travel mobile phone sim cards are fantastic.
• The wifi in our apartment is fast and included in the rent along with the other utilities. Our stay is paid up through the end of the month, with one more installment left to pay in March. By the time our reservation is done, we’ll be moving.
• Online friends on BlueSky and CounterSocial are helping me cope.
• I have enough ebooks to last through this, the stupidest apocalypse ever.
• One more day has gone by without me needing to worry about quicksand.
• My closest friends get my dark sense of humor.
• Mom and I got Queen Bee again on the NYT Spelling Bee app. It’s not easy being perfect for months at a time, but someone has to, I suppose.
• This is a lot of good things. I think I might be able to get some sleep tonight.

Sending hope and joy and moments of levity to all of you.