Earthy Hues We Know and Love
La Jolla Cove
Whoever gifted me with the beauty of this past weekend, thank you. I might have crashed from social exhaustion and general fatigue and perhaps a two-day migraine, but the memories were still gorgeous, still fresh, and made for a wonderful birthday celebration.
From my dad's favorite place at the zoo.
My weekend started out like it always does: a nice nap to recover from the eye strain that developed over the course of the week. As I'm writing this, I am in Week 10 of my university's winter quarter, and am absolutely surprised (and unsurprised) that time passed so quickly. On Friday my lovely pal Anna picked me up and we prepared for marathoning Voltron: Legendary Defenders, since it was necessary that I needed to watch it with people who have already watched it several times [Anna & Cara, in this case].
That was the plan, at least. What actually ended up happening was that we saw a few episodes and played with Lucy, the apartment's residential cat. We did this while I sat on a couch that was not, in fact, resistant to Lucy's claw marks.
Lucy, Anna's cat. Bears a striking resemblance to our family cat, Train,
but Lucy is a natural-born model and isn't grumpy like our baby.
While at Anna's house over the course of Friday evening & Saturday alike, I enjoyed a nice myriad of teas thanks to Anna's tea collection. Previously, I knew Anna had a tea drawer in her old apartment, but in this apartment she had a tea cabinet. It was amazing, I wish I could have shown you.
So there I was, sitting on the kitchen floor to best see this cabinet, and I chose all sorts of teas. I had a tea with sage that was absolutely delightful. Courtesy of Anna's fondness for Muse Monthly, there was a white tea with earl grey, rose petals, and lavender (very soothing). On the tea list was also this nice jade citrus mint tea that I will continue to love for as long as I'm alive. I also had a gunpowder green tea in honor of my character, and that was the last one I had, and I wish I had drank more of it while I was over there.
We paused our Voltron marathoning and I wrote a bit while Anna & Cara went to sleep (good for them, given that they actually work for a living). On Saturday we resumed watching, paired with more tea, before meeting up with Anna's friends for brunch (really? lunch?) at Sipz, which I hadn't had before. I had the thai iced tea with the "teriyaki" chicken + brown rice, which was super delicious, and I wish I knew what meat substitute people used for vegetarian dishes, because that would be really nice to know. Maybe someday I'll go on my own adventure and figure that out.
After that we went to Michaels, where I got a bit too carried away in fulfilling my wishlist (not too carried away, but you have to admit it's pretty ridiculous walking up to the cashier counter with 50+ washi tapes).
A sweet life with no regrets. Maybe a few. Not with these ones, though.
Daiso was next on our list, where we proceeded to buy storage for the ton of washi Anna & I just bought. I joked about collections that were all too large, realizing that my washi collection was huge because I hadn't scrapbooked in a while and therefore lacked the space to properly address this concern. I also bought some lace as a reference to 2015's wishlist, where I wanted more lace but never got around to obtaining that. I still would dearly like to learn how to crochet lace.
On Sunday my family visited me and we went to the zoo! We've been going there since before we were babies so we weren't in any hurry, really, and that's what the nice part has been about the zoo--without having to be in a rush, we took time to enjoy each other's company rather than have a set list of where to go (although we do end up seeing the same things, in the same cycle).
When I was taking this picture of the purple-green leaves some people asked me what animal I happened to notice. I had to tell them that I liked taking pictures of the plants. Although I shouldn't be ashamed! There's such beautiful biodiversity at the San Diego Zoo, and it's something that so many people overlook when they're staring at the animals. The Safari Park also has plenty of gorgeous gardens that are worth looking at, so keep that in mind if you ever decide to visit!
I'm going to miss the Galapagos Tortoises, that's for sure. They are always so intriguing; they're slow, they're patient, and they live for years. The zoo recently turned 100 last year, and some of these tortoises have been there for about fifty years. Really, the oldest is a hundred plus years old. It's breathtaking to see these creatures in person.
The San Diego Zoo has such a rich history, especially since it's imbued with the history surrounding Balboa Park and its historic exposition. Sure, it's a classic tourist hotspot to visit Balboa Park and gaze at the Spanish architecture and look at the museums, but it's also just pleasant for local Californians to walk through.
It's familiar. It's home.
In the shadows & Full of Light
Fuchsia reminds me of my character Dalette.
It's been lovely to see that the fuchsia are in bloom. Spring is absolutely horrible regarding seasonal allergies, but I still enjoy every minute of it. This season is one of renewal, of hope, of never-ending promise, and I'm happy to see that it returns every year.
The Siblings! Pictured: Me, Jess/Westy Bird, Joys, & Hanna/Ham (Left to Right)
Not Pictured: The Parents
Photo courtesy of my mom, who took the photo.
A Family Outing; photo taken by Jess / Westy Bird
After the zoo we ended the day by heading to La Jolla Cove, where the maritime clouds blocked the sunset. It was fine, we still enjoyed watching the waves roll. Despite the weather it was still full of people, a stark contrast to the Baudelaire beach days Lemony Snicket writes about.
By incredible luck, Westy Bird managed to take a picture
showing a heart-shaped curl in my hair. Remarkable.
Photo taken by Jess / Westy Bird
Photo taken by Jess / Westy Bird
Still love interrupting photos on purpose. It's a great family hobby.
Keep living. You know I love you.
Yours Sincerely,
Dianne
