Wherein J & D Fly Away & Return Home Again

With a moon that crisp and clear, we knew snow was on the way, again.

 Lots of colds and sniffles going through the ranks around here.  I'd been drinking up the green smoothie goodness in hopes of keeping it at bay while packing for the upcoming Patrick Learning Community in Torrance, CA.  It worked!

A storm blew in the night before we were to load up (along with the West Crew) to head over the passes.   We had just put snow tires on Orson, so we were prepared!

 A little aero-triptych to punctuate the metamorphosis.  A journey to the land of sun.

 Going over the Continental Divide is always gorgeous, but the dusting of snow sure intensified it for us!

I live in the most magical place.  But I am so blessed to be able to get away to places that re-emphasize that fact. 

Places where a golden sun sinks into a blue horizon of ocean...

 Where you can sip some good Jo, while listening to the surf roll in ...

And the flowers are still in bloom ...

Where Palm trees nestle in with Pine, & Maple, & Gingko...

& Where night lights dance on the tide along the boardwalk.  All the while you are wearing shorts in NOVEMBER.

We love our leadership training; our Oikos; our people of peace ...

We always leave so filled (with great food thanks to Lynn) with information to process and grow from, with affection for the great diversity of our teams, and with challenges ahead to face together.

Needless to say, when it is completed we need to unwind! 

J had planned for us to spend a couple days kickin' it in Laguna Beach.  We had a great dinner together at Nick's (highly recommend!) that night, but the next day the exhaustion kicked us instead.   We spent the day in the hotel room sipping Pelegrino, slurping soup, and watching Winnie-the-Pooh.

Saturday we joined Eric and Lisa Strom in La Verne.  So awesome to see where they 'do life'!  

We had breakfast in old town, then got to see where Eric pastors before taking off for the "Hollywood" tour Little Red Insight style.  :)

Lisa drove us to her walking trails that over look La Verne.  It was lovely.  Fall was still in full swing & the riots of color were everywhere!

When Eric finished up his official responsibilities we took off to truly partake of the area...  Beginning in Alta Loma at Rancho de Philo's Sherry Winery.  They only open one week out of the year for selling their sherry.  We just happened to be in town for it!  Lucky us!  While they poured, they told us stories, and they poured us more - we did not argue.

 

After leaving the Cucamunga Valley, we drove to Claremont and walked the streets, window shopped, talked plants and other nothings-of-significance until we ended up at the wine bar where we settled into a cozy corner and ordered a flight of Pinots, a Zin, a Merlot, and a Chianti along with a plate of divine cheeses and whiled away a couple hours talking of music and life and the complex beauty of wine.  It was hard to say goodbye. 

Sunday, bright and early, it was time to return to the great white north.  And, as I said, we love being able to go, but we love even more to return.

And return we did. 

Tomorrow I begin working for a Naturopath in town, and there are just a few days left to prepare for Thanksgiving, and we celebrate 23 years of marriage just after that.
So full.  So beautiful.

Every minute unleashed all day is a beautiful minute; 

acclimatize with the pace,

And every entity sojourning upon the surface of

this earth is a beautiful entity; 

making this endlessly spinning globe a
beautiful place; giving rise to the famous
and immortal adage;
'Life is beautiful'.

Take wing. Live. Fly into life, full. Embrace. Be beauty.

~ Nikhil