California Dreamin' On An Icy Ohio Day

Books By Patti Liszkay
​Available On Amazon

​"Equal and Opposite Reactions" http://amzn.to/2xvcgRa
and the sequel, "Hail Mary" https://www.amzn.com/1684334888
​Available on Amazon.

​CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' ON AN ICY OHIO DAY

.​      Yesterday Ohio was pummelled by an ice storm, followed last night by a snow storm

     All day yesterday what looked like rain falling down, but sounded like pellets, left a pretty coating of ice on the plants,

...and a treacherous coating on the driveways and roads.

        By this morning the ice was covered with six inches of still-falling snow, ​

... which Tom and I spent the morning shoveling from our driveway,

...stopping to chat now and then with the neighbors who were also out shoveling their driveways and sidewalks.

      Now, while the snow continues to blow around in the air outside, I've parked myself in front of the fire, 

...while I recall  that one week ago I was still in Los Angeles, enjoying the balmy weather, 

...the cerulean blue skies,

...the mountains on one  horizon,

...the sea on another,

...the sunshine,

...and the sunshine of my life.

        Tom and I arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday, January 15 and returned to Columbus two weeks later on Saturday, January 29. As soon as we arrivied we stepped into the household routine, which, shortly after our arrival, involved fixing lunch.

    Later in the day the girls and I launched into some crafts projects that I'd brought with me.

     They made jewelry from two-sided puffy stickers,

...while I tried my hand at pipe-cleaner animals.

   Mayhaps no works of art for my first tries, 

...still, my eight-year-old grand daughter wanted them for her baggie of valuables.

      The following morning we drove to nearby Playa Vista, catching a surreal mountain view along the way,

...for a get-together with some relatives.
   While the others got together at a park for a few rounds of pickle-ball, a game that, to my understanding, appears to be a morph of tennis and ping-pong (though I expect I could be totally wrong about this),

...Tom and I walked around Playa Vista to  have a look at the sights.

      After the pickle-ball games we all met up again at a beautiful park called The Commons,

...for a picnic brunch.

      As the next day was Martin Luther King day, a school holiday, we went out for dinner that night to one of my favorite area restaurants, Scotty's in Hermosa Beach,

...where, in my opinion, the fish tacos are to die for.

     After dinner we walked to the Hermosa Beach pier plaza, 

...to a bakery called Baked Bear,

...where one can find the most delicious cookie ice cream sandwiches.

      The following morning we drove to downtown Manhattan Beach,

...then hiked two miles along the Strand, the walkway that runs along the Southern Los Angeles beaches, to Hermosa Beach.

      When we reached our destination, a popular beach restaurant called Good Stuff where dogs are not only welcome, but which offers a menu for poochies,

...we found that there was a considerable wait time. 
      But no matter, it was a beautiful day,

...and everyone found a way to pass the time.

To be continued...