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A sketch-a-day for August 6

First, a black nose came out from the table, then two sympathetic eyes looked up at us as we sat at a Peet's sipping coffee. We needed a dog hug and the Retriever nestled right up to our legs. People know me as a cat person, but a dog is a good substitute.

After several months of intense action getting our house ready to sell, we landed in Aptos near the beach for a respite. We've been consumed with dual projects of selling and trying to find the right house, talking over all our options, spending time with friends, and working separately on projects in our offices. In our new, smaller space, and with all the activity quiet and no decisions to make, we keep bumping into each other. We sat down to dinner at a local restaurant, and we both gazed off into the distance. For a second, I thought of older couples I've seen who pay no attention to each other. I've wondered if they are sitting in companionable silence or with boredom. Then Bill said, "We'll make this work out well, won't we? We just have to keep laughing!"

Sketch-a-day for August 2

Moving is right up there with death and divorce as one of the most stressful events in our lives. We readily agree, but we are still finding humor in our day, most of the time. Sometimes that takes a little work to achieve. Moving has stretched our energy limits, and reminded us how each of us recovers from energy depletion: Bill needs to be around the hum of other people, I need absolute peace and quiet. Somehow we have managed to navigate life together as people at the opposite extremes of the extrovert/introvert spectrum. A lot of that means letting go, stepping back, and being sensitive to someone else's needs. (Bill still would like to listen to the morning news in the morning. I cringe at the thought of that noise in the morning.) The radio stays silent, but we found a BBQ place in Aptos with good, loud, live entertainment every night.

Sketch-a-day for August 4 and 5

We are making progress. We've recouped some of our lost energy. We have time now to focus on finding a new place. We are enjoying the break from old routines and discovering new places.

Here are a few:

Good Food in Aptos:

Aptos St. BarBQ:

https://aptosstbbq.com

Mentone, a restaurant created by David Kinch of Manresa fame

https://www.mentonerestaurant.com

Persephone Restaurant:

https://www.persephonerestaurant.com

The Hideout:

http://www.thehideoutaptos.com

Good reads:

Francie Low, fellow blogger, has moved too:

https://www.francielow.com/2023/08/04/moving-what-about-the-friends/ 

Carrie Clauson, the wife of one of my favorite cousins, spends several months in Mexico:

https://www.carrieclasson.com/?fbclid=IwAR2OsFFzLvrhp7iLWBUplBGhOWuzLq6yLt_knk2MTDhvvsG9PUJrVeJhFLI