There are five days left until Christmas. This is not comforting. So, quickly, so I can get back to prepping and reading, here are three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I am done with work for 2012. My auto replies tell people I will get back to them in a whole different year.

2. I return three grocery bags (nearly 50 copies) of young adult books to the D.C. and Arlington County libraries. I am remarkably grateful to both library systems for helping me procure the vast majority of the Cybils titles nominated, but was even more grateful to clear them out of our house.

3. We watch The Hobbit on opening day and all five of us enjoy it. No, the 3D was unnecessary. Yes, it was longer than it needed to be. Did any of that matter? No.

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