Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Many of the towns I drove through last Friday were putting the finishing touches on their holiday decorations, and I saw more than one cherry picker. This one reminded me of the reformed Bumble at the end of Rudolph.

2. Rudi and I caught a sneak preview of The Aeoronauts, which we loved, about a Victorian balloonist and the scientist who conceived of meteorology. The acting was great (Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne front the film), the script tight, and the movie should win awards for both cinematography and sound editing. If it interests you at all, make sure you see it in the theater, because no matter how good your tv is, it’s not going to compare.

3. We had the first snow of the season while we were up in New England. And then my parents had another foot after we left.

What’s been beautiful in your world lately?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Here are three beautiful things from my past week:

1. The drive home to Connecticut (which Rudi did most of) was pretty uneventful Wednesday night. We got a late start, but the roads were mostly clear.

2. Corey was very snuggly this week after my absence and his night on his own.

3. Our table was full, and we got to talk to the most important people who were absent from it today. We have roofs over our heads and a way to pay for necessities and a few luxuries. We are healthy. And even if the country is not currently functioning the way most of us would like it to, we live in relative peace and can work to make our government better in the future.

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

Sign-ups are open for the Virtual Advent Tour, which starts Sunday. We’d love to have you take part!

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. On the flight to Kansas City, I had an entire row to myself.

2. My college roommate works in NYC, so she and I got to spend this evening catching up.

3. For both work projects I’m traveling for (both of them video projects), everyone involved has been super nice and very kind and giving of themselves. It makes the work I do feel valuable in a real sense, rather just in the theoretical, and that is a huge gift.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. The heat is running when I sit down on the bus.

2. I meet a friend for drinks after work to keep from being lonely while Rudi is away.

3. The weather has been chilly, which is appropriate for November.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Rudi went to the garden for me today to harvest before the temperature drops tomorrow. I’m hopeful my peppers might survive, but I knew the bush of the basil I’d left behind last weekend would not.

2. Despite not getting up at the crack of dawn, Rudi and I both managed to track down free reusable holiday cups at a national purveyor of hot beverages’ one-day promo event.

3. After several unsuccessful shopping trips attempting to boost my cooler weather professional wardrobe, I found several items at TJ Maxx that I think will now allow me to get through an entire week without stressing about outfits.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Did you hear the Nationals won the World Series?

2. The volleyball friend who lives closest to me and I walked home together after our game on Tuesday and both decided it was too beautiful to go inside for the night, so instead we stopped for an impromptu supper at our local watering hole.

3. Five minutes before we were closing up our candy-dispensing operation, our largest crowd of small costumed characters — including a lion, The Stig and a scientist — arrived at our doorstep, ending our Halloween on an up note.

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