Spring was a breath of fresh air! I bet you hear that a lot, don’t you? This season felt lighter than any I can remember in recent years. I embraced change and learned to let go of a lot of stressors in my life. I even coined this metamorphosis “Hannah 2.0.”
Things we ate
Let’s start with my favorite thing: food! I fell in love with a new local restaurant, East of Texas, this season. I’ve had brisket in the Hill Country of Texas, and the brisket at East of Texas is better. I’ve been several times in the months since the restaurant opened, and Brandon and I even spent our anniversary morning there eating breakfast burnt end tacos.
During our April trip to California (more on that below), we enjoyed a particularly memorable dinner at Eight Korean BBQ in Los Angeles and a delicious lunch at Las Cuatro Milpas in San Diego. I didn’t make many new recipes at home, but did bake the best cheesecake of my life over my birthday weekend.
House Projects I (mostly) completed
I’m working from home full-time now, and wanted to give my office a little makeover. We painted the room when we bought the house, but I had never really loved it. I agonized over a new paint color for weeks on end, and settled on a light peach hue. I will be honest and admit that I’m still not sure that I love it, but it’s a major improvement over what I had before.
Good music we heard live
2023 is the year of the concert for us, and we’re seeing so many amazing artists live! We started spring by seeing the legendary Buddy Guy’s farewell tour with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. A week later, we took a hard genre turn to see one of our favorites—Judah & The Lion—for the fifth time. In April, we caught Wilder Woods for the second time following the release of his second album.
Where we traveled
After a bit of a break from traveling (by our standards), we flew to California in April for my step-daughter’s spring break. It was a special trip to celebrate her sixteenth birthday, too. Despite some less than sunny weather, we had a great time exploring Los Angeles and neighboring towns. Highlights for me were visiting The Broad museum in downtown Los Angeles and The Flower Fields in Carlsbad. We also explored Malibu, Santa Monica, and Venice Beach; took a Warner Brothers Studio tour; hunted stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; drove in search of the best view of the Hollywood sign; and spent downtime at our Airbnb—my favorite we’ve ever rented!
A funny TSA story: I packed my hairbrush in our checked luggage, but it didn’t arrive in California with us. A mystery!
What I read
Anna Kloots released her first memoir, “My Own Magic,” in May and I devoured it in only a few days. I’ve never felt such pride for someone I don’t even know.
What we watched
While we were in Los Angeles, we saw billboards around every turn for “Beef” on Netflix. Brandon and I watched it as soon as we returned home and loved it! I am crossing my fingers for a second season. Later in the spring, I cried my way through “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” and the second season of “Firefly Lane.”
On the horizon
Summer is already in full swing, and it’s a sweet summer so far. I’m enjoying a slow pace of life before a very busy fall!
