Celebrating the Summer Solstice

You know those endless days that seem to blend into each other, where nothing seems to change, and everything seems the same, and you almost feel numb from the lack of joy in your life? You'll be glad to know the curse has lifted, and those days have been pretty rare lately.

I know I'm alive. My cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so much. I have bruises fading, and small lacerations healing quickly. Charlie horses attack without warning from my yoga and Zumba classes. Small pleasures like Cowlick's ice cream, salted caramels, and Trader Joe's peppermint chocolates tantalize my tongue. We rolled down the windows of Ros's SUV, and rocked out to the tunes of the Carpenters, if one can actually say they're rocking out to the Carpenters. The conversation flows, and the laughter comes easily.

Anyone who knows me knows I am a dog lover, and knows I have a weakness for dogs with smushy faces. This is my friend Dobby, and sometimes he gets a little excited. When I bent over to love on him yesterday, he leapt up to meet me halfway, with his mouth wide open, and his upper teeth sank into my forehead while his lower teeth grazed my nose. It's hard to fault a mouth breather. Poor thing can't help it that breathing is easier for him with his mouth open. 

Yesterday afternoon, Tonia's husband was flying his latest toy, a remote-controlled quad copter. We were watching on the deck while he put the helicopter through some maneuvers overhead. The next thing I knew, everyone scattered, and I heard the whirring blades of the propellers beating against the leafy branches above me. I ducked, but the helicopter landed with a crash on my head. I was stunned, but okay. (I've been accused of being hard-headed more than once.)

Steve christened the quad copter "Headshot," in my honor.

Ros and Tonia teased me later that on my next visit, I may want to consider wearing a helmet. A helmet with a full-face mask. <taking notes>

Yesterday was the summer solstice. What a perfect way to celebrate the first day of summer, with good friends under the California sun. Roslynn, Tonia, and I drove out to the headlands to watch the sunset, and then when we were back at the ranch, we joined our family members who were by the fire under the stars, and roasted marshmallows, and ate s'mores with minty dark chocolate. 

While at the headlands in Mendocino, we struck up a conversation with a friendly couple who were celebrating their 15th anniversary together. The women seemed to be thoroughly enjoying whatever was in their glasses, and we learned quite a bit about them in the short time we were watching the sun set.

One of the women noticed we were taking turns with the cameras and phones to get pictures of each other, and she offered to take a picture of the three of us together. Now, admittedly, it's hard to get a good picture when the sun is setting in front of the camera, silhouetting the subjects, but I was hoping for a little more finesse; perhaps a picture that included our faces. I'm hoping Ros will share the pictures taken with her camera. Maybe they turned out a little better. We can hope.

It's a great feeling to be energized by life again. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm heading out to the coast for some breakfast with the girls. I have one more day to soak in all of this northern California experience, and I intend to do just that.

Here's the pic that Ty took with Roslynn's camera; it's a little better!