Well, To Begin With.....

Those of you who followed me on the Frances Takes A Vacation blog will remember that my road trip included several fantastic adventures from caving, to zip-lining, to a long horseback ride, to wine tasting and to finding the perfect bowl of oatmeal.  Those experiences were ones that I claim as my own and are now in the “Been There Done  That” archive. I can never physically manage those experiences again in this lifetime, nor would I ever want to recreate that road trip. It was special. FTAV unknowingly gave me the courage to face the upcoming year. During my recovery, I recall waking up in the wee hours of the morning, and reading  the FTAV blog several times over. I remember the complete joy I felt and what a strong sense of freedom I had, to do whatever I wanted. I could feel the wind in my hair, and the pride in being a Californian, and what it really felt like to have my breath taken away. FTAV helped me preserve my gumption.

I have new physical  limitations, so I will be returning to some familiar, and user friendly spots. I know that new adventures await.On August 17^th, I wil be leaving LB,  heading directly for Our Lady Queen of Angels Cathedral in Downtown LA for the Official  Frances Takes Another Vacation Candlelighting Ceremony. As I discovered last year, the Cathedral has some sort of familial relationship with the San Antonio Winery. Being that I am a “Good Catholic School Girl” ( yes that would be me!), I must stop, visit, and taste what they are serving that day. I will toast to my Wine Tasting partners Bev and Doug. Who knows, maybe they will be there? After my lunch time tasting, I will continue on my journey ending the day at the Kern River. I will be staying on the river bank and this time will be cooking my own dinner as I watch the River flow in front of me. This will be my view…..

The Kern River....years of family memories and good times watching my sons grow. The Kern River....Randy, and Fatherhood at its finest.