In this journey I have had so many ‘Stardust moments’. If you haven’t read the book or seen the film, go away and watch/read it. Right. Now. There is a scene where the fallen star, who hasn’t been able to shine since she landed on the Earth, is in a warm bath, feeling comfort and kindness for the first time. And her shine returns, starting from her heart, seeping out of her whole body*. That’s how I feel today.
Today I was welcomed into the home of Donna and Mel, Jay’s parents, to celebrate Passover with their family. And whilst the family approached the event with a humorous cynicism reserved for those about to hear the same mildly funny jokes of the umpteenth time, I was actually looking forward to it.
Passover is a special time in the Jewish calendar as it is about remembering the struggles of the Jews as slaves of the Egyptians, and the tough time in the desert that followed. They eat bitter herbs to signify these bitter struggles (horseradish, in our case), unleavened bread to signify the poor food available in this tough time, and a variety of things dipped in salt water to signify the tears wept. I’m skirting over the details slightly, as you can look into the celebration for yourself if you’re interested, and I would absolutely encourage you to do so.
Humans can be the most wonderous beings sometimes. Sitting here on a Monday morning after my birthday weekend, I’m reflecting on the power of people. Over the past few days, there have been so many words and gestures, actions and thoughts from so many different people that have lifted my spirits, that it is difficult to know where to start.
The number of people wishing you a happy birthday on Facebook has become a modern measure of, well I don’t know what, popularity perhaps (65 if you’re wondering). I had some beautiful messages from around the world. Some meant more than others, that is true. It was nice to read through them all, and think about the last time I saw them, or what they are up to in life. My sister wrote me the most beautiful poem and posted it on my wall, it was so touching, personal and heartfelt, I am reminded of just how important she is to me.
Today’s ice-creams come not from a tub, but from the famous Marianne’s near the ocean. Heidi has been the most amazing friend to me, so the least I can do for her is but her an ice-cream, right?
Heidi has joked many times that she can take me to almost any ice-cream parlour in Santa Cruz, and I could rock this item off my list. She was not kidding. We rocked up and they had 102 flavours to choose from. 102.
So I chose kahlua krunch and 1020. 1020 is caramel ice-cream with Oreo cookie bites, and a local favourite. Although sold in many ice-cream shops in the Santa Cruz area, it originates from Marianne’s and is named after their street address: 1020 Ocean Street. Kahlua krunch is coffee liqueur ice-cream and chocolate biscuit pieces. Continue reading
After a tough morning eating pancakes (thanks Jay!) and watching Heidi run a half marathon (well done Boo!), we went off to meet the rest of Heidi’s running club, Team in Training. We were a little bit early, so had to find somewhere to shelter from the English weather I seem to have brought with me. The only place open near by was the Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing Taproom (oh, and a bakery, but the wisdom of the group decided on Taproom).
A perfect opportunity to start work on a bucket list item – learn to enjoy beer. So, in my infinite wisdom, I decided to order a flight of beers, and roped Heidi in to help me. I was looking forward to trying the best three or four beers the brewery had to offer. Little did I know, I’d ordered a flight of 8 – EIGHT – beers.
Mission: Playtime 