A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

First of all, we didn't wake up until 11 AM (which is 4 AM at home) because we went to bed very late.  I have no memory of sleeping that late ever in my life, but that's a long time, and who knows. We walked downhill for about 100 feet, crossed the street and arrived at Benjamin and Yael's.  

Our AirB&B is behind the fence on the left and B & Y's house is behind the wall on the right.

 

They live in a big apartment that belongs to Yael's parents, with enough rooms to have an office and a sewing/craft room plus all the required living spaces.  The layout is odd but the story is that an architect designed it for herself, and we all know how quirky architects can be. Benjamin has a lot of comments about design features that failed, mostly to do with doors that don't open all the way or drawers that can't open when doors are in the way.  But it is lovely to have so much space available to them in such a convenient location.

I had forgotten how warm it might be here in the middle of winter. It was sunny and 70 degrees by the time we got outside.  Flowers blooming, leaves on trees, palm trees, nice air.

Mika and her nanny came home from their morning at the park. I had the sense that Mika was still experiencing us as apparitions from another time and place. She picked up a book and asked me to read it, immediately.  Eventually she was convinced to have some lunch, which she fed herself very ably, a spoon in each hand some of the time.

 

 

While she was still eating, her parents and grandparents left her with the nanny and we walked up the street for lunch at a neighborhood cafe. This is the height of civilization, to live within easy walking distance of a good place to eat. Good salads, good sandwiches, all just perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After Mika's nap, we loaded her into her stroller and Yael took us on a walk to the supermarket. More civilized living. Just a few blocks from a supermarket that has everything we needed. We really need to have a chance to live in a city again, even if only for a few months a year.  

 

Benjamin and Yael made dinner while I was on a long call with someone in Oregon and Becky in Virginia (so one of us was in an 8 AM meeting, one at 11 AM and one in a 6 PM meeting), trying to finish up the details of setting up the CSA.

I got to have more grandma time, watching Mika playing in the bath, and then she retired for the night. We sat around on the comfy couches all evening, keeping Benjamin from doing work that he had intended to do. He will have to work fast in the mornings when we are still sleeping.

This was a very good mellowing in day.  Some day we will have to look beyond this neighborhood but there is no rush..