暖冬cool夏
這裏一年四季溫暖如春，沒有酷暑沒有嚴寒......
女兒離家工作已經一年五個月了，中間沒有回來過，說是要在那座城市裏待滿整整一年，體會它的春夏秋冬，每一個季節，每一個節假日。轉眼一年多了，她計劃聖誕節回家。記得一次她電話裏跟我說，媽媽，你能想象嗎？我都離開一年半了。當時，我腦子裏飛快地計算著，還煞有其事地糾正她說，一年半還沒有到。那一刻，她嘖的一聲，其反應讓我覺得自己那麽不解風情，不懂人家的相思之苦。
終於聖誕節快到了，去機場接她的那天，飛機倒是提前20多分鍾到了。可是因為地麵通勤失調，飛機排隊等出口，我就在機場轉了一圈又一圈， 足足等了40多分鍾，等得我心急火燎。終於，女兒的身影出現了。西雅圖的雨水把女兒滋潤得白淨溫潤了。三個多月不見，女兒變漂亮了。真是一方水土養一方人。
今年的聖誕、新年中間就隔幾個工作日，如果連起來休假很劃算。遂問她要不要全家出去玩？人家答道，哪裏也不想去，就想待在家裏。 想起兩三年前讀大學放假回來，我母親微信問她，”在家做些什麽？”人家答：”睡覺、吃媽媽做的飯菜”， 把母親逗得直樂。可她說得是大實話，老祖宗的”家”字不就是房子下麵一頭豬嗎？在她眼裏，家或許就是吃、睡、放鬆的地方。
“吃媽媽做的飯菜”這句話從此一直記在我的心裏。所以, 每次她一回家，老媽就會樂顛顛地忙前忙後，盡其所能，做一大堆好吃的，大有”抓住她的胃抓住她的心”之嫌。這次當然不會例外， 加上又是節假日，外麵到處張燈結彩。晚飯後，一家人又趕在商店打烊前東晃晃西晃晃，帶著她舊地重遊，讓她重新領略城市的夜景、風貌、體會著這座城市的節奏。
因著她念念不忘洛杉磯，我們在周二聖誕節那天，一家人驅車去了洛杉磯。雖然，那天商店、博物館都關門了，然而通往Griffith Park的車輛還是絡繹不絕。當我們像蝸牛似的，跟著車隊到了山頂，發現山頂根本沒有泊車位，隻好又下車，泊在平地處，再回轉身朝著有Hollywood這幾個標誌性大字的山頂攀登。
十二月的南加依然陽光燦爛，氣溫六七十度上下, 溫暖和煦。美中不足的是, 那日山風很大，時不時卷起久旱山坡上的塵土。走在這樣的山路上，不由得想起九月初華盛頓州的Mt.Rainer之行，真是不可同日而語。記得那日女兒是打頭陣的，今日的她為何步履蹣跚？我慢下腳步，等她趕上，一邊問她，“跟雷尼爾山比，這山是不是太荒蕪了，沒勁？是不是人太疲倦？爬不動了？” 不料，人家輕鬆地說，“不能這樣比，It’s just different. 我要慢慢爬、細細看。”
“看什麽？”，我望著這荒蕪的山頂，不確定地問道。她伸出手轉過身來，指了指，說: “山下城市的風景啊！”
“哦，那倒是百看不厭的。” 我回答道。望著這座有多少人趨之若鶩的城市，密密麻麻的建築、幾棟高聳入雲的摩天大樓，近處圓頂的天文台，遠處泛著波光的海麵，我想我們是幸運的，不需行走太遠，就能感受這座動感的城市， 這個很多人的夢想之地。
下山的途中，女兒興致勃勃地聊起她的工作、同事、那座城市給予她的印象，說起同事對加州的爭議，說起自己那日去看高中老師，老師問她，喜不喜歡西雅圖， 她答道， “I am fine, but my heart belongs to California.”
“我的心屬於加州。”還有什麽比這句話更有份量的。我曾經的疑惑頓時煙消雲散。是啊，這裏是她的家，一個她成長的地方。她怎麽可能忘了呢？
再過幾天女兒就要回去了，伴隨著她的離去，我們也要告別2018。2018年記載著我們兩次的西雅圖之行, 而女兒歲末的回家之旅又給2018年畫上了一個圓滿的句號，賦予了相聚和離別不同的體驗和意義。
期待2019的到來！
An hour’s hike took us to the summit of Mount Hollywood, where we have a breathtaking 360-degree view of LA county beneath. The iconic HOLLYWOOD sign nearby stands bigger, while the Griffith Observatory’s dark-brown domes look smaller in the distant. The mountain tops not far are barren, lifeless, and solemn- looking. But afar on the other side lie the lively cities, clustered together, with a few sky-rise buildings erected out of the city skyline. Dotted among them are some red-colored or purple-colored buildings, probably UCLA campus or some famed architectures. At the end of the horizon is a seemingly narrow stretch, whitish and gleaming in the sun. That is Pacific Ocean, hazed a little on the border and then met by the blue sky, on which patches of white clouds roam freely.
The sun was shining brightly, basking everything in its warmth. However, it was marred by the strong gust of wind，stirring not just the hair, the jacket, and the dust from the road surface, but the mood to pose for the good pictures. At that moment, the word “headwind” popped up in my mind. What would we do if we are faced with the strong headwind like this in life? Do we have to bend ourselves down to survive?
We did not stay there for long before heading downhill. The wind died down on the way, and we chatted at ease. My daughter talked about Seattle weather, where the wind storm could reach to 60 miles per hour, as well as the short daylight in winter when the dawn breaks around 7:40 am, and the dusk falls around 3:30 pm. She then told us stories about her coworkers, who once jokingly sneered at her, to choose to live in gloomy and cold Seattle. She proudly proved to them that a girl from California could just survive the harsh winter like the local people without crying for home. She ended her story with what she told her favorite High School teacher on her last week visit that she is fine living in Seattle, but her heart belongs to California.
I have never been very sure of her feeling towards California, when she chose to work out of state, and enjoyed her solitary stay there without complaint. Now hearing this coming out of her mouth assured me that in her innermost heart, she knows she is bond with the place she was raised, a place full of her fond memories, a place where she calls home. It is an origin that powers her forward.
她在西雅圖工作 ? 離我們溫市很近, 三個小時的車程.
HAPPY NEW YEAR !
We've been to Disney and Universal Studio but know next to nothing about the city.
祝暖冬新年快樂!
今天剛回來，祝妹妹和家人新年快樂，萬事如意。
祝暖暖新年快樂！萬事如意！
祝暖冬和家人，新年快樂！
新年快樂~
In the last second paragraph, you wrote “ The daughter talked about Seattle Wealth......
If you used the third person to wtrte the story, it is totally fine, but you used the firest person to write the story , it sounds a little bit strange. It seems that if you improve a little bit , will make the sentence better.
A goog story both in Chinese and English versions.
Happy New Year.
寫得總是這麽情真意切。女兒心屬加州，這是對家的認同眷戀，是對父母愛心的情感回報。和暖冬姐一起期待新年! +1
思韻說出了我想說的。在此借用一下：D
羨慕暖冬有小棉襖，貼心溫暖！
新年快樂！
你女兒自然會想念美麗的家鄉和媽媽的飯菜 祝全家新年快樂
祝暖冬全家新年快樂！