Since our tax materials arrived way back in January, we have done one massive “guests are coming!” cleaning and one mini “new furniture is coming!” Essentially this means that we frantically throw papers into plastic bags and shove them out of sight, or as out of sight as in plain sight can be.

I have finally managed to track down my W-2 and 1099 as well as both my federal and district tax forms.

If, however, you have any guesses as to where I might have hidden Rudi’s W-2 or his federal tax form, drop me a line.

Beautiful things happen every day, but I save them up and share three of them with you on Thursdays. Here are the ones from the last week:

1. Rudi gets up before me in the mornings and I don’t arise until he’s walking out the door for work. This morning, Posey joined Jeremiah and me in bed. Jer was in his normal morning spot in the crook of my knees and Posey came and leaned against my arms and chest.

2. Our office hosted an art exhibition opening yesterday and the new girl working on that project ordered chocolate-covered strawberries as one of the hors d’oeuvres.

3. Clare, the originator of Three Beautiful Things, is back home in Tunbridge Wells after a 9 1/2 week jaunt across Africa. I’ve enjoyed her infrequent postings from the road, but am even happier to have her back posting on a daily basis. When you visit her site, check out the sidebar, where she links to beautiful things from Africa, which she saved to share with us. (I’m working my way through February now.)

Anyone who has ever had a penpal or shared a post office box with someone or has participated in a gift exchange with a stranger will understand my feeling right now.

I arrived home tonight to a box sitting outside my door.

My breath caught. “Could it possibly be?” I thought.

Could it be that my Yarn Aboard box had arrived?

Alas, no.

The box was for Rudi. I’m sure it contains something very Beatley or very Mac-y. I’m certain he’ll be delighted when he walks in the door in ten minutes.

But for me the anticipation remains unabated. Will I never receive my drill or radio box?

How hard it is to be patient …

Update: Rudi just arrived home to explain that the box contained a present for me. How silly of me to be disappointed. What did it contain, you ask. A replacement inaugural season Nationals pennant Rudi won off eBay for me. Mine disappeared from my office one night (it had fallen to the ground once before; maybe someone thought I didn’t want it anymore?). What a great guy!

Sunday, it was hard to believe there was a better place on earth to be besides the Tidal Basin. Poetry comes in so many forms:

Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now
~ A.E. Housman

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy spring a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.

“Travel bans won’t stop bird flu”

Well, of course not. Birds can’t read signs to know they’ve crossed a border…

(We will ignore, for the moment, my feeling that this is the most overhyped science story of the year.)

I would like to note that after Opening Day (and a single game), I am currently beating my opponent 9-1 and am in second place in the league.

I think it’s important to note this now, because if history is any indicator (or my inclination to pick players I like as opposed to those who play well), this is the last time I’ll be able to say it.