We just figured out it’s been about 6 years since I’ve visited my Auntie down here in good ole Calabasas CA. Why so long when she’s only 3.5 hours South through and to some of the most beautiful coastline in the world? The excuses are many actually, lack of time, not in the budget, been too absorbed in my own stressful pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. Lame excuses.
I kick myself for not taking advantage of these little getaways more often. I, on occasion, I have a hankering for the more sophisticated things in life. Ironically, it lends to the balance of my personality as well as my perspective of life back home, at the ranch.
My Auntie Lynnie is one of the more interesting people I have the pleasure of knowing and I long for those treasured and thought provoking conversations with her . They’re full of discovery, intertwining world history, art and culture with current events. There’s a certain romanticism that is present when spending time with her. It was she who fostered my creative and imaginative side as a youngster. When she would visit she’d always be armed with some new colorfully illustrated book, which she would enthusiastically read to me . When I’d go visit her at the tiny apartment in Santa Monica, she’d always have a stash of colored pencils, watercolors, brushes of all sizes and big white sheets of paper, encouraging me to expand my budding creative perspectives. Fond memories……
Fast forward 40 something years and I find myself sitting in the warm and elegantly eclectic surroundings of the home she’s created with her husband here in Calabasas. (A far cry from that tiny little apartment) At the moment, here in the living room, I’m immersed in the glow of warm recessed lighting illuminating several old portraits thoughtfully collected throughout the years. Glass cabinets filled with admirable collections of antique pottery and figurines, giant books filled with transcendent landscapes of old country. I’m lounging on large plush furniture, great for relaxing and putting one’s feet up. I look outdoors to the teeny backyard oasis of colorful flowers, hummingbirds and a cool refreshing pool, ahhhhhh, I can’t help but to basque in the sublime tranquility.
My view from the couch of the garden outdoors.
Today I’ll be fortunate enough to tour the “Book of Beasts” exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum where Auntie Lynnie is a docent. I cannot wait to soak up all that history, reflecting upon those and their ideas who came before us, laying the foundation of religion, art and culture. Contemplating how past creative pursuits attempting to explain the world known then and how it’s been interpreted by humans throughout history, leading to today.
This just in!!! It was fascinating! Stay tuned for a piece on that A-M-A-Zing slice of Medieval history.
Here’s where the scales balance. What knowledge can I collect from the past to put to good use as I move headlong into the future? Ah ha, only time will tell. Be well~M