Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Susan and I have been trying to schedule lunch for weeks, but illness, appointments, and vacations have hindered our plans. But finally this week, we managed to get together for a couple hours.

2. I am swimming when the weather changes. At first, the breeze ripples the surface, creating a textured surface for my breaststroke to cross. Then, a single drop hits that makes me wonder if it was a bug divebombing the water, before others start to join it. Finally, a soft summer rain picks up its pace, kerplinking a reverberating staccato tempo across the deep end of the pool.

3. Because of rainouts, the final afternoon of summer volleyball camp coincides with the first day of D.C.’s academic year, meaning only a trio of kids show up after school, but they are filled with enthusiasm. The first-grader who arrives early sprints onto the field, realizes we’re still on the sideline, and about-faces. He comes charging toward us, I assume ready for a high-five. And instead, he wraps his arms around my waist. Oh!

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I won tickets to see Andrew Bird at Wolf Trap, an amphitheater on National Park land not far outside D.C. My friends Chris and Julie were able to join Rudi and me, and we met up with Michael, Julia, and Sarah to picnic before the show. It was cool, clear weather, and the show was a solid one — a really lovely night.

2. Tonight, the local “Friends of” group showed The Princess Bride in the local park. It was as crowded as I’ve ever seen it for a film, and I find that I love the movie as much as I did 30 years ago when I first saw it (even if I can recognize its faults). Inconceivable?! I think not!

3. Rebecca, who’s the lead coach for our volleyball volunteer group, joined Saturday volleyball because Aroush and I raved about it so. She’d been away for much of the summer session, but was finally able to make it last weekend — and she had a good time!

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. My birthday twin and his older daughter are in the area visiting family. We catch up with them for lunch and have a great time catching up and hearing about Nina’s first real job.

2. The sun, made redder because of smoke from Canadian wildfires, sets behind the Lincoln Memorial as Katie and I pedal up to the bar after our volleyball game.

3. The weather has been so gorgeous this week. Highs in the 80s and lows dipping into the 60s some nights, with lower humidity than we’ve had in ages, make for pleasant walking, sitting, sleeping, and playing.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. After giving me a ride home the night before, my friend tests positive for COVID. Thus far, I’ve tested negative and feel fine.

2. We have twelve kids for our second week of volleyball coaching. This is the biggest group in a long while.

3. It starts raining just as a volleyball pal and I finish our post-game dinner on the patio, so while he heads inside to wait for his bus back to Maryland, I walk the mile or so home in the weather. I’m already damp from playing for hours in the heat and humidity, and the drizzle feels refreshing. It lets up about halfway home and then, just as I step under cover at home, the skies open up with the intensity only an August storm can offer. I watch for a minute, then head inside to dry off and take a nap.

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

Sigh. Somehow Thursday got away from me. And most of Friday…

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. Volleyball had a good run this week. Saturday, seven of us plus two spouses went out for Mexican food after volleyball all afternoon. It was the largest group we’ve mustered for a happy hour this year and it felt good to see a combination of new and old faces. The Saturday volleyball league is an interesting one with both highly skilled players and those who pursue the sport far more recreationally returning year after year, and we are protective of the “third space” we have built.

My team won back-to-back playoff games on Wednesday and followed it up with a lengthy dinner out. My friend Chris and I didn’t make it back to our neighborhoods until 11:30, which probably was more of a challenge for him, as he starts work at 7 a.m., than it was for my night owl self. I have promised the team homemade cookies for next week’s final day of the season, in addition to the freeze pops I bring on the really hot days.

And on Thursday, our coaching team won back-to-back games by forfeit, making it my easiest playoff run in years. (I have not promised them cookies for next week’s semis and finals, so please don’t tell them I play favorites.)

2. Because I’ve been negligent about weeding this year, the violet leaves have provided enough shade to keep my kale and salad greens flourishing long past when they normally would. I’m calling this a strategy, rather than laziness.

3. Eric is the last of us to turn 50 this year, and we managed to catch up for a chat earlier this week — our first in a year. It’s been a challenging 12 months in similar ways for both of us, and it felt good to talk through some of our coping strategies, as well as what we’re hoping for in the decade to come.

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

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I pick our first ripe tomatoes of the year.

2. I walk home from tonight’s game with my fellow volleyball coach and we get to chat about things other than our charges.

3. After a couple rain-outs and a dire forecast, it finally seems like our Wednesday game is about to happen. But between vacations, illness, a last-minute rainstorm, protests, and work, our numbers start dwindling. But four of us (the youngest of whom turns 40 next month) remain undaunted. And we pull off a victory over a solid team of six 20-somethings that will go down in team lore. (In part because I will keep recounting it. There have to be perks to being captain.)

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