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.

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I went for a pre-work bike ride today in an effort to actually see daylight in person. There was frost on the grass, but the sun was out and the air wasn’t unpleasantly cold (although it did remind me I should look for my other knit headband). Plus, I got to stop and pick up a bag of bagels on my way home.

2. In prepping for my weeklong staycation, I’ve requested a whole heap of holiday reads. Each morning, I get a nice ping about which ones are waiting for me. I’ll be running over to the local branch tomorrow evening to pick a pile of them up.

3. I ran into Rudi’s friend Matt at the concert last Saturday. It was nice to chat with someone I knew in person for a few minutes.

How about you? It’s been a rough month. What’s been beautiful in your world?

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I’m not saying that the Burrow is overflowing with tomatoes, but the fall tomato bounty has been very good to me. And I’ve been pretty lucky so far in that they’ve continued to ripen indoors. The trifle/mixing bowl I’m holding had been full a week ago, and I’ve been moving them into other containers as they start to show signs of developing color. The tomatoes on the tart below were the ones that I moved into the fridge as they started to soften.

2. The colors last weekend were particularly vivid, and I had to stop several times to take in the beauty of the turning trees. I’m glad the weather cooperated for us all to be able to enjoy them, since I’m guessing the rain will have pulled many of the leaves to the ground.

3. We’re going to have a new president. Everyone knows it; it’s just taking some of them longer than we care for to admit it.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. More people voted in this election than ever before. And even though it was not a clear repudiation of the appalling lack of leadership and compassion at the national level the way I’d hoped there’d be, there were bright, bright spots, with the possibility (::fingers crossed!::) of at least one more to come.

2. I’ve gotten outside for a short walk two sunny mornings this week.

3. Thai food takeout (panang curry and veggie spring rolls) for Election Night supper.

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