Day 50(!!!): Nostalgia

This morning we ran under a heavy cover of gray moist air, a welcome relief from all the dry we have been having. The air was filled with the smell of eucalyptus and lemon verbena, a very nostalgic smell for me, having lived a year and a half in Australia. There, eucs dominate the landscape. The terrain in a euc grove is unique--it is almost bare except for the rolls of bark the trees shed each autumn.

While I was living there, a friend took me to hike in a pine grove. I remember so clearly talking excitedly about the pines of my native state, Washington. The smell there brought that same nostalgia for home. It rained while we were hiking, soaking us through, perfectly reminiscent of my hometown.

I wonder what my mom thought of California when she visited. My mother came from Australia when she was in her mid twenties, following my dad a year after they met, though she would never admit that. Dad was in the service and had been on R&R in Sydney. He was the only church goer on his ship and decided to see what kind of services were going on that night. He met my mom, wearing her stilettos and gored skirt and asked if she knew where the church was. She told him to follow her, and their little joke is that he has been following her ever since.

Come to think of it, she did talk about how all the trees in Cali were imported from Australia, as if that made Australia superior. A lot of things my mom said made Australia seem much more superior. I wonder if that is how it felt when I talked about the pines back home. I guess in some ways, to her, Australia was a better place. There is a lot of home-ness in whatever is familiar. However, she hasn't been back since I was born...

It was a 3 mile run this morning, followed by a great cycle commute to work where the proverbial crud is still hitting the fan. Head down, keep working, but that is so much more difficult to do these days! Only 2 more days with a weekend between!

Before I left for work, I put a huge pot of Turkey Stew in the oven to be ready when we got home. We topped it off with dumplings, so yummy. And now date-night with my sweet.