Three beautiful things from the past week:

1. Dinner with John and Nicole for the first time in a couple months.

2. An app I’ve been laboring over for a year at work is named by Apple new and noteworthy in its category.

3. Writing greetings means I get to break out my sticker collection, including, for the first time in 30 years, new scratch-and-sniff ones.

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

Three beautiful things from the past week:

1. Because of the heat wave, the city generously has kept the pool open an extra few days after the scheduled close of the season. I make it for one final swim and find myself floating on my back in the gloaming, staring up at the first star of the night.

2. The National Book Festival was Saturday and I got to spend nine hours listening to authors read their books and share stories and generally feel all bookish. It’s one of my favorite celebrations of the year.

3. I arrived home with the final section of a book to read and picked it back up as Rudi was heating me up some dinner. When he came over to hand me my bowl, he found me weeping with a handful of pages left in the book on my lap. He put the bowl down and wordlessly left me alone to finish the sad, sad ending to the novel.

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

Three beautiful things from the past week:

1. In the 10 days I’ve been away, sunset has slipped to before 8 p.m. without my realizing it, which means I arrive at the garden later than I should have. Our plot neighbors are out in the field, playing with their toddler and dog, and it’s clear to me as I quickly fling water on plants, that they are lingering so I’m not out there alone. I’m grateful.

2. There is no corn at the Tuesday lunchtime market, but one farmer does have bouquets of flowers. I buy a bunch to cheer up my desk:

3. The nail salon in the center of my parents’ town gives me what may have been my most relaxing pedicure ever. He has his doubts about the color I’ve chosen, but I assure him that as long as it’s bright, it’ll make me happy. It is exactly the color I’m hoping for, and later in the week, I paint my nails equally loud hues:

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

I’m writing from Connecticut, where I’m spending a busy week at my parents’ house, working remotely and hanging out with my grandmother and the family pets while my folks are visiting my brother on the other side of the country.

Here are three beautiful things from my time here this week:

1. My folks have a hummingbird feeder and at least two species (one green and one black) who zoom around the house on a daily basis, drinking deeply from my mother’s flowers. It’s impressive how chatty they are and how curious.

2. What I thought were several ticks on the dog’s leg turn out to be small, round burrs. I’ve never been so glad to be wrong.

3. Coming north means that blueberries are still in season here. Gramma and I have been enjoying them as a daily afternoon snack.

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

Three beautiful things from the past week:

1. Delivering a present I hoped would be loved and having it be oohed and aahed over by the assembled company.

2. A long weekend out of town with Rudi where everything from the (unbooked) bus to the hotel to the weather to the planned and unplanned activities works out well.

3. Tucked amidst the popsicle sellers and beer vendors on the High Line was a Russian-born artist selling vibrant giclée prints of architectural and nature scenes. We come home with a large print in vivid oranges, blues, and purples of a 7th Ave. building during a nighttime snowstorm.

Bonus: After three days away, being met at the door by three cats who are over the moon to have us home.

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

Three beautiful things from the past week:

1. Jason and his family make an unannounced trip to D.C. It’s been several years since I’ve seen Jason — and at least half their lifetimes since I’ve seen his daughters.

2. I’ve often found that with dear friends, the best parts of the conversations happen just before driving off. Amani and I trade book recommendations on the sidewalk as Marcus waits bemusedly.

3. Coworker Sarah makes a peach cake and brings it in to share. A slice is waiting for me on my desk when I walk in.

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