Three beautiful things from my previous week:

1. The frost on the upstairs bathroom screen at my parents’ resembles a hedgehog.

2. A friend is pregnant.

3. I overshot my intended destination by a metro stop and decided to right the problem on foot, rather than waiting for a train heading back the opposite direction. Since there were Girl Scouts outside selling cookies, clearly the universe meant for me to get off in Ballston instead of at my usual stop.

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately?

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Rudi returned from his coaching trip on Sunday. Sure it was with a bad head cold, but it was nice to have him home to use up all the tissues I bought on sale while he was away.

2. We were shorthanded for coaching this week, so I ended up on the dodgeball side, rather than with my usual volleyball kids. As were packing up all the equipment at the end, Beth told me that during her check-in with the kids at the beginning one girl had raised her hand to demand to know where I was.

3. Jeff Bezos gutted the Washington Post‘s reporting staff this week, so I canceled my years-long subscription. I want to support savvy journalism and understand how crucial it is to democracy for independent newspapers to survive. But integral to that is actually employing reporters and covering local news. I am beyond disappointed, but feel buoyed that I have sent a message.

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately?

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Everyone on my block shoveled, so for the first time in the 22 years I’ve lived here, you can safely walk the whole square. (This stops being true in short order.)

2. My friend Sergio reached out to ask if I wanted to come hang out with their two small kiddos. I did, so I spent a couple hours answering “Why…” questions, admiring the emergency vehicles that pulled up to their block, and making funny voices for toys so they could get a little work done. Sergio and Michelle fed me lunch and Sergio provided rides to and from their metro station, so it felt like a little vacation from my life.

3. Jess and I were the only ones from our team who were going to be able to make the game, and you need at least three players to not forfeit. So I pinged Aroush and Jordan, who braved the bad conditions to come to our rescue. The other team didn’t have any women, which is also a prerequisite, so they forfeited to us. We then played 4×4 and beat them anyway, which felt satisfying indeed.

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately?

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I went to the big Safeway in Georgetown last weekend and ran into one of my middle school players and her girlfriend while I was there. It was really nice to see them and to touch base.

2. My team’s season started this week, and half the team was unable to make the game. A friend had offered to sub in when I needed an extra player, and while I hadn’t expected to accept on week one, it felt great to see him after a couple of months.

3. Sunday offered conversational snow — the sort that you remark upon, but which requires no work from you. I tucked myself into boots and the hot pink cape my mother made me and took myself out for a walk. As I paused on the bridge to take a picture of the snow drifting down into the creek below (the snow did not show up in the shot, so it looks just like every other day), I noticed the girl behind me paused as well. I glanced her way and she said, “I’m sorry. I had to take your photo. You were the only color in the entire landscape. Do you mind?” And I didn’t, because I was.

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Volunteering started back up this week after our holiday break. We’ve switched up groups of kids, so it’s exciting to think about sharing volleyball with a new class.

2. I got to play pickup at the elementary school by my apartment, which offered a fun time and a short commute home afterwards.

3. I was trying to make crackers out of sourdough starter discard this week, and while the outcome isn’t really a cracker, it is crisp-like and still quite tasty.

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately?f

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. As of the start of the week, the sun is now setting after 5 p.m. here (and the sun is up before 7:30 for those of you who care about that part).

2. Rudi makes borscht and we exchange the last of our gifts on Russian Christmas.

3. We got 60s and sunny one afternoon this week, so I took chai and a couple books to the park.

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately?