It’s Thursday! Time for three beautiful things from the last week:

1. A rainy Saturday means pajama time on the couch, hot tea, books, and knitting.

2. Warm zucchini bread spread with butter. (And Rudi pointing out that grating zucchini is a lot faster with the food processor than with the cheese grater…)

3. A bulldog stares out the window, standing on top of what I hope is a ceramic jack o’lantern.

What’s been beautiful in your neck of the woods recently?

Another week gone… And with it, three beautiful things:

1. A construction-free ride home from Connecticut. We accomplish the ride in a record-setting six hours…

2. Warm soup and baguette on a chilly, rainy night.

3. New kneesocks — black and white stripes with orange accents — for the Halloween season.

What’s been beautiful in your world this week?

Thanks for the outpouring of concern earlier this week. I am feeling better and expect this weekend’s trip to Connecticut will put me firmly back into good spirits.

And along that train of thought, here are three beautiful things from the past week that have helped make my soul sing:

1. I have downloaded every picture I’ve taken since 2006 onto my computer (and the few kid photos people have emailed me, hint, hint) and set up my screen saver to cycle through them. Because Rudi and I have been watching more of our tv over the internet (thank you PBS!), I spend more time in my rocking chair while my computer sits idle. As familiar faces flash past me — weddings, holidays, sporting events, just hanging out, big events and small — I feel like you’re all in my living room with me.

2. Have you seen The Berlin Reunion yet, which commemorated last week the 19th anniversary of German reunification and the upcoming 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall? The Boston Globe has pictures of the political theater, and you just can’t help but be moved.

3. As I sat in Rock Creek Park Sunday afternoon, two large dogs walking by with their people suddenly looked intently over my shoulder. I turned, expecting to see another dog, but instead discovered a doe, probably 50 feet from the picnic bench where I sat talking to Erik on the phone. A rustling in the brush on the hillside behind the bike path alerted all of us in the vicinity that this deer was not on her own. A cyclist stopped and sat down, hoping to lure the companion into the open, and the dog owners held firmly to leashes. Soon, an adolescent doe picked her way out to follow her friend and then both bounded down the bike path, tails erect, until they veered off toward the creek far away from the rest of us.

Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that today’s TBT is dedicated to my dad and my great-aunt Maude, who both celebrate birthdays today.

What’s been beautiful in your world lately? Feel free to share in the comments.

I know, I know. I missed Thursday. I meant to write yesterday when I got home from cocoa with Amani, but, well, I was exhausted and toddled off to bed after dinner without remembering what day of the week it was.

So here are three belated beautiful things from my last week, served up with apologies:

1. At the cafe, a man sits with his coffee and a doberman the size of a Great Dane. The dog follows with careful attention the movements of two sparrows who are teasing it.

2. In Salt Lake, eating out is a highlight. Several breakfasts include fresh fruit — pears in a coffeecake and berries on French toast and oatmeal — and my raspberry-chocolate chip milkshake is so thick it’s served with a spoon instead of a straw.

3. After joining Garrett and Bethy and their friends for drinks and dessert, instruments are broken out and the songs flow joyously for the next couple hours.

What’s been beautiful in your world this week?

Three beautiful things from the past week:

1. My friend Laura is a semi-finalist for teacher of the year in Connecticut. She is a no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners type of teacher (the kind who never would have put up with my B.S. in high school) and I’m glad to see that rigor is sometimes rewarded.

2. Our friend Brian and his wife are expecting an early spring baby. And they’ve bought a house.

3. The final weekend of summer was glorious. Rudi and I spent Saturday together outside eating brunch, gardening, and sitting at a cafe. On Sunday, while Rudi did his usual long ride, I hit the farmers’ market, hung out at the park, and went on a shorter ride that ended at Baked and Wired for a cupcake and cocoa. All in all, you couldn’t have imagined a nicer end to the season.

What beautiful things have cropped up in your life recently?

Oh.my.god.so.tired.

My eyes are closing, but here are three beautiful things from the past week:

1. Our photo service at work has been down for the last few days and I’m up against a deadline that requires some pictures. The National Park Service comes to the rescue with public domain shots (and buggy code, but stuff that was easily fixable once I realized what they’d done). My new graphic for our work page looks very pretty.

2. We lost PBS and CBS entirely during the digital conversion. Recently, we realized PBS puts Mystery! online for two weeks after airing, so we’re caught up with Inspector Lewis.

3. I haven’t talked to Jason in ages but have a vague recollection of Rudi sharing a Facebook update on him while I was half asleep. I call to offer congratulations, and he picks up the phone with the happiest sounding “Soe!” I’ve heard in a long time. It’s good to catch up with him and Essia and to hear all about the excitement in their world these days. Online updates are fine, but there’s just something about hearing a voice on the line that can really brighten up your whole day.

What beautiful things have you noticed this week?