Sorry for the delayed post, but I was finishing up the socks for the second round of Sock Madness. The slots were disappearing quickly last night, so I wanted to take care of that before moving on to other things. But now I’m sitting here with a bowl of ice cream and a mug of tea and the sense of satisfaction that comes from knitting two pairs of socks this last month. I’ll show you pictures tomorrow.

Here are three other beautiful things from my past week:

1. I take the radio into the office so I can listen to the Nationals’ Opening Day game. Play ball!

2. My books are due back to the library and I haven’t even cracked them open. So, of course, I open one while on the Metro to return them and, for the first time in three weeks, actually feel like reading it. Fantasy and mystery are my usual weapons of choice when combating a reading slump and this Janet Evanovich novel, Wicked Appetite, is a fantasy mystery. Perfect!

3. Harold, who is part of the security department at the Washington Times building, helps me get the lug nuts off my tire when I can only find the wrench for Rudi’s old car (Did you know there are different sized lug nuts? Now you do.) and jacks it up for me. But we can’t get the tire off. He offers to stay and help me further, but he’s wearing his Sunday best and I assure him that I’ll be fine. The guy with the wrecker lies on the ground and kicks the tire like he’s throwing a tantrum, but to no avail. In the end, it requires a crowbar to get the wheel off. I’m very glad I checked the doughnut before anyone arrived to make sure it was drivable. And the appropriate wrench is now in the same compartment as the jack.

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

I was surprised that today was going to be Thursday, but now that it’s arrived, I find Thursday has lasted about four days. So it’s definitely time to consider three beautiful things from the week past:

1. I missed the deadline of contest sock completion by an hour Friday night. Rudi returned home to find me not done, but instead grimly knitting a toe on the floor in front of my computer, madly muttering about needing it done for my own peace of mind. The next morning, the moderators emailed me and two other knitters who’d also finished just outside the time to say that they’d decided to move us through to the next round anyway.

2. The warm weather has caused two varieties of tulips along my walk to the Metro to bloom. One has wide-open petals, its mouth eagerly anticipating the kiss of the sun. The other resembles a six-year-old told to kiss a distant aunt, lips puckered, but unexcited about the prospect.

3. When I get on the Metro to come home, a teenage girl sits curled up on the seat next to the door. Her slate blue sweater matches her tights, and she is writing with a pink pen (with black ink) in a notebook perched in her lap. A yellow balloon hovers above her, anchored to her wrist with a green ribbon.

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

Today is my sixth blogiversary, St. Patrick’s Day, and a gorgeously warm and sunny day all rolled into one. Let’s celebrate by looking back at three beautiful things from the past week:

1. Karen sends me a photo of her and Livia out for a walk, which makes them feel less far away. Susan brings Holden downtown so we can hang out and have lunch, which brings a sunny spot to the middle of my workday.

2. A bagpiper plays music in the park near my office. The lilting tune wafts through my open window on the spring breeze.

3. Daylight savings time means it’s still light out when I leave the office. It’s a welcome change.

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

It’s been one of those weeks…

I contemplated offering you a list with items like “A car so uninteresting that when vandals break in, they don’t even bother to take the spare change.”

HOWEVER…

Except for those really crappy things that seem to be arriving daily this week, a lot of lovely things actually occurred. It would be a shame to give short shrift to those just because some others made faces at me.

So I give you instead, three really beautiful things from my past week:

1. Gramma turned 90 on Monday, but we all agree that the math must be a little funky because 90 is ancient and Gramma is not. I mean, she’s old, but she’s not old. We celebrated with a family party on Sunday that brought nearly 20 of her loved ones together for a buffet dinner that Mum spent a full week cooking up from scratch. Mum also created these great poster collages with photos from nine decades of Gramma’s life that everyone just poured over, and Dad compiled a soundtrack that he burned to cd as a memento for all the guests.

2. Saturday afternoon, I drove out to Rhode Island to have a long overdue lunch with Karen and to meet the newest member of her household. Livia is two months old this week, and I was delighted to finally get to make her darling acquaintance. I also got to spend some time with my favorite toddler, Marshall, who was all flirty and adorable.

3. Samoas can get you through any number of crises, and some days it’s imperative to eat one before breakfast. I’m glad it’s Girl Scout cookie season and that we are acquainted with parents of Brownies.

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

It’s Thursday once more [actually, now it’s Friday; I meant to finish this post last night on the drive north, but didn’t get the chance. Oops!], which means it’s time for three beautiful things from the past week:

1. Daffodils were sighted on the walk home last night and crocuses this afternoon.

2. Rudi and I got to see the Low Anthem, an energetic and instrumentally gifted quartet who sound like the offspring of Arcade Fire and Union Station, last Thursday night at the old Sixth and I Synagogue. The venue was lovely, a random woman gave us her spare ticket while we were waiting in line to buy ours, and the concert was fantastic. You can listen to a stream of the show from NPR here. And if you are able to catch them when they perform near you, make sure you do.

3. Friday afternoon, Susan texted me to invite me over to her place for happy hour, offering me water and wheat thins and a wee little guy instead of beer and peanuts and crowds. Was there even a choice? I spent several hours hanging out with her and Holden and Phillip (after he arrived home from work). It was the best happy hour I’ve had in ages.

How about you? What was beautiful in your world this week?

1. I wear a brand new pair of polka-dotted socks that have arrived from Grey Kitten via SockDreams. Because they have cashmere and angora in them, even at the end of the day, my feet still feel like they’re being gently hugged.

2. The greens of spring bulbs have pushed their way through the earth to say that warm weather is just around the corner. I’ve seen signs of daffodils, croci, hyacinths, and tulips just in my neighborhood.

3. Rudi and I celebrate my finally getting a weekend on Monday by heading to Georgetown. After buying some spices at a new shop, we head to our favorite bakery, Baked & Wired, where my hot chocolate comes in a parfait glass.