Huntington Beach

Okay, so the pedicure went great and my feet are beautiful and massaged. I noticed something, too. For this past year, I have had a condition in my left foot called Plantar Fasciatis (sp?). Basically, the pain starts in the heel and radiates into the arch of the foot. My heel was extremely tender to the touch and there is not cure other than rest...which I DO NOT have the luxury of. So, for months on end, I have nursed a very sore foot. But since my massage from my friend and two pedicures, my foot feels 90% better. I am trying to convince Mike that future pedicures are medicinal and therapeutic and he NEEDS to "foot" the bill for the next one.

In my last entry, I mentioned that the words, Huntington Beach", evoke a sense of " ahhhh", and relief. The reason? While I was growing up, I spent most of my vacations and half my summers at my grandma's place in Huntington Beach. She didn't have alot of extra cash so our form of entertainment, aside from an occasional movie or ice cream sundae at Mc Donald's, was to go to the beach. We would sit on the sand, listen to the Angels or Dodgers baseball games on her transistor radio, and sun ourselves. I would get in the water, which ususally took me an hour to even get into because it was so cold, body surf courtesy of lessons from Uncle Frank, and we would walk along the shore and look for shells. She would visit "Jack's snack bar and bring back fried burritos and nachos with shredded cheese and a dipping sauce that tasted more like ketchup than anything else.

In my tumultuous childhood, Grandma's house and our trip to HB was really the only quiet and safe place I had. Fast forward to today, when we visit California, I HAVE to get to HB. It's as if it is there calling to me. My Grandma has since passed away, but the feeling of calmness and sanctuary still pours over me when I get my first glimpse of the Pacific and I take my first step into the sand. I LOVE going into the Hollister clothing stores with my kids because they have a LIVE feed from the HB pier. I can almost see my Uncle John's condo!!!

I have so many fond and wonderful memories of going to my Grandma's in HB aside from actually going to the beach. But my love for the beach has continued until now and I have may reminders around my house. Pictures, shells, "beachy" decor, etc. I had a recent guest in my home ask me if I loved the beach. In fact, there is a huge part of me, a deep longing in fact, to one day move to HB and live there for the rest of my life. I don't see that happening in the near future and the thought of that dream possibly never coming true is very sad to me. I know that the Lord and His plan may direct me down paths that take me farther and farther away from that dream. But then again, maybe not! Maybe someday it will be part of my regular routine to each day take a walk on the beach. Maybe someday I will hear the roar of the ocean from my front door or will be able to see it from my window. Maybe someday I will be able to hear the announcements from the lifeguard tower on the pier (just like in my grandma's back patio).

Huntington Beach-always in my heart and a part of who I am today.