Rudi and I head north this afternoon for the holidays. I anticipate a rollicking drive full of merriment and sing-alongs, but what’s more likely is one of us catching up on sleep while the other drives. I’m prepared for that, too: I have the audio version of The Christmas Carol queued up for Rudi’s naps.

But before we join the Christmas migration out of town, I wanted to share three beautiful things from my week past:

1. Sunday night we join a group for caroling. Bundled against the chill, we wandered with a dozen strangers through a neighborhood not our own, singing songs of wonder and joy. Children in pajamas were our favorite audiences, but the house where the owner requested a second song and then passed around a plate of cookies was pretty awesome, too.

2. Ten minutes before closing time at a big box store, I join the queue at a checkstand. The couple in front of me notice I only have one item and kindly invite me to jump ahead of them and their cart. I demur, but the clerk is fast so practically by the time I’m done thanking them for their offer, they’re ready to pay.

3. Rudi and I head out for the eclipse of the full moon. In the wee hours of the Solstice, the quiet, clear night affords us a magical viewing from a local traffic circle as we watch the moon diminish before our eyes.

What’s been beautiful in your world this week? Please share in the comments.

And, finally, before I sign off, I wanted to point you to this story featuring what started as one beautiful holiday thing that snowballed to encompass thousands of them. I warn you, it moved me to tears.