Happy New Year! May 2021 bring a return of the things we miss the most.

Here are three beautiful things that I was lucky enough not miss this past week:

1. A most breathtaking sunset, full of oranges and purples.

2. Eating lunch in the park on a warm afternoon with a book, a thermos of tea, and an ever-diminishing pile of correspondence.

3. My brother texts to say he and his partner been diagnosed with COVID-19, but were already out of quarantine and on the mend.

How about you? What’s was beautiful in your world as you rounded out 2020?

Three beautiful things from my week past:

1. Our friend Sam and his brother, Alan, share their family kugel recipe with me. It was my favorite dish the years I spent Christmas Eve at their grandparents’ gathering.

2. Rudi’s post-travel COVID test came back negative.

3. Christmas cookies from the farmers market.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Karen and I got to catch up.

2. The beautiful weather over the weekend lent itself to Christmas shopping by bicycle.

3. Thai takeout after a stressful day.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Our weekend work event went really well. We got a lot of great data that will allow us to better help a lot of people in the future and benefited by being allowed to hear people’s stories. And I think the people who participated learned a lot and felt like they were able to help those who come after them, in addition to getting paid in a year when money is stretched thin for so many.

2. I had accepted that Saint Nicholas would not be visiting this year, but despite everything, he still managed to surprise me.

3. Despite it being a challenging period for self-care, I got up early over the weekend, treated myself to nice breakfasts, and got outside — one day for a bike ride and the other to read in the park — before my workdays began.

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

I’m not going to lie. These last couple weeks have been hard. But they were made easier than they could have been. Here are three beautiful things from my past week that helped:

1. A video chat with my very most important people from college.

2. The first Christmas cards of the season.

3. Tomato soup made only from tomatoes from my garden. (To be honest, it was a little more like sauce than soup. Do you think I can just thin it out with water when I reheat it?)

What’s been beautiful in your world lately?

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. A prolonged chunk of vacation.

2. FaceTiming with my folks during the parade.

3. An afternoon out with Sarah.

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

Also, if you’ve left me a comment about the Virtual Advent Tour, expect an email tomorrow.