going back to cali

had 2 weeks off around christmas and headed back to cali for a visit...drove out and started in sd...saw friends at hswri, saw the fish and the new setups and headed to K&C's...awesome chips and salsa made with things from the garden like cilantro and jalapeno, and C made some very flavorful steak...great to finally see their first home and all of the love [work] they have put in to it, great to catch up, great to see old friends in a new life.

coffee with K bright and early and coffee with KM near my old house...can't believe i've been gone for more than a year already; missed the area and how you could walk or ride a bike anywhere and get to something you loved...loved chatting with K and the people you meet in life who are just genuinely kind and honest souls. sat by the pier before lunch with T at her house and rain, rain, rain all day. the view through my sunroof by the pier:



headed north and met up with K for a quick visit...miss seeing my old friend and our little coastal hikes...many positive thoughts for K&S in difficult times that we all make it through and out of. xxxxxxxx

had fun hanging out with T&C further north...laughing at how C puts on a show, scrunches up his nose and squints his eyes; quite the little charmer...awesome thai food to celebrate her bday in a quaint restaurant all to ourselves...always love being with T...witty, funny, creative, good and an old soul. next day at the garden and a million funny pics of C in discovery mode...never sits still and cracks you up constantly...plenty of exotic-looking plants and flowers with perfect weather and an ocean view, a nice stroll amongst a variety of shapes and colors. still not sure what these are:


up to oc...met the twins for the first time and loved the feeling of them sleeping on my chest...so tiny, so perfect, so hungry, so loud ;) everything wrapped into a silky-skinned bundle with a whole life ahead of them and endless possibilities...the beauty in the creation of a life forward in the years to come, learning about humans and the world around them, and including self-reliance so opposite their initial experiences...still can't believe how much parents do for their kids and it's no wonder they look at us the way they do sometimes. :) dinner with M&J, J at our fav with lots of laughs and inappropriate jokes, hopefully not too loud...bar with J later on and life chats with a good buddy!

got my ink fixed and got some fresh ink that M&D loved when they finally saw it {lie}...hurt like hell and not sure how i would survive something bigger like L, M have...crazy, weird pain especially in that location...thank goodness it's okay to curse like a sailor while the buzzing continues and the heavy metal plays on in the background.

good times with C&B&M and the rest of the crew for nye...too much good food as usual and with everyone pitching in in all ways...9 kids to just a few more adults and a lot of fun dancing to top 20 hits with them singing along and a game of apples-to-apples with some really bright, hilarious little people...church and lunch in seal, always a great combo with C...baby time and more baby time and i could just watch them looking around and exploring all day long. okay, maybe not all day but it is always fascinating from pureed plums all over the face, neck and ears to little squeezes or finger-clasping...so happy to see C&M as the wonderful mothers i always knew they would be.

incredible brunch at K&J's gorgeously remodeled house in their joyful, playful spirits; a real treat to see a magnificent piece of art on loan there too...lunch at my fav [for the must-have balsamic roasted veggies and gouda on a sourdough roll] on the way out of town and back on the road to a not-so-new-anymore home out east...love and xxxxxxxx to everyone always and plenty of gratitude for hospitality and friendship along the way