Jan’s Birthday Party
Our son Jan rented a beautiful house in Santa Barbara, close to the ocean. He invited his sister, Eva and me to visit him for four days. It was a wonderful holiday, which included his birthday party.
Eva drove me down from Davis, a seven-hour drive. We had a picnic in the car on the way. That was fun. Santa Barbara is beautiful, with tall, skinny palm trees, sunshine every day, but not too hot. The range of mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. The sound of the wavelets crashing on the beach.
The first day Jan treated us to lunch at a very expensive restaurant, the place where John and Jackie Kennedy had their honeymoon. We sat outdoors, on the tree-lined patio. Very nice. We also spent one morning walking in the sand on a deserted beach near his house. As usual, I splashed in the water and yelled, “Life begins at 96!” But I had a little trouble maintaining my balance as the wavelets splashed up my legs. The beach reminded me of Palm Beach in Florida where we spent so much time when my Mother was alive. The fine white sand, stretching as far as the eye could see, and the scarcity of people. The sea was calm, the cloudless sky, a beautiful azure blue. No boats, just sea and sky.
On the second day we drove down to State Street, the main shopping street in Santa Barbara. Blocks and blocks of little shops, one after another on both sides of the street. We sat at an outdoor table on the sidewalk under an umbrella. I drank decaf. for the first time in many decades, since coffee kept me from sleeping. There were several enticing Turkish shops near our outdoor table. We bought a few very rich candies in one of them, and ate them. In another shop I bought a gorgeous Turkish lamp for Eva, to thank her for driving me to and from Santa Barbara. Gretchen joined us and showed us the Court House. But it was locked. Gretchen, Eva’s childhood friend lives in Santa Barbara with her husband and 18 year-old daughter. She took two days off from her work in a bookstore and spent lots of time with us. She and Eva feel they are sisters.
During the daytime, Jan had a few business calls, while Eva worked on a big project he hired her to do. He interviews lots of people regarding their investments, with the hope of getting some of them to invest in his company. He has his own real estate business, which has survived the pandemic and is now thriving. Meanwhile, I did my Yoga practice and exercises every day and walked around in the garden, enjoying the wind chimes, the gigantic tree, the chives which Jan uses for his omelettes. I listened to my audiobooks (since I am losing my eyesight.) Elizabeth Kübler-Ross talks about death. (Since I am 96 it is relevant.) Every afternoon I took a rest on my big, comfortable, King-sized bed, with the window shutters closed. I listened to Richard Strauss’ “Four Last Songs” on my CD player. They were written when he was in his eighties just before he died. I never get tired of hearing them.
Then it was Thursday, Jan’s 55th birthday. I had arranged for Gretchen and her family to join us. Their beautiful 18 year-old daughter, Emma is about to go off to college. She chose the restaurant for the celebration. It was a small restaurant on State Street. We sat outdoors on a porch. I ordered bone marrow on toast, (a specialty of the house) and a glass of sweet white wine. Everyone was talking and laughing. Very merry! No birthday cake, but we sang “Happy birthday to you!” I gave him a check and a note saying, “I am proud of you and I am sure Dad would be proud of you, too.” It was a very pleasant little birthday party.
On the way home we noticed a big fire in the nearby mountain. When we entered Jan’s house the fire department called to tell us to evacuate immediately. I was stunned, imagining all of my possessions, clothes, etc. being destroyed by fire. I was moaning, “I can’t do this…” Meanwhile Eva was busy packing all of my clothes and other things into my bags. We took everything which we brought from Davis. I just sat in Jan’s car, dazed.
First we drove in two cars to Gretchen’s house. That was very reassuring. Jan found a beautiful hotel and arranged for adjoining rooms for Eva and me. (He had his own room.) I slept like a baby.
Next morning they told us the danger had passed, we could return home. I suggested that Eva and I should have breakfast on the patio under the big trees. Very nice. I had French Toast, which I hadn’t eaten for a long time. It was very good with maple syrup on it.
We came home. Everything was just as we had left it. A close shave. An unforgettable experience. I thanked God.