TUESDAY, 8/28

TUESDAY, 8/28:

      A slow-paced morning.   Very surprised to go outside and see lots of grey clouds, very warm, and humid!   I wondered if I were dreaming and we were back in St. Louis!

     Stopped at the local WalMart to pick up a few groceries & some other items, and then drove up to San Juan Capistrano.  We were going to visit the Mission there.  A nice hour-long drive up there.  Even the freeways look attractive here – landscaped with colorful flowers.  And of course hills & mountains in the distance, with an occasional glimpse of the ocean.

     Spent about 3 hours at the Mission (where the swallows return).  They had a very nice audio tour free with your admission, and lots of very informative & interesting exhibits.  Renewed my understanding of the huge Spanish influence in Southern Calif from the very beginning. 

     But what we really enjoyed there, aside from the history, was just the entire setting. Beautiful landscaping everywhere.  Bountiful color, interspersed with different species of catci, and other succulents.  And all against the backdrop of old stone, adobe brick, archways, & bell towers. Was impossible to not take lots of pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      Bill has been having so much fun with our new camera on this trip!  Although of course artistic, he never was into photography.   But he’s become a quick study . . . all those hours reading the books at home have paid off!  He loves it when he sees a shot that’s perfect in composition.  Even I caught some of his fever yesterday, and took a series of pictures at a couple of spots, and then asked him to critique them.  He said those 3 magic words:  "You have potential!"

    The last half-hour or so, just rested on a stone bench overlooking the colorful courtyard and appreciating the tranquil, peaceful loveliness of it all.

     Then we met my “old” dear friend from college, Loretta, and her husband Steve, for dinner.  They suggested a restaurant right across from the Mission.  It had actually started to spit rain while we were waiting, so we opted to eat inside.  It was so great seeing her again!  It’s been probably close to 20 years.  But we’ve kept our friendship alive thru Christmas letters each year, and of course now there’s Facebook.  She’s as delightful and upbeat as she always has been, from the first time I met her in a summer school English Comp class at Long Beach State.

 

      We  re-lived some old memories . . . she even brought a little photo album of pictures taken when she and her daughter, Kristyn, came to West Plains to visit us back in 1978 or 79.  Kristyn & Jason were toddlers, and brought back such fun memories of the two of them doing things together – especially dancing to old tyme fiddle music at the Ozark Folk Center.  We just laughed & laughed at those old pictures.  And then brought each other up to date on our current lives & families.  She’s been retired for just about a year, and mentored me in how she handled the adjustment.   And to help, she gave me a pretty little gift bag containing a cute little book, Things To Do Now That You’re Retired, along with a precious card that almost made me cry.

     And then we even talked some about the possibility of the 4 of us doing some travelling together, as Bill & Steve really hit it off and had a lot in common – they even ordered the exact same thing for dinner, right down to extra pepper on their salads (with the same dressing)!  So we covered it all – past, present, & future, in an absolutely wonderful evening.  Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of having long-time friends who are shining threads in our life’s tapestry.

     Oh yes, the dinner was delicious – Bill ordered  a Macadamia nut encrusted halibut, and I got salmon with an Ancho chili/honey/Dijon glaze.  And when we went outside to leave, the night felt much clearer – most of the humidity had gone.  That California magic!