Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. My friend Shawn surveys us to ask who’s interested in ice cream from the nearby parlor. I expect he’s going to get something for us to share, but instead he arrives back at the blanket bearing cones for each of us.

2. The house my brother rented for our family vacation has a view of the harbor.

3. Before we leave town, I freeze the strawberries I have in the fridge and end up with three quarts of berries for later in the year.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. After stupidly sunburning my arm during our drive home Monday, I biked to work the next morning in short sleeves. Almost immediately, my arm began to tingle. At lunch, I went out with a shawl.

2. Quarts of shelling peas left at the end of the market, and the farmer who cuts me a deal as a regular customer.

3. I saw my first fireflies of the season this week.

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

There beautiful things from this first week of June:

1. My local library hosts a lunchtime bookish Twitter chat every week, and, over time, you get to recognize the regulars. Anne and I shared a similar taste in novels and we got to chatting; then it turned out that Sarah knows both of us and thought we’d get along outside of books. So the three of us got together Wednesday for supper and had a lovely evening talking about books, politics, travel, and food. It’s nice to meet kindred spirits.

2. The brakes on my car have been tetchy for a while, but several long drives in the next few weeks planned, I figured it was time to take care of them. It was so exciting to discover how responsive they were this morning, even if it meant Rudi and I jostled in our seats a bit.

3. We convince some friends who were going to be in the area of campus, but not actually attend any reunion activities, to join us for the Saturday picnic.

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

Three beautiful things from the week before the unofficial start to the summer season:

1. After weeks of grey skies and rain in the D.C. area (19 of the first 23 days of the month featured rain), the sun emerged and we’ve now had three whole days in a row of blue skies.

2. The Mets not only win the game we attend at Nationals Park on Monday in a decisive victory, but also finish the series up 2-1 to pull back within two games of the league lead. The Nats’ ex-Met second-baseman, Daniel Murphy, saw his team-leading batting average go up during the series, as well, so it’s a win all around.

3. Poor sales, discounted tickets, and good luck led us to see the Peter Tork/Micky Dolenz Monkees show this evening. We sang along to old favorites, laughed at some antics, and enjoyed some new songs off the album (with Mike Nesmith) that drops tomorrow.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. The vendor from whom I buy my Street Sense, the local homeless newspaper, shares that one of the farmers at our market is going to employ him for the summer and that if it works out, it might turn into something more permanent. Earlier this year, he got an apartment, so I’m thinking 2016 is his year.

2. Rudi and I go out to dinner for his birthday, courtesy of a gift certificate from my brother and his partner. We eat extravagantly, but only have to pay for tax and tip.

3. Rebs calls at midnight (because, as old friends, she knows we are up) to wish Rudi a happy birthday, and then when he’s done, she and I get to chat.

Bonus: I’ve mentioned before, I think, that Corey sometimes likes to bring his toys to bed to keep himself occupied while we sleep. Usually they’re straws or twist ties, but this morning I awoke to find Rudi’s Teva, last seen just before bed on the other side of the apartment, lying next to me.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. The rose bush in our community garden is blooming. I liberate a bud and bring it home, where it’s been making my kitchen pretty.

2. Rudi bakes strawberry-rhubarb crisp for dessert.

3. My volleyball team won its final regular season game.

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