I never thought I would see the day that I spent Christmas without cold, gray skies, and snow. And if I had thought that, I don't think I would envision myself saying that I don't miss the snow! Because I don't. Christmas spent on or near the beach, which is covered with a white grainy substance that I consider just as festive as snow, is infinitely better than Christmas spent huddled indoors with little or no sunshine.
This year, I took six days to travel out to the parental homestead in Oceanside, which is about 45 minutes north of San Diego. As soon as I landed, Ma and Pa whisked me off to the San Diego zoo where we saw prairie dogs (one of my favs), polar bears, pandas (!!), pumas, flamingos, koalas (another fav), and warthogs. As it was Christmas Eve, and kind of cool and rainy, there were very few people at the zoo, allowing us to see the in-demand pandas, chewing on bamboo from their perches in the trees. I think I wouldn't mind coming back as a panda living in captivity. Other than being on display for much of the day, it's a rather pampered lifestyle. After getting our fill of "wild" animals, we trucked North to the homestead for dinner and puzzles and settling in for the night.
On Christmas morning, there were the usual gift wrapped surprises, which are my mother's favorite part of the whole year. She just loves seeing our faces as we take in her thoughtful choices for each of us. The entire rest of the day was spent lounging, reading, watching movies, holding down the couch, doing puzzles, eating baked goods, and feasting on roasted turkey with twice-baked potatoes. Gotta love the home cookin' from Mom!!
The day after Christmas, we skipped the malls, and drove up to Crystal Cove, which is just south of Huntington Beach. I love going to the beach in California because it is so different from the beaches in Florida, and even the beaches of the Atlantic Coast. The waves are more powerful, the water so cold, and the nearshore creatures are different. In CA, there is kelp instead of seagrass. There are rocky outcrops instead of a wide, shallow, sandy shelf. In CA, you walk with shoes and socks because the sand is cold; you wear a windbreaker because the air is brisk, and you pack a camera so you can capture it all...
How can you not love that scenery!! While I often find it hard to have my family scattered across the lower 48, and wish that we had more occasion to get us all together in the same city, I also love that every family visit includes new sites, sounds, and places. From visiting the great tourist traps of the Big Apple and the City of Brotherly Love, to feeling the warm Southern California sun, I find our family's quality time together is only heightened by these shared experiences. And even though this Christmas had my immediate family separated by thousands of miles, I still felt everyone's presence as we recounted our Christmas mornings over the phone and opened delivered packages. A big thank you goes out to Ma and Pa for hosting another wonderful holiday, which left me rested and ready to ring in another year!!
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