There are always three beautiful things to think about on Thursdays:

1. A street near my house is lined with ginkgo trees. In early fall, when their fruit is dropping, it’s not really a pleasant place to walk. (Ginkgo fruit, when it splits open, smells like dog poop.) But in late fall, their leaves turn a brilliant yellow and the trees stand gorgeous against the deep blue of the sky. Sunday, in the midst walking through a driving rain, I paused on the corner to see that the leaves had fallen in the storm, blanketing the whole street in rivulets of gold.

2. Today is kind of like an Impressionist watercolor painting or like Bert’s chalk drawings in Mary Poppins, even down to the tower rising up out of the mists. Living in D.C., most people wear sensible, dark, business-like colors and carry black umbrellas when it rains. But just often enough to keep it interesting, someone pops up wearing color — a turquoise polka-dotted umbrella, pink paisley galoshes, or a chartreuse rain kit. My own rainy day outfit includes a pink and yellow raincoat, a rainbow-hued umbrella, and my green corduroy hat. I feel cheery just putting it on.

3. On Saturday, Rudi and I stopped by Eastern Market on our way to a belated lunch date. While we were there we visited the card vendor, who sells British cards, wrapping paper, and stationery items for cut-rate prices. We came away with several boxes of Christmas cards, half a dozen sheets of wrapping paper, and half a dozen gift tags for something like $11. Now I just need time to address cards and packages to label and to wrap in pretty paper….

Three beautiful things from the last week:

1. Rudi is a computer person and a self-proclaimed Mac Geek. Because of this, he is periodically called upon to provide personal computer help with friends, family members, acquaintances, and random people on the street. Sunday, he went to help a fellow DC for Democracy member with a laptop problem. Michelle is in grad school and her laptop had had some issues. Another DC4D member, Joanne, had a spare, unwanted, unused Mac laptop gathering dust in a closet and offered it to her to use until hers returned from its repair jaunt. Unfortunately, the second laptop had hard drive issues, so Rudi was called upon to salvage stuff from the second laptop to put back on the first laptop. In the end, Michelle left happy with her original laptop complete with all her work from Joanne’s machine. Michelle had no need for a second laptop, particularly one with a dead hard drive. And Joanne didn’t want her machine back because she hadn’t been using it. So they both told Rudi to keep it!

We have a laptop. We have a laptop in the month when I have to write a novel. We have a laptop so I can go to the coffeeshop and get out of the apartment on weekends and so I can write in the car while we’re driving to Connecticut for Thanksgiving (don’t worry — I’ll only write on the portions when I’m the passenger!).

We so have to pay this forward. Thank you Michelle and Joanne!!!!!!!

2. The Japanese maple by the Indonesian embassy in D.C. has turned purple for the fall season, which allowed me to walk under a violet canopy in the rain on my way to the Metro yesterday morning. This morning was sunny and warm, so I walked the 2 1/2 miles to work, kicking through dried leaves along the sidewalk. The trees were dancing, brilliant against a blue backdrop. The smell of fall has finally permeated the D.C. air and it is hard not to revel in being alive.

3. When I walked to work on Tuesday, I passed by a liquor store that clearly believed in celebrating Halloween year-round. The sign in their back lot read, “Parking for Costumers Only.”

Three beautiful things from the last week:

1. My college roomie sent me a lovely package that arrived on Halloween. In it she sent me a soft blue shawl to wear on warmer autumn days and really cool earrings with purple beads made out of shellacked paper (reallly, they’re prettier than I make them sound). How did she know I needed to hear from a friend on NaNoWriMo Eve? Thanks, Eri!

2. We saw Flushed Away on Monday night at a sneak preview showing. Sitting behind us were some small children — probably in the 5-6 years of age range. They thought the movie was hilarious. They laughed! They screamed! They screeched! They repeated favorite lines aloud! They pointed out visual humor to each other! Their joy just made the movies that much better. I’m so glad we saw the movie with a crowd that included lots of kids.

3. Amanda commented last week that she liked to clean prior to writing when she was working on her dissertation. I went to reply to her that clearly that wouldn’t be a problem for me, but then I remembered that the only time I do clean (other than when guests are en route) is when I am on deadline for something. So Rudi and I decided to be proactive and get some cleaning out of the way pre-deadline. We spent all of Saturday working on it and disposed of several bags of recycling and several bags of trash. There’s more to be done, but our apartment is definitely quite a few pounds lighter than it was last week!

Three beautiful things from John’s wedding last weekend. (I swear, I really will post about what a terrific time it was over the weekend.)

1. Jason and Essia’s daughters, Nina and Lylia, colored and drew me some pictures. I didn’t have any kid art for my fridge and I didn’t realize how much improved it would be once it was properly attired. My favorite is one that Nina did of herself and Lily with hearts over their heads.

2. John is a college friend (and my first boyfriend), so the wedding offered the opportunity to see old friends. Jason’s family came from San Francisco. BW came from the town where we all went to college. Joe, whom I don’t think I’ve seen since college, came from Connecticut’s northwest corner with his wife and a photo of his son. And Kim (hi Kim!) and Warren came from North Carolina with their two adorable kids, Katharine and Thomas. The last time most of us were together was four years ago at Kim’s wedding, and it’s been more than a decade since we lived under one roof, but it was wonderful how we were able to pick up as if we’d just been away for summer break. If one’s college is one’s alma mater (literally, “kind or dear mother”), then these are some of my siblings.

3. John’s Kim (not the same Kim from above) seems really sweet and complements his personality and quirks. This was my first opportunity to meet her and I’m so happy that she was everything I would want for John. May blessings rain gently down upon them for time immemorial.

Three beautiful things from the last week:

1. Whipped cream in the office fridge for my cocoa on a cold, rainy morning

2. The way lights reflect on wet pavement. It seems like the colorful reflections of store signs, stop lights, and car brake lights stretch out forever in a carnival-like atmosphere.

3. You can’t say the Cardinals and the Mets haven’t made it an interesting playoff series. Tonight’s game will decide it all — and you know which way I’m hoping it will go….

Three beautiful things from the last week:

1. My folks built their first fire of the season Saturday night. The flames crackled and flared and sent the delicious scent of burning wood wafting into the corners of the house.

2. The Mets swept the Dodgers in the first round of the playoffs. I feel good about how they played, but I also don’t think the Cards are going to roll over without a fight in the NLCS series that begins tonight.

3. Rudi and I normally drive up to Connecticut after work on a Friday night in order to maximize our time there. However, although we wanted this visit to be a surprise, it would not have been a nice surprise for my family if we’d arrived unannounced at 2 a.m. So we headed up Saturday morning instead. It’s amazing how a drive that you’ve made a hundred times can look utterly different when you make it at a different time of day. Who knew that the ride was so lovely?