Present Joys Featured Guest: Jessica Comingore Donais

Jessica Comingore Donais is a designer and art director based in Tucson, Arizona. We’ve come to admire her calm, contemplative lens on life which she shares so generously via thoughtful conversations, stunning slice-of-life photography, and musings via her Substack, Second Nature. Read on to see what’s been bringing Jessica joy!

My husband and I recently took a trip to Japan where we ended up doing a (self-initiated) listening bar tour, and came home inspired to recreate our own version in our living room. We dusted off our old record player, tracked down some vintage speakers, and started hitting eBay for bargains (we sadly sold our record collection for a song when we moved from LA to Portland!). We’ve been enjoying ending our evenings here, sometimes with a high ball if we really want to get in the spirit, but most of the time with tea. Listening to a work of music from start to finish feels like a small act of presence.

My favorite way to grocery shop is popping into small, family-owned markets throughout the city that specialize in specific regions of cuisine. One I keep returning to—introduced to me by a friend when I moved to Tucson—is called Caravan Foods, and shopping here feels like a culinary field trip. There are a handful of things I always stock up on, but their housemade baklava tops the list. They strategically place them in a display case at the checkout counter, and I can never leave without at least a few—always a mix of pistachio and walnut, because who can choose!

I’ve been playing backgammon with my (now 100-year old) grandma for as long as I can remember, which probably conjures a sentimental scene, but make no mistake: she plays to win and takes no prisoners. Last year she gifted me one of her old sets so I could, “sharpen my skills” for future visits, and it’s turned out to be a really fun, screen-free way to end the day. Just keep the stakes low for maximum joy.

I recently took myself up to Scottsdale to visit SMoCA. My primary goal was to sit inside James Turrell’s Night Rise, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a number of other exhibits worth seeing, too. The most memorable was Infinite by Squidsoup—a light and sound installation that took my breath away. Hundreds of illuminated spheres filled a darkened room, set to a soundtrack of stringed instruments, rippling outward in waves and then dissolving. I’m extremely sensitive to sound, so immersive audio experiences can go either way for me, but this one felt like a sound bath. I left the room noticeably calmer than when I entered.

Leave it to me to discover the perfect sweatshirt right as Arizona temperatures start climbing. While I love a good crewneck, I always struggle with the banded waist—never hitting at quite the right spot. The raw hem on this fixes that entirely, and the weight of it somehow makes it feel polished. The color is also the perfect blend of ivory and butter. No notes!

I started this year off doing The Artist’s Way for the first time, and while the process has been equal parts unexpected, challenging, and serendipitous, the practice that’s stuck most is morning pages. Three longhand pages every morning, before the day has a chance to take over. I never would have predicted that such a simple act could clear my mind the way it does—but there’s something about the physical rhythm of it that I can’t quite explain and won’t be giving up anytime soon.

Crispy Rice Paper Shrimp Chips We made these over the weekend with our friends and while they were a tiny bit oily they were really fun and delicious to eat.

David Geffen Galleries at LACMA Recently opened and worth a visit! My favorite room was “Persianate Arts: The Ardabil Carpet and Manuscript Painting”.

Mahjong at SIJCC I attended a monthly American mahjong night in Silverlake and played for the first time with real tiles! I was grateful for my table of fellow beginners and am excited to attend again next month.

Don’t Hesitate by Mary Oliver “Still, life has some possibility left.” Been needing this reminder lately.

Another Ottolenghi Recipe I made these Salt and Vinegar Roast Potatoes for brunch this weekend and am definitely keeping this recipe in my repertoire. Bright vinegar, a splash of Maggi and plenty of herbs really take these potatoes to another level.

Post Run Routine After long run mornings, I’d usually be out of commission for the remainder of the day. Lately, though, I’ve become better attuned to what my body needs for recovery. With sustained energy to last me through the day (thank you electrolytes), I feel like I’ve gained stolen time that I’d have otherwise squandered as a couch potato.

Gym Bro Chats I started training at a new gym at the recommendation of my hairdresser. The workouts are great, but the conversations are a surprising bonus. Delighted that beneath the beefcake exteriors of my trainers are shared sentiments around relationships, family, and life.

Tiny Frogs Spring means tadpole season at the Lower Arroyo Casting Pool. There are hundreds of tadpoles darting around the pool at this time, but I’d never seen frogs until this past weekend. I now know why I’ve missed them–they’re the size of a fingernail!