Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I run into a friend as we’re on our way to volleyball. We walk the rest of the way together and he proposes planning to do that in the future, rather than allowing happenstance to run its course.

2. A Christmas card from my cousin doggy paddled its way across the ocean to arrive in our mailbox. (She mailed it before the holidays, but the U.K.’s postal strike has been slowing things down.)

3. An overseas friend replies to my November email asking for her mailing address without giving me her address but with an update about how life is going.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I started a new volunteer coaching gig this week and arrived early, when a couple of little kids were playing around with a basketball. The smallest one seemed to be in kindergarten or maybe pre-K, and as I was trying to stave off a tantrum, I put my hand out for him to take, and he slipped his hand into mine long enough to calm back down.

2. We had some apple cider that was going a bit scrumpy. I cooked it down and had steaming mugs ready for when Rudi arrived in from his night of coaching and the rainy drive home.

3. Today marked a year since Rudi’s mom died. After a year, the end is starting to fade, which makes remembering easier.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Three friends and I played pickup volleyball both Sunday and Monday down on the Mall, which felt like an amazing way to start the year.

2. I took my last overdue book back to the library, so until Saturday at least, I’m no longer delinquent!

3. The weather has been unseasonably warm in D.C. this week, so I’ve made a point of spending many of the evenings outside, sitting at cafes with my book or knitting. Winter temperatures return this weekend, so I’m glad I got a chance to do this.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. After 2020, I will never take Christmas with my family for granted again. We had a low-key celebration with a tasty feast, phone calls with family who live elsewhere, and gifts in front of the fireplace.

2. Because I wrote about Christmas piano parties during the Virtual Advent Tour, I was inspired to clear off the piano bench, pull out some sheet music, and butcher my way through sight-reading some holiday tunes. I have a keyboard that’s been sitting in my closet for years and I should see if I can find the power adaptor that will allow me to use it. It’s not the same, but music is a good thing.

3. I arrived home this afternoon after more than a week away to a beautiful day, a cat who thinks my return is the best thing ever (he’s lying on my arms as I type this), and tea and peanut butter toast after stopping at the library to pick up my assorted holds.

Three beautiful things from my last week:

1. As one of the top teams in the league, we have a bye week for the first week of this season’s playoffs. I complained to two of my friends that that seemed unfair. You’d rather, one asked, that we’d lost games so we could play sooner? Fair point, well made.

2. I signed up for a second night of volleyball thinking I’d be playing with strangers. But as it turns out, two of my teammates want to join me, so we have a little mini group.

3. As always the residents of northern New Jersey who live along the Garden State Parkway did a wonderful job lighting up their homes and neighborhoods for those of us traveling afar. Thank you for making our trip so enjoyable.

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Susan invites me to come to the book sale she’s helping to run for her daughter’s elementary school and pitch in for a while. It’s nice to be useful — and to have some of my Christmas shopping benefit others.

2. Anna invites me to come see her office before our volleyball game. She works for a nonprofit that helps get books into teachers’ hands and she’s decorated a wall of with spreads from unbound picture book proofs. Our friend Neal joins us and he draws on her white board for her.

3. I walk toward the Georgetown Safeway to get cat litter, but en route, stop at a playground to swing for a while and then at Book Hill to watch the tail end of the sunset.

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