Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. My friend’s dog, whom I was watching, leads me to a marked forest trail, which I’m pretty sure ends in a clearing not far away. The sky is blue, the woods are filled with the green and yellow of early spring, and the other passersby strolling the path during their lunch hour are filled with bonhomie.

2. I’m not going to lie. I watched the first half hour Unleashed, a movie starring Kate Micucci, about a woman whose pet dog and cat are turned into human men who vie for her attention, then concluded this decision meant I’d watched way too much tv and turned it off. But it was on again when I turned on the tv the next day, and it’s actually a pretty cute, if cheesy, film, with the two human actors doing a great job of portraying animal behaviors. Justin Chatwin, in particular, made a very believable cat-cum-model/actor-cum-life coach.

3. It takes my friend Chris and me about half an hour each way to leisurely walk between home and volleyball twice a week. Our conversations range broadly, from his upcoming wedding to favorite concerts to the sport we love best.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I know much of the country is under snow and ice and a cold snap, but we hit nearly 80 today. The daffs and croci are in full bloom, the early cherries and magnolia have popped, and I saw hyacinth today in at least one south-facing yard.

2. I shut down three patios today in my quest to spend as much time outside as possible. The last one, my local yuppie grocery store & bar, has the decided advantage that when you’re on their patio as they’re closing up, they’ll offer you complimentary loaves of bread if they have any left they need to get rid of. Plus, they have picnic tables, so if you aren’t quite ready to head home when they depart, you can stay and read a little longer.

3. I’ve decided not to take part in Sock Madness this year after all. The qualification round pattern is gorgeous, and I’ll definitely knit it at some point, although maybe as mittens instead of socks. Much of it seemed fiddly and my brain said that it didn’t want to make fiddly right now. So I’ve pulled out my in-progress brioche shawl and will also start some green stripey socks to knit on when I’m watching anime and reading subtitles. I’m feeling a lot lighter since making that decision.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I made homemade Valentine’s cards for the volleyball team, with puns and freestyle drawings on the front and personal notes on the back about what I love about playing with them on the back:

Overall, they were a hit, and I was surprisingly pleased with how well they turned out.

2. In the week between visits to Palisades, an entire hollow of snowdrops appeared as if fairies conjured them in the warm February overnight.

3. Tuesday was my birthday, and Rudi, my family, and my friends made sure it was a fun one. I got lots of greetings, including from some friends who never send messages. My mom sent an abundance of lovely presents and a delicious homemade strawberry mousse cake south with Rudi. And Rudi and I spent a couple hours bowling, visited a yarn shop and a library, stopped at several coffee shops to cash in birthday freebies and to soak up the unseasonable warm sunshine, and pizza at my favorite restaurant for supper. It was a good final birthday of my first half-century and marked a positive way to start my fiftieth trip around the sun.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I spent a solid half hour playing soccer (poorly) with elementary school kids as part of my volunteer gig. Afterwards, I still felt lively enough to go for a stroll.

2. A friend and I do the 20-minute walk to and from our volleyball games together twice a week.

3. My favorite Cuban restaurant has opened an outpost in Dupont Circle. I picked up yuca fries and garlic aioli to supplement supper the other night.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Dogsitting means I’m up earlier than usual, so I’ve gotten to see the sun on several days when it would normally have already been hidden behind the clouds by the time I’ve risen.

2. My friend Chris and his fiancee, Julie, were playing volleyball on Saturday on the Mall, so I joined them for a couple hours, even though the ground was muddy and the grass a bit slick. Since it rained Sunday and both of my indoor games were cancelled this week, I’m really glad I made it down there.

3. Neal doesn’t drink a lot of hot beverages, which means his mug collection is small in both quantity and stature. The first couple days here, the water barely had time to cool before I was turning it on again for my next cup. Then I remembered I’d gotten a travel mug in my stocking and it holds almost three times as much liquid as his cups. Plus, it keeps my tea hot on days when I get distracted.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Two friends and I have decided to establish a weekly game night.

2. Sarah and I have lunch and then meander through the sunshine to eat ice cream outside.

3. I add more cayenne to my chocolate chip cookies than I really mean to, and am surprised that it is still noticeable after baking. I fear the slight warming that comes from eating one makes them even more addictive.

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