Sanctuary

Visiting my sisters is my favorite pastime. Penny’s house has been home base for years. But next week we’ll be going to Laguna to stay with Joanie. And that too will be wonderful. They’ve moved from our more familiar Woodland Hills and are now quite far away from our old stomping grounds and favorite eateries. But we’ll have new experiences in their new neighborhood and they are much closer to the ocean than before and that will be another big plus.
While we are here for the last week or so, we’ve rested, laughed and cried and eaten at several of our old standby restaurants, although so many of the best have disappeared from our reality. But I’ve spent lots of time around the house here and in the gorgeous pool, which has always been the way I get back into shape and cure the aches and pains of my old bones.
Walking around the back garden is such a treat and my sister manicures every plant whenever she notices a tad out of place or straggly bits. But overall it still has the feeling of wild abandon as ducks swim in the pool or spa, lizards climb up and down the walls, dragonflies dart and flit sometimes resting on a leafless branch and monarchs perch with folded wings fluttering on leafy flowering shrubs. There is perfection here in this paradise and as I meander down the side pathway, I notice new or very established bunnies looking my way that I hadn’t seen in years or ever. They’re behind the plants or leaning on the tree trunks or under a bush peeking out. Enormous maidenhair ferns fill giant adobe and ceramic pots and spill over delicately. I have to pinch myself because everything is so neat and immaculate despite the needles from the stately pines falling onto the decking or in the pool with the breeze. It’s all just so perfect in my estimation and so lovingly watered and watched and nurtured and talked to and cared for with the utmost sensitivity.
I think to myself that this is catharsis on every level of my being. I feel cleansed in all this love and devotion. Lucky me.