Wow!  What a difference.  During the last three days I have been on top of the world located about a half hour from San Diego.  Oh my goodness, how beautiful it is there.  From the top of the mountain I could actually see some of the ocean when it was clear.  Hills and hills, and more hills. Palms and avocado trees, mango trees and persimmon trees on the property of where I was staying.  It was like a paradise.  No traffic noise or sirens, no city lights, no people.  Well I guess there were some people because on Sunday I was awakened to a crew of pickers reaching tall poles up into the avocado trees with little baskets  at the end to catch the avocados as they were snipped.  Today a huge truck drove off the mountain laden with fresh beautiful avocados fresh from the trees.  I wonder where they will end up.  I would have taken a photo but I was not dressed and we had to leave for church after we dressed.  I watched from the window.

Bill and Lisa and I had a leisurely morning, a leftover lunch from yesterday’s restaurant meal and I left about 1:45.  About 45 minutes later going up I-5 toward Anaheim the cars on the freeway stopped. Total traffic jam!  I could just see the next 50 miles taking about 5 hours.  Well, fortunately I beat the rush hour traffic and the freeway stall was the inspection of all cars because of being so close to the border.  Well, I must not have looked too suspicious because they just waved me through.  I also had to stop like that coming in from Arizona as I crossed the California state line.  I was waved through at that time also.

Only made one wrong turn on the way to my friends, Bob and Linda.  Linda came to the aid and talked me “home” on my car phone.  Home for the week at least.  This is a busy household.  One grandma, one grandpa (who are Bob and Linda) and two granddaughters,  Madison and Alex and one very sweet boy dog named Bruno all live here!  Also, Bob and Linda’s son, whom I have known since he was a toddler is here.  His two boys are here and his wife will show up later.  Linda is creating a dinner that will be a work of art to the taste buds.  She is making my favorite dish that she used to make me over 40 years ago.  What a friend!  Her 1st son Michael  is an Executive Chef at theranch.com.  Though I have not yet been there I do know that there are 50 people who work in the kitchen and “The Ranch” is in the top 10 best new restaurants in the country.  Mike won the  award as Best Chef of the Year by the Southern California Restaurant Writers Association for 2015.  His brother David won the same award for Best Pastry Chef of the Year at the same restaurant in 2012.  They both won BEST CHEF and BEST PASTRY CHEF for 2014.   The restaurant is called THE RANCH RESTAURANT & SALOON.  I have been informed that I will be eating at The Ranch with my friends on Wednesday evening!  Oh my, that sounds just great to me!  I’ll let you know how I like it!  Check it out online.   The pictures and menu alone make my mouth water.

On Mother’s day my friend Linda will be featured in  the Orange County Register regarding her two sons accomplishments in the culinary arts.  She will be cooking each sons favorite meal.  The interview and cooking takes place on Monday.  That is the day I am to leave.  I just might have to rearrange my take -ff day so I can stay and eat these two meals.  I remember both meals because I have have eaten them before cooked by her hands and loving heart, meatloaf and taco salad.  Easy words to say but they are truly the best meatloaf and taco salad I have ever eaten.  The taco salad is my favorite!

Dinner is almost ready and I am sitting at the dining room table so I will have to close down.  Tonight will be a time of family and friends, reminiscing and good food.  After all,  this is an Italian family!

See my new hat in the “Selfie” I took today.  Lisa’s neighbor gave it to me before I left the mountain.  I love it!  Everywhere I go people have been so generous to me.  My friend in Mesa gave me a selection of beautiful earrings, my friend in Willow Springs took the most beautiful stone necklace off her neck and gave it to me.  And there are other gifts I can’t even remember right this moment because I am being shewed away from the table.

6:50 p.m. California time, bright and sunny and about 80 degrees.  Most of you back home and out east have probably already settled down for the night.  My day is still going!

By the way, I am in Orange CA