Happy 2026! Here are three beautiful things from the last week of 2025:

1. Sarah, Rudi, and I agreed that the movie we picked for New Year’s Eve, Marty Supreme, hadn’t worked for any of us. (I left at about the halfway point when I realized I’d rather be listening to my audiobook in the theater lobby than continue watching.) While it’d be easy to see that as a downer, I like to think that means that the New Year starts on an up swing. (And any year that begins with friends is a positive one, let’s be clear.)

2. The cats were delighted to have me back after a week in Connecticut. It’s the longest I’ve left them before, and Jordan’s final catsitting report suggested that they were starting to feel my absence. They both curled up with me and were happy that I chose to stick close to home most of the next day.

3. My Christmas cookie list contains a baker’s dozen types. I got two made while up in Connecticut, which is a good start.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Rudi, my parents, and I had a very nice Christmas. Presents were given, food was consumed, long distance greetings were exchanged, wrapping paper shootout was held (Rudi won, but he was the closest to the bags), and music was sung along with. We wound down watching a movie in front of the fire.

2. John reached out on Saturday to suggest dinner out with Rudi and Jasen, and our pal Ellie ended up joining, as well. It was really nice to gather together one last Saturday before the end of the year.

3. Jordan, Jasen, and I watched the NCAA Division 1 volleyball finals together on Sunday. Texas A & M put together a Cinderella story clinic, beating a number 2 and three number 1 seeds (including undefeated Nebraska!) on their way to their first championship in program history. Their blockers were on point after they got past their jitters in the first set. And it was great to watch with friends who love volleyball as much as I do.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. At Thanksgiving, Rudi and I gave some thought to what Christmassy things we might want to do this year, given that one of our traditions was no longer appealing (an event at the Kennedy Center). I scrolled through recommendations and came upon the Baltimore German Christmas Market, which seemed just up Rudi’s and my alley. Yesterday our schedules and the weather finally cooperated and we were able to spend the afternoon and evening in Baltimore getting some Christmas shopping done and eating tasty treats and soaking in festive Inner Harbor ambiance.

2. I needed to do some shopping on the other side of town and asked Sarah if she might be free for a drink. She was — and also came along on the rest of my shopping expedition, which made it a thousand times better than it would have been otherwise.

3. I proposed to our volleyball team that we have a first ever holiday party this year and several folks asked for a gift exchange to accompany it. I found several great gifts, which were stolen several times in our white elephant swap, and came home with a very artistic ocarina, which I could immediately identify because of Karen.

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

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic from That Artsy Reader Girl is the perennial favorite top ten planned reads for the upcoming season. As is my wont, I went back to see how I did for the fall, and imagine my surprise to find that I’ve read six and might finish a seventh before autumn officially ends on Sunday!

Now, on to my top ten for this winter:

1. Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree
2. T.J. Klune’s Somewhere Beyond the Sea
3. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
4. Rainbow Rowell’s Slow Dance
5. Jasper Fforde’s Red Side Story
6. Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore by Char Adams
7. Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent
8. The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao
9. Candace, the Universe, and Everything by Sherri L. Smith
10. Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah

Half of these are by beloved writers, and the other half come out early this winter. What do you like to read during the winter months? Re-reads of familiar favorites? Chunksters? Specific genres?

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. A gorgeous sunset during my walk home from volunteering

2. Monday was lots of team time. Kris, who doesn’t play with us anymore since getting concussion syndrome, and I met up for lunch and to catch up. Then we had playoffs that night, with a big gap between games, so five of us went out for supper together. Four of us ended up staying after we lost to get in a little more playing time.

3. Sunday was our tree-trimming party, and Rudi and I put on the final ornaments Wednesday night. This is the first year that our tree includes most of Rudi’s ornaments from Salt Lake.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Coming home to Coal and Ember after a bunch of days away

2. Settling on what I think will be a fun white elephant swap present for the team party

3. Brunch with Sarah

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