like the hundreds of thousands of lawless, african honey bees who, with the discipline of an invading military, swarmed into tampa, florida, swaddling and engulfing two park rangers, the same could be said for our recent warm weather which has marched in and occupied southern california.

since thursday morning i’ve had a slight hiccup in my schedule which has been interrupted from the mob of jasmine teeming throughout the southland. the sweet aroma is such that i must stop where i am, shut both eyes, inhale and exhale, and always, although inadvertently, awaken with a smile on my face. 

after a spring as frigid as my high school years, the weekend’s summer-like, semi-hotness, was greeted like a true liberator from our recent and oppressive, burkha cardigan-wearing-required-weather.

saturday i took hunkiest back to my old neighborhood where years ago i stomped, angst’d, and pined over boys in ford ranger trucks and memorized every john michael montgomery lyric recorded.

 sadly the circumstances were for a memorial service, but it was great to see friends i have loved and worshiped for the last 33 years.

not much has changed; except now our laser focus locks on the toddler near the pool, and not how low the keg is getting. 

oh how priorities change.

but back to my love for wind-swaying palm trees; california i just can’t quit you.

lately there’s been rambling conversation about a different coast, a change of ocean. 

yet there’s something about the misty, pacific air, first thing in the morning, how its salty mingles with the smokiness of my morning coffee and curates the tiniest, little escape for me each day. 

i never go a day without hearing a seagull on my street, squawking happily at the pickets, telling us to wake up or move yer cars.

on the weekends the beasts get to walk down to pacific coast highway. we watch the boats in the bay, eat croissants {yes raquel} by the water, and say to each other at least twice “i can’t believe we get to live here.”

pardon me while i have a torrid tryst with my magnetic california.