Gracious Gifts

From Kim:

With both cars packed, we headed south to escape the horrific fires and unbearable conditions in our beloved Montecito. We gave ourself the gift of fresh air and sunshine, momentary relief and rest. While keeping abreast of the news, the "Serenity Prayer" was on autoplay in my mind and heart. Even so, I needed to be distracted, bathed in beauty and light.  In LA, there is no better place to find that than the Getty Center.  Almost floating, like a cubist cloud above the 405, acres of travertine and staircases, outdoor rooms, gardens, sculpture and art (plus an extraordinary dinning room with views to the sea), this gleaming oasis lifted my heart for several good hours. Naturally, I visited the Wright S. Ludington marbles on loan while our own Santa Barbara Museum of Art is undergoing renovation.  I grew up with that collection and somehow it was comforting to visit these figures, all of us, temporary refugees from home.