When I was a kid we got together with two other families and celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas eve and New Years eve. I remember my family walking home from the Christmas eve celebration. Oddly enough the family who put on the party lived in a building called the Poinsettia Apartments. It was already after midnight and technically Christmas morning. The street was empty and cold and it seemed very exciting being out so late. I certainly never guessed I would someday be spending Christmas walking along the beach. I never considered that someday I might live someplace where snow at Christmas wouldn’t be an option.
I have to admit that a snowless Christmas bothered me for a while. The decorations with sleighs flying over the street in Beverly Hills seemed ridiculous when there was nothing for them to carry Santa through in Southern California. I wanted pine trees not palm trees.
Somewhere along the way I changed and I stopped missing the white stuff around the holiday. I loved how we spent today.
No more everything being closed on Christmas. We had our choice of restaurants for brunch. Afterwards we drove to Manhattan Beach and joined the line out the door at Starbucks. We grabbed coffees just before they closed and headed down to the paved walkway that goes between fabulous houses and the broad beach. The sun was already disappearing and just a few people were finishing up a volleyball game on the beach. In the distance Catalina was so clear it seemed much close than 26 miles across the sea.
The lights began to sparkle on the hills of Palos Verdes as we headed back on the walkway. The sky still showed traces of the sunset as we made our way out on the pier. The wind had whipped up and the waves were big on the navy blue water. A flock of birds hovered above us as they rode the current of air.
We finished off with dinner at teppan place and a ride through the area known as Candy Cane Lane. Part of YOU BETTER KNOT Die took place on the highly decorated streets which made going through them even more fun even if they were jammed with traffic.
It was a Christmas Day well spent.
4 comments:
Glad you had a good Christmas, Betty. Sounds like a lot of fun. And I don't miss snow at all except for seeing it at a distance!
I think the beach makes everything better. Glad you had a wonderful day.
Linda, snow may be close to us soon. I heard there is a possiblity of a storm on Wednesday with a snow level down to 2000 feet.
Planner, the walk in Manhattan Beach is extra interesting. On one side is the sand and the water and the other houses so big they look like hotel and so close if you step off the walkway you are on their patio.
Post a Comment