So far, vacationing at the coast has been magical. I mean, really. Who wouldn’t have a wonderful time in a little cottage with an ocean view??? Entering the house for the first time, I was home. The pictures on “Air BnB” showed it exactly as we found it. Adorable and perfectly stocked.
On the table sat a card addressed to me with a gift of Snicker Doodle cookies from the Brown Butter Cookie Company. Look them up. They send orders throughout the United States. Order some. You won’t be disappointed. My favorite are the Brown Butter Cookies, their signature cookie. Nothing says you are at the coast better than a fresh baked cookie.
The card read,
“Joy,
Welcome back to Bella Vista By the Sea. Please enjoy this gift and the duration of your stay.”
My eyes leaked a little at their message.
Yes.
Welcome back.
The Pacific has been waiting. Just as I left it two years before, on the doorstep of cancer’s evil clutches, the same beautiful ocean welcomed me, again. There’s nothing better than waves crashing on a beautiful beach. From my life as that little blonde girl until now, as a graying woman of 65, the waves have comforted me.
Santa Cruz was the go-to place we enjoyed as children. Playing in the waves as a little girl, we’d stay in the water until our lips were blue. Bundled up in towels, we’d scurry back to my grandparent’s tiny house to enjoy naps in her creaky murphy bed, which hid under a wonderfully heavy blanket when not in use. Magical in the eyes of any child, everyone wanted to sleep in the bed that popped out of the wall.
So far, I’ve enjoyed a wonderful evening with my best friend, CC, and her new beau at her home in the California foothills. Then, off to the coast for a visit from T and K. After lunching at our favorite restaurant, we played Gilligan and friends. Our tour wasn’t three hours, but one. The weather did start getting rough, and we skillfully took the boat back to the harbor before we ran aground on the sand bar. During our little voyage, we came very close to many sea otters, animals God created to look at when he needed a smile.
The next day, I had a wonderful visit with my God Mother, TJ, and THE CONVERTIBLE GODDESS OF THE CENTRAL COAST. Coastal Royalty, both, you could only hope to be so lucky to sit with them on a sunny day discussing the problems of the world over cake and coffee. Like a day hadn’t passed, I was home with two women I love the most.
Throughout all these activities, there have been quiet little breakfasts and dinners in quaint restaurants. Plants and flowers thrive here. God’s way of laughing. Whales spouting. Dolphins leaping. Surfers riding the waves. People enjoying evening fires on the beach. It doesn’t get better than this.
Forgive me for being late in posting. Sleeping in, I’m finding I’m able write later in the day. After wiping the morning dew from the truck, I have yet to decide what the day will bring. Stay tuned. There’ll be more to report tomorrow.