after 8 hours of work + 2 hours of PD,

i walked to my favorite ice cream store and...

stared at the "we are closed early" sign

taped to the door.

so, i did the most sensible thing:

picked flowers from a neighbor & baked a cake at 10pm.

i was late this morning because of my taking

a thousand pictures of the amazing GLOWING sunrise

and all the frosting/garnishing that had to be done.

but it was okay, because i brought a cake to work.

we ate brunch, then lunch
(shortly afterwards).

**poached eggs w/ crab,scallions,hollandaise + lettuce

**beef pho w/ herbs

today, thea and i watched cuttlefish +

itty bitty puffer-fish hover around and went to a

crystal + gem fair where we ended up purchasing

more rocks than we both initially anticipated..

"pick the one that calls to you"

we overheard a middle-aged woman say,

so we did.

~russian tea cookies~*

i spent a very long time hand-chopping pecans,

but it was worth it!

today, i found this amazing ukrainian cookbook

on mega sale; i can't wait to make

fermented & stuffed things!

i successfully bargained for an even greater discount

because 2 corners are slightly dented 
(thanks to my selective-consumerism OCD issue...)

on my day off, i made

blueberry banana cinnamon buckwheat pancakes!

the world breathes inspiration

>>window designed by Frank Lloyd Wright<<

>Feather Cape of Queen Lili'uokalani<

today, i restored native plants (coastal sagewort)

and weeded some invasive species (ice plant)

i planted each one with meticulous care, then stood back

to admire the landscape of all our efforts

first time i've picked up a stringed instrument

since elementary school. i can now play a song that
is starting to melodically resemble skinny love.

alot of wonderful people have
touched/played my ukulele, so it
is now covered in positive energy.

i named it "Liliuo" after Queen Lili'uokalani,
the last queen of the sovereign Hawaiian monarchy.

HOW WE ARE HUNGRY

i got to meet dave eggers today!!

he is soft spoken and has a gentle humor,

just like his books.

thank you for all the lovely handmade cards
throughout the years. this one took a journey
of it's own, but alas,
it has reached it's destination :)

~*~*~*~

this week has been filled with ambulances,
fainting coworkers, and a few sad and sudden departures.

but also ukuleles, teamwork, flow,

and hilarious interactions with tiny humans. 

~ 
before she left, G left us with some kind words:
"you all do such inspiring work and the staff has a
real energy and wonderful collaborative culture"

 TGIS(Saturday).

 i have been alive for 1/4 of a century!

"it looks like i don't

know how to use utensils"

-marie

wherever we go, kala and I always find

a way to rendezvous:

mini trip home for the holidays

highlights:

1. bought an excessive amount of xmas decor/lights

2. gave dog a 3 hour bath/haircut

3. ate kumquats from the yard

it drizzled & poured all day, so after work,
i ate pastries at a cute bakery
and did some resume updating,
(and by "some", i mean i rephrased one
bullet line, called it a day, and then walked home)
~*~*~*~*~

"do something each day that scares you."

some of the best things that i have made happen,

is due to following through with this quote^

"be accessible, be easily reachable, be welcoming.

keep the door to your life open so new breezes

bringing new ideas and new people

can enter and enrich it."

holiday work par~tay
i feel happy and fortunate to have

very wonderful, down-to-earth coworkers.

i feed them blueberries;

they give me endives + doughnuts.

we find ways to enjoy rat-infested breakroom

lunches together and sometimes watch the

ocean sunset together while sipping wine.

"remember why you started."

~2015~

this year, i decided to pack
all my belongings (for the 3rd time),

and move to san francisco,

where i now wander around,
admire endless stunning views,

and weave at work.

 it has been exhilarating.terrifying.magical
and i can't wait to do more.

uku has arrived!
~*~*~*~*~*~

the city glows

my newest hobbies include:

indoor rock climbing,

playing the marimba for strangers and their children,

& attempting to learn to play the ukulele
(which was initially inspired by 
this cover i heard years ago,
and recently re-inspired by my
coworkers//living here in the city
surrounded by the bay) 

watched a pulitzer-prize winning play
at the Berkeley Rep, ate pizza at Zachary's,
engaged in a thoughtful conversation
about cultural appropriation.

twas a good day.

we live/work in a beautiful place

"After a rough crossing that left most of the passengers cold and terrified, Nujeen seemed calm and happy. Speaking fluent English, she described the journey: "I enjoyed it. I have never been on a boat before. It was very beautiful. I didn't know if I was going to live or die, but thanks to God we are here." 

 

~Syrian refugee Nujeen, 16

this song started playing during yoga flow,
and in the midst of it all,
somehow, i became inexplicably happy~

tis the season to wear orange wool sweaters &

scarves purchased w/ money gained from gambling in vegas!

meanwhile while buying a burrito:

Hannelore, a tiny soft-spoken German artist

(who may have been born in Prussia
when it still existed)

said I was "a natural teacher"

and that she "loved me"

and "learned so much by watching me"
during a weaving program using
natural & found materials.

allow yourself to brew and marinate

and

"it's okay for your dreams to change,

it doesn't mean you're giving up."

skypping with dog.

when i called his name,

he looked towards the door..

:')

one year ago, we were watching an athenian sunset

by the acropolis. happy birthday diana!

eating rice crackers, seaweed + strawberries

in creaky giant old wooden houses

#veganmidnightsnacks

~*~*~*~*~*~

i love when you try to make a meal out of

whatever you find in the fridge, and it

actually tastes good together.

my lunch=
garlic rainbow chard, baked beans,

1 chicken nugget and 1 latka.

ALAMERE FALLS. PT REYES

i climbed up/down a treacherous slope with jagged rocks

 and also got poison oak in my eye.

i walked into the break room and my jaw dropped

at the sight. our costco-sized bag of dried cranberries

had been viciously ripped, gnawed, and clawed open.

hundreds of crimson cranberries were scattered wildly

all over the table, chairs, and carpet.

i can only imagine the feast that took place

after work hours....

#rats

i found a rooftop garden where i can eat and read

and admire the towering buildings around.

p@lo @lto
the magical moment when you drive out of the

city fog and SUNSHINE permeates your world.

my new goal is to make things whenever i can.

starbucks, i don't need you anymore,

i made my own drink using this + organic milk + sugar

p e s c a d e r o
s t a t e    b e a c h

 i love spending my days off at misty beach
shorelines that go on for miles and miles.

 I took a daytrip down to santa cruz & played with
crab legs at a beautiful beach off highway 1.

then, i alternated between listening to
static and horribly redundant radio music
while cruising up the coast back to the city.

100% banana slug
an alumni amongst the redwoods

my secret star strikes again!

she (Camille) is wonderful,

talented and magically creative.

my room is now filled with little cardboard

houses, paper lilies, rainbow candles & a little

astronaut man gliding through the solar system

"i had a lot of fun at your storytime,

you're really good at this. thank you."

-what a mom said to me today after my

storytime program for ~35 people

^___________^
thank YOU.

i wasn't planning on it, but i ended up teaching a 5 year old all about Communism in the art studio.

he was really interested in pennies and fairness,

and started asking super relevant + hypothetical
questions, which really led me no choice but to educate
him in child-friendly metaphorical language.

today, i opened my locker at work &

these paper lilies burst and overflowed out.

i stood there, shocked.

it was one of the beautiful, surprising

and poetic things i've ever experienced,

like something out of a GG Marquez novel.

thank you my "secret star", whoever you are.

i will always make time to lounge in the sun.

gotta prioritize some things in life :)