Stepping out in my new town is the news of the week. I would say mine are baby steps but that just might be my judgmental self, because any forward motion is still forward, right? By discovering my new neighborhood via foot, bike or car, I am expanding my sense of place and today that feels hopeful and hopeful feels good for sure.

Along with physical adventures I have searched for new venues to exhibit my art. Being a person who maintained the same schedule for well over three decades, newness can be jarring, but catching ahold of the Cali vibe, I am rolling with the surge and doing my best to see where the blue wave takes me. After all, with a bit of good fortune I found Ashton Gallery at Art on 30th and hopped into their current show, “Out of the Blue” exhibiting one of my table tops. Perhaps the rest of the week will be equally rad.

What I have discovered while painting is to keep it fun. Sure you might go too far and find yourself in a real dispute with your painting but that’s exactly when you both need a little space, to step back, turn away for a while, take a walk or move to another surface, because if you allow for that distance the exchange will eventually balance itself out and you might surprise yourself and gain an understanding with your art. This is the best feeling because your art will show you something new, something unique, and from there you can relax, trust even. “Love your Earth” is one of a pair of end tables painted on reclaimed wood, and for the next month is on display in San Diego. I have no real knowledge of what seeing the earth might feel like when viewed from space but I imagine it could fill you with longing and love for our small planet. Hope I caught that impression with my swirling and abstract design in blue and green and yellow.

Although I haven’t found my ‘perfect’ e-bike yet, (but I’m happy to hear suggestions!) I have made my way out and back a few times pedaling my Trek, stopping in awe of the vistas and at the busy intersections too. This area has both, which means sometimes crossing four lanes at a light or encountering a bobcat or rattle snake along your off-the-beaten-path path. I am grateful for all the other cyclists and runners I encounter along my way who take this varied neighborhood of Southern California in stride.

There have been a couple of misty mornings for which this fair-skinned gal is quite appreciative. On those mornings I quickly don sneakers and get running before tea or the sun blasts through the marine layer. The minty eucalyptus punctuated by the lemon scented gum trees fill the air, add the scores of cottontails and I run with little else than a smile. There are plenty of hills to scale and descend but that terrain is familiar as is pushing myself when I must, although I am not too proud to walk either way, up or down.

Of course one can’t step out too far without finding your feet in the sand. The ocean does dominate life along the California coast, and we are here for that too. Catching the waves, bobbing about for a bit, watching the pelicans and seagulls diving and soaring while I keep afloat is quickly becoming a regular activity. There are so many beaches to explore so we move up and down the shoreline as whimsy takes us.

Perhaps the key to this new life is saying a big thank you to this big wonderful world we are slowly discovering with small steps. The sunset promises another good tomorrow.