Coffee Break

 
While sliding a baking sheet into the oven recently and setting a timer, a thought popped into my head.

“When was the last time I shared a life update on my blog?”

I mulled over it as I watched the treats transform through the glass window, counting down the minutes as my mind multi-tasked and scrolled back through my memory bank, considered all of the events from the past months, and eventually came up with the answer: far too long!

Especially given everything that has happened this fall.

So let’s fix that! Pour yourself a steaming mug of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate (my drink of choice is this!) — or maybe sparkling water or a refreshing smoothie if temperatures are tantalizingly warm where you are — and pretend like we’re sitting across the table from each other at your favorite local coffee shop, trading stories and catching up on what’s been happening in our lives lately.

If we were, these are the bits of news I’d be bursting to tell you, starting with…
 

 

COLORADO

My cousin’s wedding! I flew to Colorado for the big event, and shortly after landing, I changed into a dress (for the first time in almost a year — the perks of working and baking from home!) and hopped into my parents’ rental car for the welcome dinner at a cute Italian restaurant.

The next afternoon, after an emergency safety pin alteration session with my mom in my hotel room, I slipped into another dress — navy and floor length this time — plus silver heels, climbed into the back of their car again, and admired the scenery whizzing past my window as we wound our way into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. We eventually pulled into a gravel parking lot situated right next to a set of wood and stone buildings, a lush green lawn, and a gently flowing stream. Such a gorgeous location for a wedding!
 

 
The ceremony was held directly beside the river, quietly tucked away from nearly all traces of civilization, and everyone gently smiled as people from the wedding party began walking down the aisle towards the aspen arch covered in blooms of bright white, dusty pink, and deep orange… But then switched to giant grins as the couple’s three dogs eagerly sped down the same path, clipped into leashes and harnesses dotted with matching flowers.

Laughter, happy tears, “I do’s,” and a few stray raindrops later, we briefly gathered on the grass and patio for hors d’oeuvres and drinks before finding our place cards at the bouquet-adorned tables underneath the awning-covered reception deck. The newlyweds offered dishes that catered to everyone’s tastes and needs — everything from glazed ham and chicken parmesan to cheesy pasta and creamy mashed potatoes, plus seasoned sautéed vegetables, freshly tossed salads, and mixed fruit — and they even included a donut bar along with their classy three-tiered wedding cake. (Shh, don’t tell… I went back for a second slice of cake. The chocolate hazelnut filling inside was much too irresistible!)

Combined with the speeches and toasts, the first dances, chatting with familiar faces and brand new friends, and a very fun photo booth… It was certainly a night to remember.
 

 
But it didn’t end there! My aunt and uncle hosted a low-key dinner at their house the following night, complete with stacks of local pizzas, large salads, the most massive submarine sandwiches I’ve ever seen, and another relative’s famous chocolate cream pie (my cousin’s favorite!). We spent more time sitting outside, trading stories, and catching up underneath their covered patio while another storm blew through and more raindrops fell. (No dress this time — back to my favorite uniform of cozy leggings and a comfortable top!)
 

 
Then my parents and I drove to eastern Colorado on our final day for lunch with more extended family. They picked an adorable local spot with nearly every inch of the walls covered in movie posters spanning the last seven or eight decades and an old-fashioned film projector in one corner. A few hours later, bellies full and cheeks stretched from smiles, we piled back into the rental car and drove to the Denver airport for our return flights.
 

 
What a whirlwind! Yet my fall travel didn’t end there…
 

 

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Far too many months had passed since my last visit, and I eagerly looked forward to spending time at my parents’ house as I followed the California freeways up north. I started a mental checklist of what I wanted to do as the miles flew by outside of my window, but the cutest moment of the entire trip may have occurred on my very first night.

When my mom headed into her bedroom, their younger golden retriever completely ignored her. He insists on spending the night beside their bed every evening, merely inches away from her, and always follows her the moment she stands up to leave and change into pajamas, but instead…
 

 
He wanted to sleep in my room!

My heart melted… For about five seconds. Then I realized he wanted to sleep on my bed. And as a very large, rather fluffy, highly exuberant dog, there wasn’t nearly enough room for both of us. Yet he refused to budge. Even when I tried pulling my legs out from under him. He found them an extremely comfortable place to rest.

I thought I was going to end up in his bed on the floor if I wanted to get any sleep that night.

Eventually, he agreed to compromise. After enough ear rubs and snuggles, he reluctantly hoisted himself up and circled around his oversized plush bed three times before curling up with his head resting on the side — but he insisted on following me down the pitch-black hallway and lying outside the door whenever I went into the bathroom.

Such a precious boy!

(I only tripped once. The first time. Even when half-asleep, I remembered not to make that same mistake twice!)
 

 
Although he reverted back to his regular routine the next night, I still thoroughly enjoyed doting on him and his older sister, my parents’ other golden retriever. My mom and I took them for walks, played fetch with them in the backyard, and laughed at their playful antics each evening.

Then more people arrived! My aunt flew out from Colorado, and my dad’s college friend drove down from Oregon. The two men spent long hours in my dad’s workshop, turning and sanding and finishing wooden bowls on his lathe, while my mom and her sister popped around various touristy locations in the cities nearby. We gathered for homemade dinners in the evenings, including a build-your-own salad bar and vegetarian Greek-inspired spinach pie, yet I held out until the very last day for my favorite meal of the trip.
 

 
While waiting, I scheduled a few other fun activities. We attended a small concert held in a banquet hall at a local hotel one night, where every performer played or danced to some form of Scottish music (so many bagpipes and kilts!), and another evening, we also stopped by an old family friend’s house to catch up and meet their new grandbaby. He seemed quite enamored with the soft cream-colored fabric of my long sleeve shirt. He burrowed his head in it while I rocked him back and forth — so sweet!
 

 
Yet some of the most rejuvenating moments were simply sitting outside in the backyard, nestled inside of big comfy armchairs on the patio with the dogs lazily spread out on the thick grass just beyond (or wedged in beside me on the cushion!), laughing and talking about nothing and everything. With its lush green landscaping dotted with flowers and serene atmosphere, I always come away feeling lighter and happier after spending time in their yard.

But finally… It was time for brunch! We drove to our usual restaurant and completely surprised our favorite waiter. We arrived shortly before his shift ended, and right after clocking out, he sat down in the spare chair at our table and chatted for a long time. We nearly forgot about the (mostly) healthy food sitting on plates in front of us — it was so good to see him again!
 

 
And yes, I took a gigantic piece of their blueberry coffee cake home with me… Just like visiting my parents’ house, it had been far too long since my last slice!
 

 

DIAMOND ART

I blame my aunt for this… She gave me a kit as a little thank you gift for hosting her earlier this year, and after cracking it open, it took all of two minutes for me to fall hook, line, and sinker. By the end of my first session, I was completely obsessed. Like a car careening downhill without any brakes, I’ve picked up steam and haven’t been able to stop!

I started with the small picture frame from her, moved on to a set of four butterfly-themed coasters, and then tackled some larger projects. Sunflowers, Minnie Mouse, Cinderella, a highland cow (a present for my mom — she loves them!)… And a big stash of additional kits currently hides in a corner of my dining room.
 

 
Perched on a stool at my kitchen island, pouring in rhinestones and gently rattling the tray, methodically loading and dotting, loading and dotting, loading and dotting with the wax-tipped pen… It feels like a soothing and therapeutic form of guided meditation or stress relief, where my mind goes blissfully blank and everything else melts away. The minutes truly fly by, proven by how quickly my supply of kits is shrinking!

Now all that’s missing are some photo frames. Hanging my finished pieces on the wall sounds like a much better display approach compared to stacking them on the bed of my spare room!
 

 

BOOKS

Still going strong! Forever a bookworm, I read a few chapters almost every day, and those recent flights and road trip gave me even more time to immerse myself in the lighthearted plots of some new novels.

Although I prefer holding physical books in my hands, feeling the paper beneath my fingers as I turn their pages, I generally read most in the Kindle app right now. That makes it incredibly easy to sneak in a chapter or two of the titles in my reading stack at a moment’s notice — whether waiting in an airport for a flight, a parking lot for a curbside order pick-up, or even walking on my treadmill — and I never have to worry about misplacing them or paying library late fines.

Out of everything I’ve read, Shari Low is and continues to be one of my favorite authors. As soon as a new title by her appears, I drop every other book, and it immediately shoots to the top of my list. I literally have to force myself to take a break and put down her novels — or else I’ll neglect everything else for hours on end and finish them in a single sitting! (As tempting as that is, my growling stomach probably wouldn’t approve…)

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed books by some other authors as well. Their amusing banter, page-turning plots, and happy endings draw me in and put a smile on my face basically every time.

And if you have any recommendations, I’m all ears!
 

 

BASEBALL

One more family event! Well, technically two… We attended back-to-back postseason baseball games during the last week of September!

On the first night, my dad, my grandma, and I drove downtown to the ballpark. As we joined the crowds streaming into the stadium, everyone decked out in team jerseys and colors, my grandma revealed that it was her very first postseason game. She started going to ballgames as a little girl with her older sister in New York City, listened to them on the radio throughout her entire childhood, and even bought season tickets with my grandpa for many years after moving across the country as an adult. She passed along her love of the sport to me, even teaching me how to keep score in a neat and tidy notebook as a nine-year-old, and currently texts me during almost every game — all 162 of them each year.

Finding out I was taking her to her very first postseason game…

My heart felt so full. And ready to burst.
 

 
It’s as if our team and city knew. From the moment we set foot inside of the stadium, everything went right. We easily located our seats, ones in the first row in front of the glass railing with a perfect view of every player and positioning, and watched as they stretched, skipped, and tossed baseballs in impressively long arcs in the outfield. We cheered during the introductions when players jogged out of the dugouts and onto the field while fireworks sparkled through the air on the dirt warning track and in the green outfield grass. One of our favorite players hit a home run on the very first pitch in the bottom of the first, giving our team the lead, and they continued to play amazingly well all the way through the eighth inning — when the stadium speakers blasted our unofficial anthem, “All the Small Things,” with all 47,084 of us in the stands singing along — and into the ninth when our hometown hero of a pitcher finally ran out from the bullpen and returned to the mound for the first time in almost two years after a grueling recovery from elbow surgery, giving everyone in the crowd goosebumps, butterflies, and a hefty dose of euphoria as he finished the game.

Magical. Simply magical.
 

 
You couldn’t have scrubbed the grins from our faces, even if you tried. We rode an emotional high all the way home that night, reliving our favorite parts for the entire drive, never running out of moments to rehash even when it took three times as long as normal to get back because of the impossibly thick traffic and massive crowds.

And then my mom, my dad, and I did it all over again the next night.
 

 
Surrounded by another 47,510 people, blending in with the sea of brown and gold, arms raised and bright yellow rally towels circling… The entire stadium felt alive, from the concrete foundation all the way to the very last row of the nosebleeds, buzzing and pulsing with each pitch and catch, vibrating with raw energy and electricity.

And I felt right at home.

Baseball stadiums are my happy place. Just as much as my kitchen, where the oven softly hums and the timer politely dings as sweet aromas gently waft through the air. Despite the stark contrast, with their raucous crowds and nonstop noise, ballparks feel like the missing puzzle piece of me, where everything slots into place and my soul finds its home. I go from quiet and shy to confident and cheering, from soft-spoken and reserved to chatty and outgoing, and somehow, in those moments, surrounded by strangers, I feel like I truly belong.
 

 
It’s magical, especially when sharing it with the people I love and that matter most in my life. To experience that sensation, the peace and joy that come from feeling so connected and grounded and vividly alive, and somehow intuitively know that this is exactly who and where I’m meant to be.

It might not be inside of a concrete stadium on a random weeknight, packed beside people like sardines, with strangers high fiving you and jumping around like it’s Christmas morning after an earsplitting crack and a rounded piece of lumber drops to the grass…

But I hope you find that place, that peace, and that experience too. Where you feel both rejuvenated and fully alive, surrounded by the people and things that fill your heart, and truly connected with your soul.

Because you deserve it too.

And on that note…

Time to start scrubbing dishes — because I have some delicious recipes that I’m testing and very excited to share with you!

In the meantime, while I finish preparing and perfecting those for you, you can find the rest of my recipes here! And if you’d like to continue procrastinating on washing dishes (I’m so tempted!)… You can find more of my Coffee Break posts here!