(Okay, as anyone from New England knows, a clear bright day in the middle of winter means cold weather is impending. But, really, it’s only just around freezing right now, so I don’t think it’s that bad out. This weekend might be another story, when I plan to stand outside for hours at a free concert, but for today, it just adds to my general giddiness.)
And on that note, I offer you three beautiful things from the past week:
1. Monday mornings are tough normally and this week was even harder than usual. I am feeling glum as I hurry from the metro station to my office, when I pass an older woman on the sidewalk. Our eyes meet and I smile reflexively. She smiles back and the day feels more possible.
2. A possum skirts the window well on her way out into the neighborhood just about 8 every night. None of the cats have noticed until this week when Della is on my lap when it happens. She was also there last night when a raccoon waddled past. If it weren’t so cold by the window, I suspect she’d set up camp to watch for intruders…
3. I win the December raffle of free cookies from AlbuqCookie, a company I learned about from the knitblogger who did their photography back this summer. The owner contacted me to find out where he should send my prize and I told him he’d brightened my sick day. When the cookies arrived, he’d included a note hoping the cookies would help me feel better. (The cookies, you ask: Chocolate piñon biscotti. Delicious. Solid without being hard. Definitely fresh. High quality chocolate and tasty pine nuts… From a previous purchase I can also recommend their pistachio chocolate chip biscotti (which have cranberries in them) and their green chile pecan sandia cookies, which have more kick than the chocolate pepper chile shortbread.)
1. The long-haired guy who sings and plays his guitar at various D.C. Metro stops is at mine for my return to work on Friday. I smile as I pass and I hear him over the speaker as I continue down the street saying he hopes his music makes our days cheerier and to remember that God loves us. I feel like I’ve had a benediction from Mr. Rogers.
2. Not taking Friday off meant that I got a work blog post up (I learned about albatross), which, in turn, meant that Monday wasn’t nearly as painful as it might otherwise have been.
3. I have puttered away the day before Rudi finally coaxes me out into the world. The day is waning as we walk to the grocery store, so we decide to divert to Georgetown for a hot drink to sip as the sun sets.
I realized after I went to bed last night that it was Thursday and that, for the first time, I’d forgotten to put up a three beautiful things post. I considered dragging my tired butt out of bed so as not to mess with tradition, but since I was coming to work today, I thought better of it. So today you get yesterday’s post of three beautiful things from the previous week:
1. Our annual New Year’s Eve movie marathon had a rather shaky portion to it (more on that this weekend), but we ended strong with Bedtime Stories. It was everything I want in a fairy-tale: an affable hero, a villain you can root against without remorse, and a happy ending.
2. I got the chance to see both BW and Karen while home at Christmas, as well as to make a Christmas night phone call to Grey Kitten — a good end to 2008. And yesterday we spent time with the Cap Hill gang with a wonderful New Year’s Day brunch, before I was able to catch Erik on the phone for a long-overdue chat. I love spending time with my friends and hope that this is part of a larger theme for this new year. Here’s to more phone calls with those far away and more gatherings with those nearby.
3. Rudi and I decide at the last minute to add two more doughnuts to our drive-through Dunkin’ Donuts order on the drive home. The woman at the window hands us a bag filled to the top and tells us she’s added a few more for free.
The beautiful thing I thought of last night as I was falling asleep that I told myself twice not to forget eludes me right now. If I remember it, I may share an addendum…
Why is it that hitting publish suddenly brings it to mind?
4. We change our return plans so that we are driving home at night. The lights along the Garden State Parkway cheer us, since New Jerseyites are possibly the most festive and ardent outdoor decorators I know and whole neighborhoods seem to participate. A mobile park along Route 1 offers tin soldiers at the entrance — and the most vibrantly lit tree. It stands at least two stories tall and every branch is coated with white lights. It literally glistens in the breeze as a beacon to road-weary travelers. I wish the people who decorate the official National Christmas Tree on the Mall would call them up for some tips.
Category: three beautiful things. There is/are Comments Off on feel-good ending, friendship, & generosity (& light).
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope that those of you who celebrate the day found it filled with love and joy and excitement. Yesterday was a little stressful for us as we drove north while trying to finish our shopping. (Note to self: Remember to check for wallet before leaving home next time…) Today, however, was perfectly lovely, as we celebrated this morning in front of the tree with my folks and Gramma. My aunt, uncle, and cousins arrived midafternoon, and we ate a wonderful turkey dinner followed by two types of trifle. A game of pool and some light holiday tv (of yesteryear) rounded out the night.
Since I keep dozing off as I type this, I’m going to save any more recapping for another night and instead compile here for you three beautiful things from my Advent week:
1. We realize after the grocery stores close last night that we’re lacking one of the title ingredients for carrots and peppers. The local Olive Garden to my folks do not laugh Rudi out of the restaurant as he inquires about the plausibility of buying a pepper or two from them. The chef himself bears out a clamshell styofoam container showcasing a red and a green bell pepper. Everyone involved refuses payment and instead wishes Rudi a Merry Christmas.
2. I stay up late wrapping on Christmas Eve and spend the end of the night watching Christmas Eve on Sesame Street.
3. Part of our holiday tradition includes balling up the used wrapping paper and shooting baskets with it into a paper bag. The first round is fun, but the second and third even better. I collect the unsunk balls of paper and we try again, but this time with my parents’ puppy playing along with us. We shoot over her. She steals some balls for her own play later on. The best moment comes when she takes a just-sunk ball of Rudi’s out of the bag. I like to think Cran was rooting for me…
Before I go, here are some favorite Christmas songs I meant to give you back on Monday, but that I ran out of time to share:
1. We head to Old Town to buy a longer needle for the quilt and stop at a European-style bakery after we leave the yarn shop. I order hot chocolate and get a bowl of hot milk and a pitcher of melted chocolate. The milk has a chocolate smiley face poured onto it.
2. Raspberry and apricot thumbprint cookies. Gramma’s chocolate mint sticks. And vegan pumpkin cranberry scones for Suzanne‘s birthday brunch. (I’d seriously recommend the scone recipe as an easy treat.)
3. Today, finally, a few good ideas for Christmas presents occur to me.
Oops! Running out of Thursday… Three beautiful things from the past week or two:
1. Metro decorated for Christmas. Metro Center is outfitted in green and gold garland. And the Dupont Circle ticket shack is sporting garland in red.
2. On a cool, rainy night, the smell outside the house of the dryer venting.
3. Nearly invisible snow flurries drift down as Rudi and I leave to cut down our tree on Saturday. By the time we’ve tied the tree on the roof and are heading back toward the District, the snow flakes are obvious even to casual observers. After a stop at a store or two, we return to find snow coating the grass and the car.