Back from California

So April is now gone, for all intents and purposes. I am reading Anthony Powell's Dance to the Music of Time so my time references are way off. I only know I am towards the end of book six (out of 12). But it seems we just took a two-week trip to California. We started out in San Diego and had a lovely visit with our friend Janet Richards. Sat on the beach at Wind 'n Sea and watched surfers. Watched my great niece play soccer and went on a nice trip to the beach with her sister (in San Clemente). Visited Pacific View cemetery and saw my parents' grave stone, it looked nice. Lunch with niece Kathleen. Four lovely days in South Pasadena, stayed in my sister's new home, went to Santa Anita with friend Mimi (I had the big winnings on the day, not that the winnings were large, just that 4 of 5 horses came in for me). After a yummy brunch we strolled the grounds of the Huntington Library with Kirk and Melinda. Tore ourselves away to fly to Northern California.

In Palo Alto it was mostly rainy and windy, very uncharacteristic. Dinner and poetry at Joyce's with the old group was really nice. Took great nephew Riley out to dinner the next night. Drove up to Berkeley to stay at the Shattuck Plaza. The Sixteen Rivers East Bay launch of the new anthology at Mrs. Dalloway's was a terrific reading and we were really glad we could attend this event. On Friday we ferried over to S.F., had our lunch sitting in the sun looking out at the bay. Dinner with Susan and her friend Mark at our hotel. Our last day we had breakfast at La Note and then spent the afternoon by the pool at the San Jose Hyatt, and had dinner at La Pastaia. Aaah, California, just like a dream. Compared to green Connecticut (busting out in springtime flowers everywhere) it seems a little arid. But the beaches were nice, can't complain there...