Encinitas Beach

Meg: What would you like to do today?
John: Nothing.
Me: Shopping!
Rick: Find another string of  solar sojii lights like the ones we brought them

A lull, during which everyone returns to their device of choice.

Rick: We could go to Stone Brewery for lunch and look for lights in the shopping center there.
John: Lunch sounds good…
Meg and Me: Shopping sounds good.
Me: Are you sure you don't mind driving in traffic, because I don't mind staying home…
Meg: (checking her phone) The traffic looks pretty good if we leave right now.

Another lull

Meg: I should go to work for awhile this morning. Call me when you decide something…She leaves….

Rick makes several phone calls. Nobody has shoji lights like the ones we brought them.

Rick and John: (in unison): Oh good…we don't have to go anywhere.

We have lunch at a newish restaurant in Fallbrook…pizza and salad.
John and Rick go home to hang the shoji lights in the tree.
Meg and I go shopping.

Ozzie was happy to have somebody at home to throw sticks in the pool for him…over and over and over….
Rick was happy to stay home and hang lights.
John was happy to stay home and not have to go anywhere.
Meg and I had a lovely time shopping and getting caught up on family gossip. We drove by the beach where it was perfect weather under a clear blue sky with lots of surfers, families, kids and colorful umbrellas…the perfect Southern California beach scene. 

It took me a very long time after OilMan and I got married and moved to Berkeley to stop missing the warm beach scene where we basted ourselves in baby oil and browned ourselves in the warm sun. This is not the best shot, taken from the car, but it takes me back to lots of pleasant memories of long gone summers on the beach…

My brother is cooking dinner and the delicious smells of pasta sauce are beginning to fill the house. How nice to have a personal chef.