We got off the ship last Thursday, then headed for San Diego to visit family and meet a new addition, our three month old grand-nephew.

While we were there we visited Presidio Park. It is the location of the first permanent settlement in California, a fortified city, built in 1769. The park also has the Junípero Serra Museum, home of the San Diego History Center.

Back home in The Pearl I revisited a park in Cartagena.

Tricia will be posting about the 20th arrondissement next week, so I did a sketch for her of its famous cemetery.

Yesterday, Tricia had an appointment with her eye doctor, I sketched in the waiting room. The appointment went well, and the future is promising. Though she had one of the best eye surgeons in all of Paris, it was a bit easier, I am sure, for her to be able to use English yesterday.

One of the good things about the cruise was the food. On our last day we went back to Le Bistro, Tim and I both had the lobster thermidor – it just made sense to finish the trip with something special.

Back home we are cooking again, one of our favorite meals is a hummus and couscous salad, with feta cheese, red onion, and cherry tomatoes.

For three weeks I have been looking forward to painting with oils, so here is my window on the world these days.

Speaking of windows, just outside our apartment are trees that the crows use for their evening respite – this is quite a view to wake up to as I grind my coffee.

Next week we will take a quick trip, well almost a week, up to Mukilteo to visit some friends and family, but most importantly to clear out the remaining items in our storage unit, and accept the gracious gift of some furniture from our friends.

Today is Valentine’s Day, I am grateful for my valentine, and hope you have a friend in your life that you care about and cares for you. This is a day for friendship, it is much more than a romantic day for me. We will cook together and enjoy the snow out our window. Tricia is posting about a Valentine tradition she has had with our daughter for close to 30 years, be sure you read it.

Wherever you travel this week may you find grace and peace in the midst of the turmoil of life, and be sure to capture the good parts. Rod McKuen said, “You have to make the good times yourself/ and save them for the times that are not so good” – practical advice for these difficult days.