I took today off (only my fourth day off this summer) and spent it out in the gorgeous late summer sunshine. I did have to run some errands, but I also stopped and ate lunch on a sunshiny porch at a local watering hole and watered the garden during full-on daylight, which allowed me to see this fine fellow hanging out on one of our pepper plants:

(Taken, by the way, with the camera on my new smart phone…)

Here are three other beautiful things from my past week:

1. We had a big storm over the weekend, which resulted in the weakening of a large tree limb in front of our house. It fell Sunday morning, shearing two street signs off their pole and sending them crashing to the ground. Luckily, a second street sign caught part of the branch, which saved the hood of my car from being crumpled beneath it.

2. John, Nicole, Rudi, and I head into a record shop/vintage clothing store during Adams Morgan Day. They pick up music, and I come away with a neon blue petticoat/tutu thing.

3. Susan and Phillip are very kind and invite us over Saturday evening to meet their beautiful, week-old daughter, Caroline. The rain forces us inside for most of the time, but we head upstairs to the building’s roof to allow their toddler to run off some post-dinner, pre-bed energy. Holden and I investigate the downspout and play chase, while Rudi and the proud parents take in a rainbow and what may be one of the most gorgeous sunsets I’ve seen in a long while.

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

It’s Thursday night and I feel like a million years have passed since last Thursday. It seems unfair, especially since we had a long weekend in between, but some weeks are just like that. Long.

Three beautiful things from the past week:

1. I can’t help but peek into windows as I pass them. In one kitchen, I spy a suit of armor.

2. My friend Rebs posts pictures of her son’s first day of kindergarten. Joseph is adorable with his grin and his glasses and his special first-day outfit. If we ignore the fact that I’m not old enough to have friends with school-aged children (let’s not even acknowledge those children who are in middle school), the photos help to make us feel like we’re not so far away.

3. A mug of hot chocolate in the middle of the night. With a mountain of whipped cream, of course, and a dusting of red sparkle sugar.

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

It has been a week where I have posted a lot in my mind, but thoughts do not translate directly to pixels, so it hasn’t been particularly productive. However, it’s Thursday and I always post on Thursdays.

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. We spent Sunday at the beach. It didn’t rain a drop, the sun periodically crept out from behind the clouds, and the waves were huge. We played in the surf (the undertow was fierce, so we opted not to swim), we saw a pod of dolphins, and we laid on our blanket (which didn’t get soaked this time!) and read. Plus, we found a parking spot that allowed us to pay for the whole day at once, rather than having to run back to the car every two hours to avoid a ticket. All in all, one of the beautiful days of the summer.

2. Rudi, John, and Nicole all wanted seconds of the vegan peach-berry crisp I made on Friday. I wasn’t blown away by it, which made it particularly nice that it was so popular.

3. Georgetown has a large and lovely fountain at their waterfront park meant for children to play in. So, I did after our movie let out tonight.

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

It’s late (well, not by my standards, but likely by yours) and I’m knackered. A quick post, and then to bed!

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. A sudden Sunday-morning downpour proves electrifying to the senses.

2. The temperature has taken a turn for the comfortable, making it cool enough that Rudi turns off the a/c and opens the window. It stays that way for days.

3. The ballgame ends in the wee smalls, which places Rudi and me on the Mall at 1 a.m., biking home. We see a night heron by the Washington Monument, ducks in Constitution Garden, and water in the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial (they’ve just refilled it after a long construction project). And that’s without gaping at the Capitol, the Jefferson Memorial, the Wall, and the World War II Memorial. There are a few other people out at that hour, but mostly we are by ourselves, enjoying the scenery.

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

Much to my delight, I find Thursday has rolled around again. Hooray!

Here are three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I am an appallingly bad volleyball server, so when I finally, after a month, get a serve over the net and in the court, my entire team erupts in cheers. They’re then so excited they spike the ball out, just so I don’t have to try to replicate the accomplishment.

2. Everyone’s schedules finally work out, so seven of us gather for Friday night picnicking at the Yards. It’s a gorgeous evening, with surprisingly few people at the park, allowing us to grab tables between the river and the pool, where we stay until they kick us out after closing.

3. Rudi and I head up to Mitchell Park, where they’re screening Star Wars on an inflatable screen. The movie is a classic, and a hundred or so neighbors have brought their blankets, chairs, dinners, children, grandparents, dogs, and, in one case, pet bunny out to share in the fun. After the film ends, we decide to take ourselves out for ice cream cones, which we eat walking down to the Circle, where we discover a group of musicians jamming. The night is cool and comfortable and we sit on the edge of the fountain and talk. You can’t ask for nicer in mid-August.

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

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time to look back on three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I messed up and missed my flight. The customer service people at the Southwest ticket counter quickly and cheerfully came to my rescue and got me on the next flight.

2. A storm cleared out the humidity, resulting in lovely flying conditions. Little planes cross below us, towns and forests resemble the tilt-shift effect of the opening montage of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and puffy clouds offer the appearance of a sky glacier.

3. Julia and I meet for tea. It looks stormy to our north, but the weather clears without rain, offering a cool, dry evening to sit outside and chat.

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