We’re getting a lot of rain in the mid-Atlantic this week. We’ve been lucky, because although I did discover water seeping into the Burrow in the middle of last night, we caught it early and our solutions have held so far. That said, though, I wouldn’t mind if we had a little sun to help things along.

Here are three beautiful things from my mostly rainy week:

1. A young family of four passes us on the sidewalk. After they’re out of earshot, Rudi and I look at each other and burst out laughing. The toddler had been riding on the back of the stroller, rubbing his sibling’s head like a crystal ball. The baby looks delighted.

2. I decide the tub needs cleaning. After a shameful amount of work (and enough Soft Scrub to later strip the top layer of skin off my right hand), the tub gleams white.

3. Our walk leads us down to Georgetown, where we head to Leopold’s to see if they have any empty tables on their patio. The waitress finds us one next to the fountain, with the caveat that if it starts raining we can’t move inside. We eat savory morsels and drink cool beverages and then find ourselves delicious pastries befitting a holiday afternoon. It’s not until we’re paying the bill that the sky opens up. We walk home under our umbrellas, laughing at our good fortune.

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

It’s been a quiet week in the Burrow. But we’re heading into a holiday weekend and the ceremonial end of summer (which will continue on through most of September, so don’t fold up your beach chair just yet):

1. After a year of not doing yoga, I get to two classes on consecutive days. By Sunday, the muscles in my back ache, but in a good way. Secretly, I am relieved to discover I still have muscles in my back.

2. A man wheels his BMX-style bike past on the sidewalk. It looks like it has been touched by King Midas, as it is spray-painted gold, right down to the tires.

3. Practically up until the day we buy the tickets to go, we have never considered Iceland as a vacation destination. But there’s a deal and the allure of the Northern Lights, and suddenly we’ve booked a weeklong November holiday in Reykjavik.

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

It’s the final Thursday of August, I’ve experienced my first earthquake, and we’re gearing up for a hurricane, but those aren’t even all of the beautiful things from my past week. Here are three more:

1. A young couple stand behind a taxi putting his luggage in the trunk. All of a sudden she launches herself at him for a final, passionate embrace; he nearly falls over from the force of it.

2. I stop by the Little Farm Stand hoping for some ripe peaches, but I’ve arrived too late. She does have white peach butter, which, when spooned onto torn pieces of baguette, make a really excellent conclusion to our rainy picnic.

3. After storms this afternoon, the weather dries out, but it remains overcast in anticipation of Irene’s arrival this weekend. Just before sundown, though, the high clouds are obscured by magnificent, towering puffs of grey and white. Now, these are clouds!

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

Another week come and gone. But before we move on to the weekend, it’s time to look back at three beautiful things from the past week:

1. John and Nicole host a dinner party. The food (all vegan) is scrumptious, and Nicole sends us home with a hunk of chocolate maple cake.

2. After months of practically no rain, we get three storms in less than a week. The absence has made us grateful and glad, and we stick arms out car windows, splash through puddles from under our umbrellas, and fall asleep to its lullaby.

3. When we first arrive at the beach the ocean water feels cold. Tired of inching my way in, I dive under a wave and bob along with the surf. Later the water feels warmer than the air, and I dive back in just to feel warm again.

How about you? What have you found beautiful this week?

Three beautiful things from my week past:

1. Rudi’s camping plans get rained out, so he crashes with friends who happen to be renting a room above a yarn store. He brings me home two lovely purple skeins of Rambouillet wool.

2. As I meander my way down to Screen on the Green, I hear familiar strains emanating from near the metro station. It’s the local trombone shout band, which I haven’t heard since last summer.

3. After Jeremiah and Rudi go to bed, Corey likes to snuggle up on my lap while I sit in the rocking chair. I know he’s really relaxed because he puts his face in my palm and falls asleep.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. The sign reads, “The boss is on vacation. Sunflowers: $1” I come home with a medium-sized, yellow-centered sunflower to cheer up the kitchen.

2. A rain shower finally helps break the heat that has gripped D.C. It feels good to have water cascading down from the sky. I sit outside for a while and then open the window when I get home.

3. A crowd of teenagers board the metro train with me. One boy is wearing sparkly green shamrock deely-boppers.

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