Griffith Park on Christmas Eve

We drafted a mini bucket list for our trip to L.A., to get out of Pasadena (but why?!) 

and do some touristy things we hadn't done in years.

Griffith Park was high on the list, for me.

I remember going there a lot as a kid.

True story:

One time, our parents signed us up to do pony rides that were set up 

around a track-like circuit in the park.  

The dollars your parents gave scored you and your pony

two or three laps around the circuit.

It was a pleasant trot.

Leyla, however, was paired with the dud pony.  

Her pony went absurdly slowly.  

So slowly, in fact, that everyone stopped paying attention,

and she must've gone around and around at least eight times that day.

At the time, Leyla and the pony were a match made in happy slowpoke heaven.

We still laugh about the appropriateness of their personalities coupling.

Leyla and the daydreaming pony, just moving along.

We've all grown up a little, though.

Hahaha.  Okay, maybe not.

I was extra hopeful to find the carousel.

It's my favorite part.  It isn't always open.

Every year, my Girl Scout troop would take a trip to Griffith Park for the

Girl Scout Cookie Kickoff.

What kicks off a cookie, you might ask?

A whole bunch of young girls who are excited about learning things.

And are excited about each other.

And cookies.

But largely just excited about carousels.

Every detail was as beautiful as I remember.

And since it was Christmas Eve when we visited, 

we got to hear its holiday tunes!

And I missed Lisa and Diane and Mrs. B.,

and thought about those Troop 124 days.

True story #2:

I learned how to tie a braid at a Cookie Kickoff one year.

Oh, the details of memory.

  

There were large pieces of plywood lined up in the grass,

and each one had a horse's behind painted onto it, very colorfully.

The tail was a mysterious hair material, sort of mop-like, that came off the plywood.

And you, the young Girl Scout, could style it.

How hilarious to think about now.

The life skills of styling a horse's behind.

But Lisa taught me how to braid that day.

A life lesson I still use.

nostalgia (n.):  my students' favorite vocabulary word of the semester.

I can see why they smile when we review it.

After throwing a frisbee in the sun for a while,

we made our way up toward the observatory.

The top of this climb reveals one of the most beautiful views of the city.

 

 It was unexpectedly crowded on Christmas Eve,

so we didn't go inside.

We tend to roll with it as it comes.

 

lovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelove

But this city.

Notice how beautiful complicated things look from a distance.

 

In the case of this crazy city, too,

as in the case of the crazy city I have presently chosen,

I like it even better up close.