The new and the familiar (on vacation)

Because Joel and I haven't met up too often in southern California, we're still looking for our favorite place. Every dinner is a new experience.

This year, it was Sonny's in San Clemente.

I branched out from chicken marsala — into chicken with mushrooms and spinach and marsala cream sauce, can you believe it? (Thanks for the restaurant recommendation, guy at the Phoenix airport.) Joel didn't love the lasagna, but we were both fans of the mud pie.

It's a wonderful thing, having a leisurely dinner outside in January.

I just got back into town, so vacation already seems like a distant memory. But being back home suits me. My postal carrier, per her habit, wrote a "welcome back" note on my mail, and I love these everyday gestures.

It's good to be home. Even in January.