I have been hit hard by sinus-related woes this week, which meant that at the time I’m normally writing for you, I was curled up in bed asleep. But I woke up this morning remembering I’d forgotten (or something like that), so this morning we get a slightly belated three beautiful things from the past week:

1. We spent the weekend up in Connecticut. By taking off Friday, we got an early jump and were in New Haven in time for a late pizza lunch and Italian ices. We spent Saturday afternoon wandering around Northampton, where I bought socks and yarn and stickers. Sunday I spent some time in the hammock reading. And otherwise, I got to hang out with my parents and grandmother — picking peas in the garden, making scones, and doing crossword puzzles — which is just what I wanted to do most.

2. We also got an early start on the drive home, which meant that as we crossed into New Jersey, I thought of ice cream:

3. Marcus texted Rudi over the weekend to say he was coming to town for work and did we want to have dinner on Tuesday. Of course! When we walked up to the restaurant, he greeted us with hugs and said he hoped we didn’t mind, but he’d brought a couple guests along with him. And inside were my friend Amani (his wife) and her brother, Askari! It was a wonderful surprise!

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

It’s Thursday, so it’s time to reflect on three beautiful things from the past week:

1. Twice this week, I’ve brought slugs home in the strawberries from the garden. I don’t find the damage they do charming in the least (and we combat them in the garden with beer), but, in this case, their size works in their favor. Those who live amidst my strawberries are tiny silvery things, no longer than my pinkie fingernail and maybe twice as wide as a strawberry stem, with delicate antennae. Carefully, I lift them onto my finger and give them a ride outside to the ivy.

2. Returning home from an afternoon excursion to find a drying rack full of clean laundry.

3. After a bike ride on a hazy, hot, and humid night, changing into drier togs.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Saturday morning we were awakened by a huge racket outside our window well, where angry birds were making a ruckus about Corey sitting in his usual spot in the window. I’d noticed a nest above our sidewalk weeks earlier (it was well hidden, but they’d picked up some blue-and-white striped nylon string to include and it announced the location if you looked up at the right spot) and assumed that was what the hullabaloo was related to. That morning I could tell there were nestlings, but not how many, and I couldn’t be certain of their species, since I’d seen a couple different birds on the property.

Over the weekend, I became more sure. There were three babies and they were robins, since I often happened by as a parent was bringing a snack.

By Monday morning, the nest was vacant, and this feathery fellow was waiting his or her turn at seeing the world:

2. The office roofdeck has been unlocked, but without furniture for months — far later now than usual into the season. This week new chairs suddenly populate the space.

3. I’m gathering mulberries when I begin to hear thunder in the distance and decide I should start for home. It’s only half a mile or so, but I’m still several blocks from home when the percussion of large raindrops taps a more regular beat on my plastic container. But before the storm really begins to flex its muscles, I’m down the stairs, through the door, and into dry clothing.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. We harvest our first two quarts of strawberries from the garden.

2. Rudi and I spend the weekend at Bethany Beach in Delaware. There is sun and sand and surf and salt in the air. We eat giant ice cream cones and lots of fish and play mini golf and read on the beach. And because, for the area, the air and water are still on the cool side, there aren’t really any crowds.

3. I convince Rudi that since we’re on the shore, we should watch the sun rise over the ocean.

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

It’s Thursday, so it’s time to look back at three beautiful things from the past week:

1. Amani and Marcus are in town for a few days. We get a whole evening with them, which feels decadent, given how many people I know would love to see them.

2. We spend a gloriously perfect Sunday afternoon up at Mitchell Park. Rudi works on a blog post and I read. Music plays in the area, although we can’t pinpoint where and whether it’s live. Then a cellist begins and we realize that there’s a wedding beginning in the section of the park with the benches.

3. A late afternoon rain shower puts yet another night of volleyball in jeopardy; we’ve been canceled for less than this earlier in the season. Yet a call to the league’s weather line assures us that games will go on “as scheduled.”

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

Three beautiful things from the past week:

1. Nick Bayard, who was a guest artist at the gallery next door back in the fall, had a cd release party and concert tonight. Between him and his two friends/opening acts, the evening’s entertainment included songs about poverty, love, alien abductions, knitting, and garden gnomes. I do love modern folk music.

2. It has rained more Wednesdays than it hasn’t the last couple months, which means I have two make-up volleyball games scheduled this week. We can’t pull together enough people not to have to forfeit, which seems a dismal way to end a season. But, then, an hour before game time, the skies open up, forcing the matches to be postponed again.

3. Inspired by a colleague who brought homemade ice cream to last year’s office potluck, I decided for this year’s to make sorbet so my vegan coworkers could have some, too. With strawberries in season, the flavor choice was obvious. I hadn’t made sorbet before, so was a little nervous about debuting it so publicly, but the recipe turned out to be a solid one. Person after person came up to compliment me.

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

This is my 500th three-beautiful-things post. Thanks, as always, to Clare who inspired the topic and who recently celebrated her 10th anniversary of recording beautiful things.