Here Comes the Sun 2011

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces

Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun

and I say it's all right ...

seagulls of santa cruz ...

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right
It's all right

~George Harrison

Perhaps I should say (though probably obvious) that the "Here Comes the Sun" was not meant to be literal though I will be praying for sunshine for those of you in Europe and elsewhere with winter storms and blizzards and that the actual sun will be shining on you soon!

Blessings and light to you friends.

Here's to a positive joyful 2011

Happy New Year!

Road Trip ~ A Walk on the Beach

It was the last evening of our rather quick road trip to Santa Cruz. It felt so great to have my toes in the wet sand. Rachel walked ahead while I meandered behind taking pictures and picking up rocks and shells ... then I found one ... a whole one! A sand dollar!

I don't know when I have ever found a whole unbroken sand dollar! Maybe as a little kid when we used to camp at the beach. I was beside myself. It felt like a magical gift. The thing is, how do you know when it's still alive? When they are alive, do they have tentacles or something? This concerned me a bit. Just to be sure, after all the excitement and the photographing of it with the waves behind it, with sand behind it, and with a lovely sky backdrop, it was decided after a brief discussion with Rachel, that alive or not, I would throw it back to it's home in the sea.

And then I saw him. This beautiful little egret. (At least I think he was an egret. I'd make a terrible birder!) He was walking in the surf, looking for an appetizer and seemed to be only slightly annoyed to have become the principle model in my beach photo shoot. If he was anything like my parrot, I'm sure he got a kick of my getting slightly clocked by a wave as I tried to get down low to the sand to get the perfect shot. Don'tcha just love wet sandy jean bottoms? Anyway, he was worth it, even if I never did get the perfect shot. He is actually even in the last distance shot, barely visible, at the edge of the water, close to the cliff. I know he's hard to make out.

Oh yes, and by the way, I am now on my sisters computer and on my screen at home, my feet didn't look nearly as blinding white! I don't know what happened! Anyway, just in case you were wondering, no I am not albino. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Rachel on the beach ...

my almost "zinc white" feet

The magical gift

Isn't he amazing?!

“Sponges grow in the ocean.

That just 'gets' me.

I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn't happen.”

~Stephen Wright

(He cracks me up.)

Road Trip ~ The Wharf ... Santa Cruz

On the second day of my friend Rachel's meetings with the horse people, I walked around Santa Cruz and started my day having breakfast on The Wharf at Gilda's, watching pelicans and sea lions and breathing in the ocean air.

This day was such a treat. That evening Rachel and I even went back to The Wharf to have a mexican seafood dinner at Olitas. It's amazing you can still get a reasonable meal right on the water! Hard to pass up.

I grew up near the ocean (in Ventura) and though I still live in Southern California, I miss the water ... the smell and the sounds especially. It's funny, sometimes I have to remind myself of the things that make me happy, like the ocean and the trees, bubble baths and chocolate and to not let so much time pass before I seek them out ... and enJOY. (Actually, I am pretty good about the chocolate.)

Santa Cruz Wharf, Spring 2010

Shot from my booth at Gilda's diner at Breakfast

How cute is this sea lion!?

Rachel at Olita's

What would make you happy?

Ask yourself often.

Think about your answer.

You may well find that the answer

is within reach.

~Melody Beattie

Road Trip ~ Santa Cruz

I hadn't been to Santa Cruz in at least ten years. I used to go up with my friend Caroline to "Shakespeare Santa Cruz," the amazing Shakespeare festival they put on at the beautiful UC Santa Cruz campus. Some of my favorite productions of Shakespeare have been outside in "The Glen." Nothing like seeing A Midsummer Night's Dream among redwood trees. Truly magical.

I love a road trip. I find them difficult to pass up. You never know what adventure will be in store! My friend Rachel and I left last Sunday night around 8pm and made it in 5 hours. (This is a feat, by the way. Rachel was on fire!) I had gone to the health food store for snacks like vegan apricot fruit cakes, spicy pumpkin seeds and rice cakes. I know it sounds a bit like eating chalk but I knew if I didn't have something healthy to munch on I would find myself gorging on bbq chips and soda. (Don't be too impressed. On the way home there were Lays potato chips, chocolate brownies, cream soda and fritos.)

We completely lucked out on the weather. As you can see, it was gorgeous. The clouds decided to come only a couple of hours before we headed out of town. The whole purpose of the trip was actually so Rachel could meet a horse lady, but more on that later.

Change your perspective

and enjoy the adventure.

Let the child in you come out to play.

~Melody Beattie

Yoga surfer ...

Near the campus of UC Santa Cruz ...

As I said, I love a road trip! My all time favorite was going across country in a moving truck from Los Angeles to Massachusetts with my friend Dawn. It was five of the best days of my life. I don't think I have ever laughed so hard or sang so loud.

Do you have a favorite road trip?