And off we go..................

On Saturday, October 8, we embarked on a journey of a dream come true.....

I've been a fan of Susan Branch since my children were little girls.  I connected with her on a level that wasn't quite 'in,' at the time.....I was all about my home and family and cooking and making things pretty and special....and the world was evolving into those kinds of tasks being 'mundane'.....

I've never thought them to be mundane.  I've thought them to be one of the highest orders of callings in the Universe.....making a house a home, and loving your family with all your heart....

There have been some very tragic events of late, and I don't want to fill this wonderful journey with any of that, so I'll leave it for later, but I want to say that it has been in the past 12 years that my 'calling' was truly appreciated.....it always has been from my daughters, but this time, a man came into my life who said, 'I didn't even know all that I needed until I found you.'  

Susan Stewart Branch inspired me to stay with my purpose....to do what I love....to honor what brings me joy.....

I thought of her life as I went about mine.....her coming out to Martha's Vineyard....not knowing what might lie ahead of her.  And there, in a restaurant....she met her soulmate....as I met mine in a restaurant almost 12 years ago.  The stories are different yet similar....I had three young women in my household to care for....so I wanted a partner, a dad, and a future grandfather.....Susan's love of family made me realize it was OK to want all of that...and need it, too. 

So, this wonderful man of mine and I boarded a plane on Saturday morning....even though the week was sunny and warm, Saturday morning was quite different.  It was 39 degrees and dark and rainy; it was snowing in the mountains and my oldest daughter woke to 3 inches on the ground.  We left the house about 3:30 am to catch the earliest flight to Los Angeles Airport. 

 There it was.....city sprawl....but there it was......

 You can see the downtown area in the distance and the hills beyond....

 Once we landed, we taxied to where we'd disembark....

 The terminal had some emergency going on....I never learned what it was...

 After we got our rental car, we got on the 405 freeway to I-10 and headed north....

 Lots of Halloween stores seemed to have emerged along the highway....

 But the ocean and the gorgeous beaches of California were as beautiful as ever....

 Some pumpkins were floating....

 The landscape before us was beautiful blue skies touching crystal blue seas...

 Something tragic had happened here on our journey....there were dozens of emergency vehicles

 And close to our destination is Pismo Beach.....exit 193 and one of Susan's favorite places to eat.  Just days earlier, she spoke of this place in her blog....where she showed the adorable handbag with the cutie pooch?

 Yes, the Spyglass Inn and Restaurant and here we were, sitting looking out at the ocean with snow and freezing rain falling in our home state we had just left earlier in the day....

I had the lettuce wraps which were so flavorful, fresh and delicious----

 Rod had the shrimp in tequila and lime, with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables....I stole about 1/2 of those potatoes, which were out of this world...

 And.....we cleaned our plates!

 Well, except for the noodles, which aren't gluten-free

 Then, we just sat a bit and soaked in the sunshine and the view....

 Then we were off....on the way, we passed this group of 'adults' playing Quidditch....a fictional sport from Harry Potter; I'm not sure how you play....other than running around in crazy costumes!

 And then we arrived at our inn, Petit Soleil....  a whimsical bed and breakfast which was 're-born' from an old motor lodge...it was quite cute....

The breakfasts were delicious on the two mornings we were there, but we had to RUSH on Monday morning since we had such a long drive back south to Los Angeles...
Here's a picture of the inn's courtyard.  There are bikes to borrow, too.  I do recommend it....if you're ever in San Luis Obispo.

         OK, that's it for this post.....I'll continue with the visit tomorrow....stay tuned!!  I hate to make you wait, but it will be worth it!!! I love you all.....I carried each of you with me as we drove along the coast....I know you love her as much as I do.....
xoxo  Joann