saturday:

We packed the car. Dropped two super-duper excited boys off at Nana and Papa’s house. Drove through snow and rain and yuck to the airport. Traveled for 8 hours without a hitch — well, except for the very end, when I finally threw up (thank you very much, baby in my belly.) Decided that we miss a lot about the Bay Area, but not the traffic. Stopped at Whole Paycheck, er, I mean, Foods for some quick dinner. Hit the hay and slept like logs.

sunday:

Woke up fully rested at 6am (jetlag’ll do that to you.) Went on a breakfast date before church. Saw dear friends, worshiped the Lord, listened to one of our favorite pastors. Enjoyed footloose and fancy-free for a bit, then a nap. Dinner, Red Mango, and lots of laughing with our “oldest” California friends.

monday:

Went to Peet’s for coffee. Ryan drove away to the office, and I sat all by myself for over an hour with just my Bible and journal. Finally wrapped it up and started my morning wanderings. Safeway, the library, the duck pond, the post office, Cheeky Monkey, and Trader Joe’s, with lots of soaking it all in along the way. “It” being the sunshine, spring air, and moist, intoxicating aroma of eucalyptus trees. “It” also being the memories we made day in, day out — just me and a little boy, and then eventually another little baby — in this wonderful neighborhood. I lugged my strawberries, dried mango, hummus, and pita crackers back to the hotel room, put up my feet, flung open the window, and ate a leisurely lunch. (Okay, so there was some chocolate, too.)

Now it’s time to crack open my library acquisition (Dorothy Sayers, of course), and perhaps even doze off.

P.S. Magnolias are blooming and jasmine is ready to burst open (which means my old Secret Garden backyard is as pretty as it gets right now), but I’m still just as happy to go home to snow and wait awhile longer for the daffodils I planted last September to push through the frozen tundra of Northern New York. There’s beauty everywhere, you know.