Really? 35 years?? Boy did the time fly!! Although this was a delayed get-away for our 35th wedding anniversary (only by 9 months...nearly our 36th wedding anniversary), it couldn't have been any more perfect spending it at the beach (our favorite place on earth), and together!!!
Cliff and I are no different than any other marriage...we have had some pretty fabulously awesome experiences together...not so fabulously awesome experiences...a lot of prayer, a lot of grace, a lot of work...mastering communication and compromise (well, always working on that). Sometimes I feel we are the luckiest people on earth!!! We don't possess riches nor have distinguished titles (other than Mom, Dad and Papa and Nana)! We treasure our alone time with God, and alone time with each other. Nothing out of the ordinary, but to us, our life as husband and wife is extraordinary!! 35 years ago, being an interracial marriage, brought quite a bit of doubt and yet we fought to overcome bigotry (and sometimes that meant family members)...we fought to overcome inexperience (boy did we have a lot to learn about marriage...and still learning)...we fought to love God (not everyone agreed with our conversion)...we fought to love each other (sometimes it hurt, and sometimes it was like salve to a wound)! And, by golly, it seems to be working! Thank you, God!
Now for our 35th Anniversary Get-away...
We were blessed with a weekend at Pajaro Dunes (near Watsonville, CA). It's a gated community right on the beach along the Monterey Bay shores. It's beautiful...peaceful...mesmerizing!
Once we settled into the beach condo, we decided to travel south to Monterey to Fisherman's Wharf. We got the experience of the "bird man," George. He had up to 11 different tropical birds he'd perch on people's arms for a picture, and earned a fair amount of money in very little time. Everyone either has a digital camera or cell phone...People loved it!!
At the same time the wharf was bustling with activity, there was a Turkish Festival happening just yards away in a courtyard area (not sure it's name). Dancing and plenty of craft vendors...
We had a very delicious seafood meal on the wharf early that evening at Isabella's. We were celebrating our 35th, so we were not going to let cost be an issue. After our meal it was back to the condo...a cup of coffee for me and a glass of wine for Cliff on the deck outside. The air was cool, but not cold, and it was just perfect!! We were staying in the condo on the bottom left, with lights on, and from the deck we would look across the bay to Moss Landing and Monterey.
The next morning was absolutely beautiful for a drive north to Half Moon Bay. We made stops at Natural Bridges St. Beach (in Santa Cruz), Pigeon Point Lighthouse and passed sail surfers and kite surfers along the way. We ended up at a little hole in the wall fish shack in Half Moon Bay, called Barbara's Fishtrap. We had eaten there 2 years before and found the seafood fresh and delicious, and the atmosphere, a whole lot of character and charm!!
Character and charm? Yeah, I'd say so. It is one popular place and not only the locals know about it, but many come from the Bay Area. See those yellow picnic tables? There were a few scattered here and there. The problem was it seated 8, but most of us came in packages of 2. So, we decided to ask...yep, we asked a young couple (not the ones pictured), on the other side of Barbara's, sitting alone, and I put my cute ol' lady charm on and asked, "do you mind if my husband and I share your table with you?" The overwhelming response, "We'd love you to!" Visiting with strangers is kind of fun. We learned that they had just married a month before, right there on the beach, in Half Moon Bay. We told them we were celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary and the young man right away asked, "What is your secret for a long marriage?" Cliff and I smiled at each other...goodness, how can you answer such a complex question with a simple answer? I'm sure they didn't want to stay that long for the answer. I offered, "Well, communication is pretty key. And my dad use to say, 'give and take'"! Cliff offered, "Compromise!" Then jokingly I told the young man, "and don't forget she is always right!" We chuckled!! Soon the young couple got up and left saying our goodbyes, and a new couple appeared. He was probably in his 40s and she in her 30s. If you look real close in the picture above you will see a lady in a floppy hat behind Cliff. She was the lady and the man was on the other side of her (not seen). They were totally a different breed altogether. From the Bay Area, dressed up (we dress down for the beach...heck what am I saying? We always dress down), talked about $ and places they have been, and we listened. But I have to say, as different as we were (pretty much Neiman Marcus vs Target), it was truly fun to meet them and share the table with them. We wished them well on their travel back home to Sunnyvale, and they wished us a continued enjoyable get-away. We left with great satisfaction, not only for a great seafood meal, but great company!!
The next morning was going to be our last. We made a leisure time of it with a hearty breakfast and walk on the beach (just outside our door). I never get enough of the shorebirds...
We packed up and headed out, but not for home. We drove back to Monterey to Fisherman's Wharf where the people enjoyed taking self-portraits with tame pelicans, and I enjoyed photographing the harbor.
From the Wharf to the foggy Monterey Peninsula...with a ground squirrel that entertained us.
Then sack lunch at the Elk Horn Slough before our drive back home.
It could not have been more perfect and we are so thankful to God for such a wonderful 35th celebration. Bring it on 36th! Let us not let any grass grow under our feet!
