I know Valentine’s Day was last week, but I’m in a distinctly PINK mood today, so I’m celebrating a color I used to detest, and now can’t get enough of, with this week’s late-ish entry for Thursday 13:

1. Beet juice, when it stains the sink and cutting board, seeping into the cracks in the ancient enamel.
2. Gerbera daisies, especially when they’re in salvaged glass bottle-turned-vase.
3. Raspberries, the perfect sweet-tart explosion on your tongue.
4. The blush of a new romance, just as it begins to take form.
5. The tender kisses you still share almost twenty years later.
6. The sky when the sun is at just the right angle against the clouds, at dusk or dawn.
7. Cherry blossoms against a chilly gray sky on a damp day.
8. Roses cut from the back yard bush – watch out for thorns!
9. A fresh coat of OPI “Dutch Tulips” nail polish.
10. A strawberry and vanilla breakfast smoothie made with unsweetened almond milk.
11. Grocery store carnations that your husband brings home because he knows you love to fill the house with flowers.
12. The soft, warm belly of a wriggling dog asking for attention and affection.
13. The hint of color that makes watermelon tourmaline your favorite semi-precious stone.