Coronado Island...Thank-you....

View from our hotel of the Coronado Bay Bridge

View from hotel of downtown San Diego

Terrace (loved the terrace) of our room with a view..

Big California skies, the Pacific on Coronado Beach

Mussels and fries @ Chez Loma

We parked in front of this historic bungalow everyday @ the beach...

Historic Hotel Del Coronado...125 years old!!

Sand castle sculpted in front of Hotel Del...w/ Jimmy!!

Where we did not stay (one of the Del's Villa's)...lol...pretty!!

Chandelier in lobby of Hotel Del!!

Sunrise...

...and sunset...

This is how our vacation started...we boarded the plane, excited that our vacation was finally upon us. I smiled @ the man sitting next to me in the window seat, Jimmy was on the aisle. Window man and I engaged in very small chit chat. I noticed his accent. As always, curious:

Me: Where are you from?

Him: (short, momentary hesitation) Iran.

Me: (still in conversational mode, not thinking the worst) So, why are you going to San Diego?

Him: My wife's mother died.

Me: Oh I am so sorry. Last year at this time, my Mother died. I know how you feel.

Him: Thank you.

He went on to explain to me about the Iranian community in San Diego, that he lives in Denver. I told him that we were going to San Diego to celebrate our 25th Anniversary, that it was a happy occasion, that I hoped his next trip would be a happy occasion. I offered him some almonds, he said no, and put his hand over his heart. I had my Chaim Potok novel in my lap, he watched cartoons for the rest of the trip. We landed w/out incident and said our good-byes.

We had a wonderful time on Coronado Island. We wanted to go to the beach and eat fish. Anything over and above that would be icing on the cake. Just being there, smelling the water, waking up w/ the sun, seeing the pristine cleanliness of the Island, pastel colored bicycles everywhere, children pedaling freely, shiny cars reflecting the palm trees on their well polished bodies, knowing we were very very close to Tijuana, dreaming about buying a condo or a time share for our next trip back to Coronado (stranger things have happened) all added to the depth of our visit to Coronado. The icing was thick.

We planned the trip so that it would be the few days before the 1st anniversary, or yahrzeit of Mom's passing. I said to Jimmy, this was either a really good idea, or a really bad one. As it turns out, it was a really good idea. The anticipation of how bad the day might be was erased by the whole adventure. My gratitude of being by the ocean, the long walks on the beach, all took away the sting of the day. Honestly, I was glad that the first year w/out Mom was behind us. So, here we are, back from sea level to 6000 feet in the air. A seamless transition, this time...looking forward to the continuing adventure....

Hello 2012 and Goodbye to Matunuck Beach....

Pointed in the right direction...the Pacific...really???

Getting ready to be washed away by the rising tide....just like that...gone...

Walking towards Pt. Judith...so beautiful!

And the clouds started rolling in by the time we headed back...still so breathtaking...and today, loud..

Stunning food...there's no other way to describe it...in 2 short years since opening, it has left a lasting impression....

Farming the oysters...we were more fish n' chips ( fries and salad, cole slaw and bread w/ lavender dipping oil...) and muscles ...I can still taste it all...

January 1, 2012....a mild day in the northeast. The sun was out. Jimmy leaves tomorrow, again, for Colorado, now waiting for Edward and I to fill our new home in a couple of weeks. We seized the day (much better than bubble wrap galore and tape), and went to the beach we have loved so much over these past 10 years. We have spent what can only be described as some of the most perfect days of our lives @ the shore. We took the long walk to Pt. Judith...much easier when not wearing winter garb, however, no less beautiful. Along the way we picked up a sizable rock, took it w/ us to Pt. Judith, said a prayer and threw it into the water!! It was a symbol of all that was, and all which is yet to be, as we move out West. C.B. Murray posted a scripture on his Facebook wall which says it all:“Thus says the Lord who made it, the Lord who formed it to establish it (the Lord is His name): ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:2

We were starving after that long walk and had an excellent meal @ the Matunuck Oyster Bar. It was the perfect end to a new beginning. Welcome 2012.....

The Stone House

Amazing that this structure is still standing!!!

Looking over the ocean, a great place for a kitchen!!

From the inside, we'll need a custom window here!

The view from the front door!!!!!

Greetings!

The back wall of the Stone House!!

This is the beginning of our annual 'Beach Week'. We have such beautiful beaches here in Rhode Island. We have made our selves at home at East Matunuck. We have been going there for almost 10 years, and over the years we have learned that families have been coming to this beach, to 'their' respective spots, for generations. However, this year, there is a glitch. The beach house, for changing, showering, food, etc., has being torn down for a newer, shinier model. (A huge structure!) As a result, there are only 300 parking places. The field has been narrowed big time!! Alas, early as we were yesterday, there was no room at the inn, if you will. So, we made our way to Scarborough. It is very similar to Jones Beach in New York. A ga-zillion people, a sea of umbrellas...but beautiful surf and waves. For me, grumpy as I was to be forced out of my beloved Matunuck, yes, people there was a silver lining. There is a cliff walk. A narrow path, overlooking the ocean, full of rich foliage, which went on and on and on. Jimmy and I literally walked our brains out. The beach must be double the length of Matunuck...we walked that as well. But, it was this Stone House which really captured my attention. I was amazed at the construction...how old do you think it is?I have looked on-line and there is very little information on it's history. But, I was already putting in a kitchen and decorating as soon as I went 'inside'. This morning, I read that there is alot of poison ivy in the area, immediately started itching, and some bumps appeared on my arm. Great, I thought, 12 summers in the Berkshires, and I never got poison ivy...one visit to the Stone House, and well, I'll keep you posted!!!

Have a safe and Happy July 4th America!!!

Late August at the Beach...

We know that our days at our beloved Matunuck Beach are numbered. We hope and pray every year for great weekend weather straight through October. Don't laugh, it has been known to happen. The swells were huge today because of hurricane Danielle, churning out there in the Atlantic. Lots of life guards running up and down the shore, whistles in tow, making sure to keep everyone out of the rip currents. One man did have to be rescued and was bleeding from his head. We heard that he will be okay.

I came home with a full bucket of rocks. I have never, ever done that, so you can imagine the utter self control I exercised (LOL) when I knew that I was done collecting for the day. However, the gift, the true gift were these sea shells which I found. They must have travelled far and wide because I have never, ever seen these kind of shells on our beach...Florida, maybe, not Rhode Island. They were in one micro-section of the beach and I was de-lighted to carefully place them in my bucket, as if I had found the greatest treasure!! I am happy to report that they all made it home in one piece. We go back again for more, late August beach time tomorrow... for joy!!

Tiny, Tiny Tiny...

Yesterday was one of those days at the beach we will remember for the rest of our lives. The weather was warm, the sky was blue, blue, blue, there was just a slight breeze, the water was clear (no red tide), the rocks were abundant as the ocean was really bringing it up from the bottom. Jimmy and Edward played allot in the water (as I scoured the beach over and again for stones), the food, delish. I came away with my yellow bucket almost full of rocks, some smooth pieces of small shells, even a piece of beach glass. But THIS TINY SHELL is what took my breath away. I just couldn't get over it. There it was on the shore, surrounded by thousands of small, very small pebbles, (almost sand, but too grainy), and some larger rocks as well. I guarded it carefully, I knew I had to keep it safe and intact. I just had to get it back to our spot on the beach where my camera was tucked away. I knew that in it's own small way, this tiny shell would keep yesterday forever in our memories...remember the day when.....