Visiting

"Mom, I missed you. Nobody told the boys when to go to bed and I couldn't clear off the kitchen table." My daughter welcomed me home from a three-day trip to Los Angeles with these words, heartfelt and practical. I welcomed her sentiments but felt a bit reduced to my housekeeping and 'strict parent' functionality, especially after three days of eating out, sleeping in, adult-only conversation and movie-watching.

My sister lives only two blocks from the beach in Redondo Beach, about twenty minutes' drive from where we attended High School, in Palos Verdes. It is a gorgeous segment of Southern California, bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Pacific Coast Highway on the East (yes, that is quite a narrow strip!) When I ran on the Esplanade or walked on the beach the air was redolent with ghosts of old friends: playing volleyball, bodysurfing, suntanning, and jogging. My brother, who joined us from his home in Boston, recalled his first hand-in-hand walk on the beach, which happened just at our location.

The beach crowd was a bit sparse in the last weekend of February as low temps hit the 40's and rain poured two nights out of three. But this clearing out gave way to sparkling azure skies, views of snowcapped peaks and rippling ocean skin like millions of green migrating geckos, as viewed from the air. Even better than the scenery and the moisture in the air was the company. I had the chance to compare book notes with my sister and take in two Oscar-nominated films, just before the actual Oscars. The airport actually had miniature model Oscars on display in the giftshop.

My brother caught us up on the antics of his baby, who walked fluidly for the first time over the weekend. We relished gluten-free soup as only three genetically affected siblings can, caught up on family chatter and planned for our summer rendezvous on Cape Cod. Blessings abounded, and though I love life in perpetually snowcapped Colorado it was a bit hard to bring my mind back to childrearing and cleaning the kitchen table. As long as open arms await me on both legs of my journey, I'm a happy women.