These are Better Days

Glorious.  To sit with my youngest Angel daughter on a Wednesday afternoon sharing a hot pot of Strawberry/Kiwi tea, our laughter softly rising in the puffs of wispy steam as we savor the simple abundance.  How can one mother be blessed with so much?

As the tea seeps languidly before us, we breathe in the fragrance of the day.  This moment, so incredibly perfect in time, imprints itself upon all of my senses and I am happy.  There is a freshness on the subtle breezes of springtime which, when mixed with the aroma from the steaming pot of tea, are intoxicating. 

We agree that we adore tea sandwiches and currant scones with clotted cream and homemade raspberry preserves and flowers which you can eat if you choose to, placed delicately upon your plate.  I watch my child enjoy.

There is such simple beauty in all of it.  It makes me feel as if I could cry.  


She asks me if we can do this once a month, a standing tea date between mother and daughter.  Delightedly, I reply YES.(And I think that I must do the same with my other three girls.  Yes, we must try.)

She lifts my camera from its place on the table and takes a picture of the view from where she sits.  The world through her eyes at that moment is lush, green and perfect.

We stop by the petting zoo to feed the Lamas carrots.  This is the same zoo that I used to take all four of my Angel Daughters to when they were little and I dressed them all alike.  I am whisked back for a precious moment.


AD4 kisses me good-bye and heads off to dance practice but the day has taken hold of me in such a way that I am not quite ready to leave, so I go for a walk.

San Juan Capistrano is one of the oldest towns in California.  220 years ago, it was home to the Indians and has evolved many times since then.  Walking around this little town is like experiencing history firsthand and I never tire of being here.

Each Wednesday afternoon, there is a Farmer's Market which hosts locally grown vegetables, fruits, flowers, locally made dressings and other delicious goodies.  There is a charming older gentleman there who sells Italian sauces, cookies, olive oils and handmade pastas.  He stops me in my tracks.  "Signora, Bella!" he calls out to me.  "You like-a the Italian food?"  "Of course!" I reply and he begins giving me a little lesson on the meaning of Italian words.  He flirts, I giggle.  I walk away with two cannolis to be shared with my honey later on.

Walking through the market, I spent some time admiring the gorgeous array of flowers.

I selected some intoxicatingly fragrant Star-Gazer Lilies and took the long way back to my car.

I lingered around The Mission which was built in 1776.  I thought about the class trips that I accompanied my daughters on to learn about its history so many blue skies ago.

The church was completed in 1797 and the wall that you can see exposed in this photo was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1812.  There are several ghost stories surrounding the tumbling of the wall which are told until this day.  Some of my daughters have a love/hate relationship with those stories.  Others, are more intrigued by them.  I am a bit of both.

As I arrived back at my car, I noticed this license plate on the vehicle that was parked in front of me.  I thought about the "old" west, the "new" west and everything that came during the years in between.  I thought about relationships, where they began and where they are now.  I thought about how lovely it was to spend an afternoon with my youngest Angel Daughter and then to spend some time walking around a town that I have been to so many times, yet I still love it so much.  How can one woman be so lucky?


I gathered the Star-Gazers wrapped tightly in newspaper and placed them on the front seat of my car hoping that their fragrance would float in my direction.  I turned on the radio and set it to E-Street Radio so that I could listen to some of Springsteen's poetry sung in a raw, soulful voice that I never, ever tire of.  And I drove home content, so very content.  It made me feel as if I could cry.  And I just might have.


Glorious.

Wandering into the Lives of a Few Blogging Friends

Sometimes when I am wandering around with my camera in hand, I spot things that remind me of some of my blogging friends.  In the time that I have been blogging, I have come to consider so many of you as my friends.  I pop in to check on you, as you do me.  We read about each other's days.  We laugh at each other's jokes.(thank you, Ms. TJ)  Our hearts ache with one another's pain.  As I was going through some of the photos that I recently shot, I found some that were taken with a particular blogging friend in mind.  I am going to share some of those with you here.  This is something that I hope to do more of in the future, as you all mean so very much to me.

This first image was taken a few days ago from the front yard of my beach house.  It is a picture of Catalina Island at dusk.  I cannot always see it as there is usually a lot of marine layer(fog) which hides the island from view.  Catalina Island is off the coast of Southern California.  It is a tourist destination, but much of the island is uninhabited.  The small town of Avalon is filled with small shops, restaurants and other sight-seeing opportunities.  The only way to get to Catalina is by boat or helicopter which makes it fairly remote.  This photo was taken with JoJo

in mind.  She once wrote about her "bucket list" and how she would like to take her husband to Catalina Island.  I snapped this picture with JoJo in mind, but I am posting it for anyone who has ever wished that they could run off to a remote island.(even for just a few hours!)
As I was wandering around the quaint streets of San Juan Capistrano, I spotted this beautiful Madonna statue.  Although I am Jewish, I admire the iconic beauty of various religious figures and what they stand for.  One of my dear blogging friends, Kathleen, often refers to her connection with the Madonna.  When I spotted this one, I just had to take a picture of it.  I felt a sense of calmness just looking at it.  

This photo was also taken in San Juan Capistrano.  There are so many lovely, old homes lining the streets of the Los Rios district.  When I stopped to admire the color, shadows of light and the angles on this home, I was reminded of the wonderful paintings that Catherine Holman creates.  Cathie's creations and her stories illicit a sense of calmness in this often crazy world that we live in.  Looking at this little house made me stop and think about Catherine.  She paints such lovely places to hideaway inside of.
Another one of my favorite bloggers recently wrote about shells and butterfly wings.  I recently spotted this beautiful Monarch butterfly, perching on a plant.  It was kind enough to pose for a quick photo.  It made me stop and think about Roxanne at River Garden Studio, and how she constantly inspires me to be more creative.
And finally, there is this gorgeous little lady.  Mark and I saw her flitting her way down the street in Laguna Beach.  She went from one shop to another, collecting her daily snacks from the shop keepers.  Please check out her toenails.
I swear her owner was wearing the same color nail polish on his toes.  I suppose that's what love is all about.
Ness, Hallie and all of my other Doxie loving blogging friends, this little baby is for you.  There aren't many people that I think about when I see a Doxie in a pink-leopard tutu with matching pearls.  That is a category all unto itself.

These are just a few of my wonderful blogging buddies.  There are so many more.  I have linked the sites of these special people up to their names.  If you get a free moment, stop by and say hello.  It's interesting because I find that all good bloggers are connected to one another, somehow, so you may already know these lovely individuals.  I feel very lucky to have connected with each and every one of you.  If I wasn't able to include a picture that made me think about you, I will in the future.  Friendship is like that.  The simplest things can cause us to stop and think about someone we care about when we least expect it.  It's always a welcome surprise!

May this day spark thoughts of the people you care about.  May you find a way to tell them how much you care.

San Juan Capistrano or Why the Swallows Always Return

There is so much history around us, but it is often difficult to take the time to remind ourselves about those who have ventured ahead.  Last week, I decided that I needed a change of perspective and so I wandered down to a little town which is within a few miles of our home.  The town is called San Juan Capistrano.  It is most widely recognized for the Mission(the first one in California) which remains there, as well as the Swallows who come home to roost at the same time every year.  It is a lovely little town seeped deeply in history.  I have been told that there are even some bewildered "spirits" who wander through the streets and haunt the homes there, looking for their lost lives and loves.   
As I entered the Los Rios District, I came across this handsome gentleman.  I walked by him and he smiled a warm smile as I passed.  I smiled back and made a mental note that if he was still there when I returned on my way back, I would ask him if I could take his photograph.  When I approached him, he was more than happy to oblige.  He made a natural subject.  His face and the energy that he exuded truly encompassed the feeling of the area.  I was honored and humbled by this lovely gentleman whose name is David.  He shook my hand with so much warmth that I was overtaken by his generosity.
In the background of this photograph, you can see the old jail cell which was used to hold outlaws.  When my angels were little, they used to love playing inside of the cell.  They used to "lock" each other in and climb up and down the bars.  It kept them busy long enough for me to take some deep breaths and enjoy the beauty around us.
The Los Rios District is over two hundred years old.  It is the oldest town in all of California.  This picture shows the train tracks which go from Los Angeles to San Diego.  It is one of the stops along the way.
Many of the homes along this street are historical landmarks.  They range in age from forty years to two hundred and four years old.  I love looking at them!  Each new homeowner adds something new to the landscape of the community.  



This house is now the site of a beautiful tea room.  Charming.

There are several shops intermingled along with the couple of restaurants and private homes.  This is a new shop which was created out of a very small old garage.  When I went inside, the owner was a delightful woman who did a wonderful job creating a lot within a very small space.  There are quite a few artists who live in the area.  It is no wonder that they are attracted to this little town since it is so rich in natural beauty and history.

My hope is that this little visit to a historic town will inspire you to embark on an adventure, this week.  We tend to follow the same routines from day to day, and we often forget to observe the beauty that is around us.  I would love to see some photos of, or hear some stories about the areas in which you live.  

May the coming week bring you lots of happy surprises and bits of inspiration.