I head to Connecticut tomorrow for a long weekend with my family. I expect it to be full of beautiful things — loved ones, a hammock, great weather, books, knitting, PBS — and hope to come back feeling refreshed and ready for the fall. Before we move forward, however, we need to look back and find three beautiful things from the past week, which I record here with Jeremiah draped over my shoulders:

1. Not feeling well on Friday night, I canceled plans with Julia on Friday night and came home and slept. By Saturday morning I felt a lot better. And Julia was able to join us for a post-beach dinner that night instead.

2. Prior to Sunday, the extent of my exposure to Great Big Sea was streaming an album of theirs earlier this year. But people have always said that based on the bands I like that I’d appreciate them and Sarah‘s a big fan. They were all correct, and I spent Monday morning playing videos of songs they had performed under clear, moonlit skies and before an enthusiastic Wolf Trap crowd. I predict a few new cds in my near future. (If you aren’t familiar with Great Big Sea, but like Barenaked Ladies, Eddie from Ohio, or Moxy Früvous, you might consider some, too.)

3. Finally, we’ve had an absolutely fantastic week of summer weather. (I can’t say how weird it feels to write that in August!) The highs have been in the 70s and 80s. The lows have been in the 60s. Some days were cloudy. Others were clear and blue and sunny. But either way, it doesn’t matter; it’s just been glorious.

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

Did you realize there’s only one more Thursday in August after today? No, neither did I. Alas, it would seem that if you want to spend the rest of your summer soaking up the rays and eating barbecue, you’d better get out there this weekend…

Here are three things from my past week that struck me as beautiful:

1. Way back in the spring, Sarah and I went to a yarn festival, where we also bought some soap. Mine has been sitting on my bookshelf waiting for us to need a soap refill — a moment that finally arrived over the weekend. The scent I chose, Fluffy Pajamas, is mild and comforting and makes me extra excited to perform my daily ablutions.

2. Erin McKeown was this evening’s Millennium Stage performer. Since I would gladly pay money to see her (and have), I was delighted that I could get out of work and over to the Kennedy Center in time to catch her set. I’m even more excited to hear that she’ll be performing locally again in October. (Also, you can watch Erin, too, if you’d like in the archived version of her performance.)

3. As I was trying to get some unruly plants to stay in my garden plot rather than straying into the common paths, I looked down and found that one of my plants had grown this:

One of my plants has a baby peanut! I covered it up to keep it nice and toasty until harvest time in the fall.

ETA: I forgot one! I worked from home on Monday waiting for a perishable package that had been mis-routed to Little Rock and delayed. While portions of the experience were frustrating, I was highly impressed when the mail carrier telephoned me to say that she’d seen all the notes I’d left saying I was home but that I clearly wasn’t hearing her knocking on our outside door and could I please come sign for the box. Institutions may sometimes fail, but people come through in the end.

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

Thursday again! Is it possible they’re coming faster than they used to? Regardless, here are three beautiful things that happened since the last one rolled around:

1. The sound of an entire room reverberating on “om” at the end of a yoga class is magical.

2. Arcade Fire, an 8-member band from Canada, fills up the stage with multiple instruments and people running from one to the next, but it’s honestly one of the most joy-filled stage shows I’ve seen. They whip the crowd up to a frenzy and leave everyone in a happy mood to head home.

3. Rudi and I head to the Circle to enjoy the end of the weekend. I feast on blackberry and coconut gelato, while Rudi opts for yellow peach and watermelon sorbet. As the sun slips down in the sky, we move homeward and are treated to a clear sky filled with a gorgeous sunset of pinks and salmons and oranges.

What’s been beautiful in your world this week?

Hey, it’s Thursday again! How’d that happen? I suppose I’ve been busy with construction projects and celebrating the downfall of Prop 8 and the confirmation of Elena Kagan… Anyway, here are three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I work late and then catch the bus home. I get off two stops early so I can walk through Dupont Circle, which is replete with summer night life. A guitarist perches on a stool. Kids play with hula hoops. People are walking and talking and just generally enjoying all that a muggy August night can be.

2. The bed frame takes two late nights of sweating, bickering, and fidgeting with tools and geometry to come together. But the first night’s sleep on it suggests it will be a vast improvement over both our old futon and the mattress plunked on top of the futon, which has been our MO for the last two weeks.

3. Much like last Thursday, a wave of thunderstorms roll through this afternoon and evening. Thunder and lightning are followed by torrents of rain and blustery winds to rival a summer nor’easter back home. But the front shift brings in temperatures that are easily twenty degrees cooler, making the entire city sigh in relief.

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

I’m home! You’ll probably get three more beautiful things from my vacation tomorrow, but, in meantime, I offer you three beautiful things from today:

1. The first crack of thunder from the lunchtime storm is so loud it echoes through the building. It gives a few minutes’ warning of the impending downpour.

2. Getting caught in the rain when I have nowhere to be tends to make me giddy with delight. A few other foot travelers and I smile conspiratorially as we pass each other. The rain is warm. My front ends up drenched — so sopping wet, in fact, you can see the dollar in my skirt pocket — and my hiking shoes squilch with every step — possibly aided by some puddles that proved too irresistible.

3. The rain has stopped and the sun is reappearing. As I get to Mass Ave., I finally get clear of the trees and low buildings to catch the tail arc of the rainbow that heralds a cooler, drier few days.

ETA: I didn’t even realize yesterday that it was Rain Day. How appropriate!

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

Three beautiful things from the week before vacation:

1. As we were driving up to Rudi’s race on Sunday, yellow butterflies were out in force. It seemed that last week was the time to come out of hibernation.

2. I’m savoring the library’s 100th-anniversary copy of The Wizard of Oz. It has gilt edges and the original illustrations and a book ribbon to mark your place. It makes bedtime seem very special.

3. We’re outta here in the next hour. Vacation rocks!

What’s been beautiful in your world this week?