Settling In

It’s been several weeks of ups and downs, but I’m finally settling into a routine. I’m even starting to write again, although that has had to take second place to keeping up with the students in my two online Child Development classes.

Hopefully, this is the last picture of boxes I’ll post on this blog, but it’s good for me to remember that just a month ago, the photo on the left is what my living room and kitchen space looked like.

Now it looks like the photo below.

My apartment is tiny, but it’s well lit and has air conditioning, which after two weeks of over 100-degree temperatures I appreciate far more than I did when I first moved in. The pool and spa are directly across the street, and I’ve been swimming laps and soaking in the spa just before bed.

I created a nice writing space for myself in my bedroom, but, being a creature of habit I continue to do most of my writing while sitting on the couch and using the handy little table you see in the picture.

Focusing on Family

My main reason for being here, of course, is to be helpful to my son and his family as they await the birth of their second child.  It’s been a real treat to be welcomed into their home for meals and swimming and games (my four-year-old granddaughter helped me learn how to play Carcassonne Junior last weekend), integrated into meal preparation and bedtime routines, and just generally made to feel at home.

But I also want to establish my own life here. To that end, I’ve attended two book groups associated with the Calabasas Library and applied for a library card while I was there.  I’ve started writing a mystery novel, so I am reading cozy mysteries at night and learning the craft in the daytime. I’ve applied for membership in the Calabasas chapter of the California Writers Club, and look forward to meeting other writers there.

My apartment is in a very large complex – over 600 units, many of which are filled with students at the several nearby colleges and universities. But there are also families and older people.  Everyone I’ve met so far seems friendly. I meet people at the pool, while I’m out walking to my mailbox or with Kismet, and at the food truck that comes every Wednesday evening. The staff at the rental office stage social events (free doughnuts for Father’s Day; watermelon for the Fourth of July) and their maintenance crew keep the grounds looking lovely, and our appliances working.

This area is gorgeous. I didn’t even know that the San Fernando Valley/ Santa Monica Mountains/Malibu Canyon area existed before moving here, and I’m blown away by the gorgeous scenery as I drive between my home, my granddaughter’s preschool, and my son’s house in Woodland Hills.  A walking path surrounds the apartments, and there are many recreation areas nearby.  When I feel homesick, which I do a little bit every day, I go for a walk – typically early in the morning or late at night.  I have to repeatedly remind myself that I was homesick when I first moved to Santa Cruz too, and this will pass. Soon Calabasas will feel like my home.

During a brief break in the heatwave I took a walk in the middle of the day. This is what I saw as I made my way through the complex to my mailbox.   The large skies and tall trees were a surprise; like many northern Californians, I had a picture in my head of what Los Angeles looked like, and it wasn’t that.

Disappointment

I do miss my Santa Cruz garden.  I thought I could create a little oasis on my patio and selected a unit with the largest patio for that purpose, But with hundred+ degree heat, I haven’t been able to keep many plants alive.  I’ll keep at it, and hopefully, I’ll learn how to do that eventually. You can be sure I’ll check back in to let you know how it goes.

I know that the country is starting to open up again, but also that the pesky virus variant is causing illnesses to spread in some parts of the country  Keep your masks handy and be safe out there. 

We’ll talk more soon.  Marlene