California Memories, Then and Now, Part II

Let's hear it for Corona Del Mar in South Orange County, California!

The first time Steve took me to this beach was in the Spring of 1981, at night, watching the waves crash in the moon silvered water. No one was there and it felt like we were on our own magic island.

We would often come here; meeting for a quick lunch (he worked near Fashion Island). I'd bake and pack a lunch, set up our chairs on the lushy green overlook, book in hand waiting for his arrival. During the day this beach is alive with children, families, singles, elderly either in the surf, baking in the sun or on the overlook watching all, including those walking or fishing on the jetty, small skiffs and large boats coming and going out the Newport Harbor.

On Saturdays we would go in to Corona Del Mar and have a brunch at Puffins or Cocoas and spend the afternoon at the beach. We'd walk the jetty, exploring this compilation of rocks, crabs and pebbles, read a book or two, sleep on the sand and get in some good body surfing in. If we had time we'd find our way pack to PCH and browse in my husband's favorite second hand bookstore, All Our Memories in Books.

Those were the easy, simple, uncomplicated years, before we had children.

As each one of our four came along, we'd still make it to the beach and the overlook, sometimes with a child in a front snuggly we'd go out to the jetty, climbing, clammering over stones, rocks, searching for a flat spot to settle for a good read. This was best done in the early hours of the day, before the sun was scorching or the beaches full. The baby had us up early anyway, so we took advantage of those quiet mornings.

As the kids grew up we'd end up coming after Steve's work, save a fire pit, body surf, boogie boarding and sand castles, listening to the Christian groups sing or mexican music blare, stars so bright made us feel we were in our living room. Then the hotdogs and somores. All sandy and dirty we'd pile in the van, kids usually asleep when we arrived home. We'd carry them to bed, sand and all. My 'I love you' is as much as 'all the pebbles of sand in all the beaches'.

And the best part of the day, the hot steaming shower, finally getting all that sand off, hair detangled, cold, soothing lotion on our pink and dark pink shoulders. Soft sleep in cool sheets, and then dreaming of the surf.

We went back this summer and my knees kept us from walking down to this beach (there were other beaches we walked) but we enjoyed the bench with its overlook on the south side; many memories of lunches here also but mainly times when my husband and I would get a sitter and a pizza from Mari's on PCH and sit mesmerized by the sight and sounds of this paradise.