California

I love California.
No really, I do.
I think of all the places in this world, California is close to my idea of heaven.
I know, there are plenty of things to hate about it. So many people, tall ones, short ones, ones who climb on rocks! Okay, obviously I'm regressing. (Yes, that was the words from an old commercial! If you know where it came from I will send you something special!)
But there are so many wonderful things to love.
I love the ocean!
I love the taste of salt on my lips after walking on the sand. I love the way the water feels, even when it is icy cold. I love the slimy feel of sea weed against my ankles. I love the feel of the wet sand.
Yeah, I love it!
Nathaniel and I took my parents on our vacation last month.
We chose California because:
1. Nathaniel had never been there before.
2. We wanted warmth.
3. We have relatives there we can stay with, thus getting rid of the need for costly hotels.
4. We just wanted to.

Nathaniel liked it. He liked the palm trees, the thought of really big fish in the water, the food.
He did not love the ocean like I do. I do stress like. He didn't love it, not any of it.

It was perfectly warm. Even when it rained, it was perfect. 
We stayed with my aunt, who now lives in a small apartment.

My parents slept on the futon. Nathaniel and I had cots. (Nathaniels' was in the kitchen, literally just large enough for a cot, he could wash dishes and cook a meal without ever leaving the cot! Mine was in the hall, I could answer the door and had control of all the lights!) After the 4th night, hotels sounded heavenly, regardless of the cost.
We didn't do all the big touristy things. 
No, we did not go to Disney Land. We went to the Disney shopping center instead!
We didn't go to Knots Berry Farms. 
We did go to the Port of Los Angeles. In fact, since my Aunt lives a few short blocks away, we saw it daily, out her window. 
We went to the Korean Friendship Bell.

We went to the beach! (Minus swim suits, some people have no sense of adventure!)

We did have a really good time.

And, we returned home, in the middle of a snow storm.

At that moment, I wanted to turn around and run to the beach as fast as I could!

I love the beach. As winter days get shorter, and nights colder and longer, I will dream of the beach.

I will lick my lips and pretend to taste salt.

I will close my eyes in the shower and pretend the wash cloth is slimy seaweed wrapping around my ankles.

I will look out my window, but instead of seeing a leafless cottonwood, I will envision palm trees.

Where there are mountains, I will see sand.

I am determined to remember the ocean. I may never see it again in this life...but Heaven,

well that is another story for another time!