You know that spinning ride at the amusement park?  Or maybe you are a roller coaster kind of person.  Well whatever kind of ride is your pleasure, I think you will understand the feeling you get after the ride, when the ride is over, and your body feels like it is still moving and twisting.  It can throw you off balance.

That’s how I feel.  Only my ‘ride’ was a vacation that took me for four days to California, then a four day drive down and back to Knoxville, TN and finally a day’s drive back and forth to Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The ride was fun!  But I am still spinning.  I’m afraid I haven’t settled back into the repetitive daily routine yet.  And with that, I apologize for not blogging for a while … time to get back into the groove.  Here’s some news from my travels!

Our 4 day trip to California was … sorry to use your word, Ted … but it really was … unbelievable!  Flying is not my favorite mode of travel.  I dislike it for the nauseating way I feel during take-offs and landings.  I find it incredible that I am traveling at close to 500mph (is that right?) and so very very very high in the sky.  (A ‘cruising altitude’ of 38,000 feet??)

It just doesn’t seem real or possible to be traveling that fast and that high up.  But I resign myself to flying as a mode of travel because in just a few hours of travel, I can find myself on the other side of the country.  Amazing.

California was interesting … marvelous … different from Michigan … beautiful in places … full of history … and hot and crowded.  We were mostly in the Los Angeles area with some trips to surrounding areas.  We saw the infamous “Hollywood” sign:

Some Hollywood ‘stars’ and handprints:

 

Palm trees, beaches, and pelicans:

 

 

But despite all the fancy touristy California sights to see, the best part of the long weekend was the people we visited and hung out with.  Friday night we met up with an old friend of Ted’s.  It was fun to hear Ted and Jamie talk about old times and she was easy to like – we became fast friends as well!  She took us to a place to eat on Malibu Beach where I had the best fish and shrimp tacos EVER.  I ate with my feet in the sand on the beach.  Precious are old friends.

 

Saturday we played tourist with a wonderful bunch of Michigan friends – you see we were all there for a wedding of a common friend!

Saturday night was a dinner hosted by the groom’s family.  There was lots of food, friends, family, and the view was incredible!

 

 

Sunday we met up with a friend of our daughters who was in LA to pursue an acting career.  MATT!  It was refreshing to share lunch and old stories with him, as well as catch up of all the new stuff in his life!

Sunday evening was the most beautiful wedding of Bethany Davis to Kristian Perez.  Good times.  Good people.  A great wedding.

 

California was great – and yet I know that we only saw a small part of it.  It is a very long state with lots of differences from north to southern CA.  But truly, it was not nearly as sweet and memorable as the people we spent the weekend with.  Reuniting with Jamie and Matt, enjoying the comfort of our familiar Michigan friends, and being part of a wedding celebration.  Ahhh.  That’s what it’s all about folks.

People and hearts and relationships and caring and loving.

Just Laurel

Proverbs 17:17a  A friend loves at all times.

Next blog I shall continue to share with you my ‘vacation ride’ as I travel to TN !