#60 Beignet’s Yard
01 March 2019 // La Mesa, California
Beignet’s getting pretty spoiled with the yard we’ve got in our temporary rental. To be fair, it’s a pretty great yard.
#61 Villainous Nephews
02 March 2019 // Bakersfield, California
We were put in charge of the nephews for the afternoon, so we turned them into Disney villains.
#62 The Pink Church
03 March 2019 // Bakersfield, California
Easily the pinkest church I have ever been to.
#63 Beignet’s New Digs
04 March 2019 // La Mesa, California
Here’s a little peek at our new digs and me lecturing Beignet on not getting too spoiled by the front yard.
We’re now in this little three part unit and I’m actually loving it. It feels like a little vacation site.
#lifeofbeignet
#64 Die Empty
05 March 2019 // La Mesa, California
“Die empty. You can’t take your ideas with you.”
– Todd Henry
This book puts into words some things I try to live by. I don’t want to end this life having left important words unsaid, encouraging things unwritten, creative works unmade, relationships unpursued, curiosities unexplored, or adventures unlived.
#65 Ash Wednesday
06 March 2019 // La Mesa, California
Taking a moment to memento mori during a week so full of changes and surprises is a little bit jarring, but perhaps all the more necessary. Thankful for Lent.
#66 Idaho + The Lucky Ones
07 March 2019 // La Mesa, California
Grabbed these two as the library was closing since I didn’t want to leave empty-handed. Both turned out to be solid choices.
#67 Michael & Jaime Visit
08 March 2019 // San Diego, California
So fun hanging out with these two at the bakery.
#68 Beignet Turns 4
09 March 2019 // La Mesa, California
Happy birthday to our Beignet. How are you already approximately four??
From grinning literally ear to ear for the weirdest of reasons, to being the best four legged road tripper, I’m so glad we get to have you as our doggy/doughnut. Fur real.
#lifeofbeignet
#69 CITRUS WALKWAY
10 March 2019 // La Mesa, California
Livin’ La Mesa loca.
#70 PAVARGA
11 March 2019 // Bonita, California
While driving Deanna to an errand, I tried looking for a simple coffee shop to get some work done. I ended up finding this spot in Bonita of all places that’s ran by a James Beard winning chef who worked for the White House kitchen of Clinton, Bush, and Obama.
I asked for their most basic coffee and got a cold brew that cost $6, but man was that cup really good. And it was sweetened with hapia which is my new favorite sweetener the few times I can manage to find it.
#71 life at the citrus house
12 March 2019 // La Mesa, California
In the end, we’ll remember this place as a spot where we didn’t live very long, but man did we have some big memories here.
#72 two years at plant with purpose
13 March 2019 // San Diego, California
Well, well. This week marks two years since I joined the Plant With Purpose team and started partnering with the coolest people like Dieula.
In some ways it feels like I’ve been around much longer, with how much of a connection I’ve built to our work. In other ways it feels like I’m just getting started. I do think I’m just getting started.
I could list endless things I’ve learned over those two years but here are three quick ones that resonate a lot right now:
🌿 Remember that the world is almost entirely made up of people just wanting the best for their families and neighbors. For every act of horror in the world there are a thousand unreported acts of good.
🌿 Urgency and patience. Patience and urgency. They seem like opposites but the real difference makers know how to act with both.
🌿 Everybody can bring something to the table. Different skill sets and work styles are a strength. Build a diverse team. Don’t hold back your perspective and respect the takes of others. Captain Planet ain’t gonna show up if your powers don’t combine.
#73 heart
14 March 2019 // San Diego, California
Today was an all time great. I’ll explain why later. And I’ll also have to replace the pic above!
#74 viva la mesa
15 March 2019 // La Mesa, California
La Mesa’s been an interesting spot to live, at least for the short little time we’ve been here. I do have a few favorites in the neighborhood, in case you were wondering:
Farmer’s Table is one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego, period. It isn’t cheap, but you get what you pay for since they source the best ingredients. I ordered a grilled octopus dish there last week that made me crave octopus for like a week straight afterwards.
Fourpenny House is the coolest little Scottish Alehouse in town. You’re lucky if your city has a single Scottish joint, and that makes La Mesa one of the lucky ones. Their lamb stew and fish & chips are fantastic, and I’m a huge fan of the Scottish ale they brew in house.
Maxwell’s House of Books is always a good spot to go on a treasure hunt for your next read. There’s something so fun about a used bookstore.
I associate Bo + Beau with Ocean Beach and City Tacos with North Park. But they are two of my favorite San Diego restaurants and they both have locations out in La Mesa. So that’s good news!
Also, all these things are like a five minute walk from each other. So even more bonus points for that.
#75 beach day for beignet
16 March 2019 // Coronado, California
Beignet spent a week depressed and slow after we moved, which is so not like her that it got scary.
But the sun was in full force this weekend and we took her to the beach. We can all safely confirm that she is back in puppy mode!
#76 catapult books
17 March 2019 // San Diego, California
While I still think San Diego really needs to step up its bookstore game, Catapult is one of the bright spots. Love coming in here to have a good look around.
#77 office globe
18 March 2019 // San Diego, California
Low key afternoons in the office make me happy.
#78 how neighborhoods make us sick
19 March 2019 // La Mesa, California
The life expectancy for poorer neighborhoods in Philadelphia is twenty years shorter than it is in the city’s more affluent areas. There’s a similar trend in Atlanta, St. Louis, Chicago, and just about every major American city.
I’ve seen the strong correlation between GDP and life expectancy when looking at a chart of different countries. It shouldn’t be a big surprise when the same trend holds true for urban US neighborhoods.
Good hospitals, doctors, and insurance are important, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Access to good food, safe housing, reliable transportation, employment, and other factors all contribute to a community’s health.
I really appreciated this read. Such an important and really insightful way to connect the dots between poverty and health.
#79 severance
20 March 2019 // La Mesa, California
This book, unfortunately, had a little bit of an unsatisfying ending. The concept was still pretty interesting, though.
#80 liberty club
21 March 2019 // San Diego, California
These days seem packed lately, but they’re also full of light.
#81 drive to the bay
22 March 2019 // Los Banos, California
On our way to the bay.
On our way to a boat on the bay.
#82 thirty, flying, & crying
23 March 2019 // San Francisco, California
We made it everybody! Thirty, flirting, and dying.
Good birthday @dannyyumyum, may the worst case scenarios you’re always ready for never come true.
#83 caytlin at philz
24 March 2019 // San Francisco, California
We need more weekends like these.
#84 soggy donut
25 March 2019 // San Diego, California
Look who got a blueberry facial today.
#85 sea prayer
26 March 2019 // La Mesa, California
Khaled Hosseni’s not-just-for-children’s book is amazing, heartbreaking and tender.
#86 interview with geoff hsu
27 March 2019 // San Diego, California
When I met Geoff Hsu at Cultivate Gathering, I knew I had to get him to appear on a podcast episode. His ability to talk about the Theology of Work always leads to some amazing discussions.
#87 the female persuasion + the sympathizer
28 March 2019 // La Mesa, California
The Female Persuasion - I liked this read much more than I anticipated. The characters were easy to root for. (4/5)
The Sympathizer - I really wanted to like this more than I actually did. Reminds me of The Orphan Masters Son in that regard. (2/5)
#88 interview with abdul
29 March 2019 // San Diego, California
1) Make a friend from Mozambique
2) Learn a lot about the country, its beauty, the islands, and how its recovering after the cyclone over Chipotle.
3) Record a podcast together.
I don’t know what step four is, but hopefully its a visit to Mozambique.
#89 MARLBOROUGH MOVE-IN
30 March 2019 // San Diego, California
Wow. The past few months have been eventful, unpredictable, and so full of change. Today we moved into the condo we bought- our first.
#90 YELLOW SHIRTS
31 March 2019 // San Diego, California
We swear our church isn’t a cult with yellow uniforms.