I Am A Mother - A Trip To Visit Joe

Southern California is a wonderful place to live.  It is home to a very diverse population because within a radius of  60 miles you can find yourself in settings that fit any personality and life style.  

Yesterday we left our “paradise by the ocean” in San Pedro, drove through the urban congestion and energy of downtown Los Angeles, continued through the suburban neighborhoods of the San Fernando Valley, over the Santa Monica mountains to the vast expanses of the high desert, with its big sky, vista covered with cactus and wildflowers, clean air, unique rock formations and nature for as far as the eye can see.  We were on our way to visit my son, Joe. He and Kimberly had just moved into a new house and we were paying our first visit.

Joe is my first-born…Primo…and of all my sons, he is the one with the most adventurous spirit.  He always tried everything first, from skateboarding to sky-diving to motorcycles.  He has lived in Germany, San Diego, Poway, and now Acton, CA.  Each location, while full of new experiences, did not seem to fit his spirit and he moved on, searching for a place he could call home.  We were eager to see and experience his new “digs,” and were bringing him and Kim the traditional Italian housewarming gifts of “il vino (wine), il sale (salt), il pane (bread) and la scopa (broom)” to ensure that their home would be filled with celebration, spiciness, sustenance and be rid of any bad emotions left by previous occupants!

After getting lost, even with our GPS, and finding ourselves on dirt roads leading to no-where 

"We're on the road to nowhere!"

we finally called them and Kimberly found us and led us to their new home.   

Joe greeting us!

What a delightful home they have created for the two of them.  Just walking in the front door, I was embraced by a sense of warmth, peacefulness and love.  

 

The living room, filled with personal treasures of each of them.

The desk....

Looking into the dining area.

Happy together!

They created this "statement of their philosophy!"

After a tour of the house, we went outside where Joe showed us the house-warming gift they received from their neighbors and good friends, Kevin & Jill…a rattlesnake catcher and a metal trash can to deposit the catch in!  Armed with the shotgun that Kim’s dad gave them, they are ready for snake season.   

Snake season is upon us!

Jay, the farm boy, was right at home carrying the gun on his shoulder.   

Surveying the surrounds...

We walked the property, saw the “dog house” and the play house, the cistern and well.  We even watched some local sheep wander on the hillside and listened to their “baas” filling the silence.   

Baa-baa....

They are living right next door to the 2^nd Home Dog Rescue where Joe serves as a board member and volunteers his time and his energy!  He loves it.

Behind Jay is the 2nd Home Dog Boarding and Rescue

Then we enjoyed some wine in their favorite place, the patio, and as we talked their seven other family members (5 rescue dogs and 2 cats) meandered around us, had their paws cleaned of little desert burrs while the rest roamed free.  

 

Joe chatting with newest rescue, "Fred," while Kim does some pampering!

Joe seemed so at home and so happy.  Kimberly was radiant and saying how she loved her “little house on the prairie!”  They described mornings, watching sunrise over the vista as they sip their morning coffee.  They are settling into a routine that feels good.

As I sat there and looked at them, my heart felt full.  All any mother wants for her children is for them to be happy, to be loved, to be at peace with their place in the world.  

 

Joe

Joe and Kimberly…we wish you much happiness in your new home and your new life!