July 18, 2010
My work takes me to Orange County, the land of sea breezes, temperate days, and beautiful people. It is also the land of narrow yards, streetlight alleys, and a patchwork design of freeways.
So, I was a bit surprised the other day when a colleague asked me if I had moved to Orange County yet.
“No, I’m still in Cherry Valley.”
And he responded …
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Now, it is true this colleague has lived his whole life in Orange County and at the age of 77 still surfs most mornings. He obviously thinks of Orange County as home, sweet home.
But I think of Cherry Valley as home, sweet home. And let me tell you why, as I have been paying close attention lately so the next time I see this colleague I will have a catalogue of reasons for living there, rather than a vague sense that it is where I belong.
I love the day I was out on the deck, overlooking the state park with a friend and told him about how there is deer in the area. And he said…
“Like that one?” pointing to a deer below our house, looking right at us, as if planted there to prove my point.
I love the patch of raspberries, not just the one in my yard, but the one past my mailbox and at the corner where I picked a handful last night to rinse and savor.
I love the census worker how flagged me down, looking for an address on my street of four houses. I got to explain to her, to her astonishment, that the address was for the vacant lot, no, no one lives there. “Except snakes!” my husband yelled as a warning as she ventured into the knee high shrubs. And she said …
“I’ll just ask around some more,” as if a vacant lot in Southern California was unbelieveable, like a talking frog who turns into a prince.
I love red tailed hawks who seem to wait on the neighbor’s fence for me to come home so they can fly just as I drive near them, as if reminding me that magic is everywhere.
Finally, I love that in my house only the bedrooms have curtains, and those are only closed when it is late at night and friends are over and I need to slip out of warm weather clothes to put on a pair of jeans and a thick sweater.
So, though it does get hot, and it does get windy, I wouldn’t live any place other than my home, sweet home.
This week I will appreciate my home and the gifts it gives me each day.
