Every now and then I’m amazed at what life sets in your path. These past two days have been punctuated by such delightful surprises. After a day at the beach with Brooke and Lauren, we decided to grab lunch at the Wind & Sea, in the Dana Point Harbor. They have an outdoor patio situated at the marina entrance and it’s relaxing to watch the boats and kayakers glide into the marina. We had just ordered our food when another party was being seated right next to us. I thought I recognized a familiar voice and when I looked up, I was astonished to see my step-brother, Jeff Cortese and his beautiful wife Cathy. I haven’t seen them since their wedding, 8 years ago. That was just after I’d lost my mother and approximately 16 years after we’d lost his dad.
Jeff and Cathy live in Orange County, but not where we ran into each other. The odds of us crossing paths couldn’t be much slimmer, yet here we were.
During our reminiscing, Jeff had asked if I’d taken the girls to see his dad’s plaque at The Swallows Inn, a local dive bar with a rich and lengthy history. I hadn’t, thinking the girls were too young to get in. He also told me that there was a Concert in the Park event, today.
Today, the girls and I went to the movies, downtown, which is pretty centrally located. After that, I asked them if they wanted to walk over to The Swallows and see the plaque. We walked right in. This is the plaque.
“In Loving Memory of Dr. Joe Cortese, Dr. Fleas. A real cowboy, respected veterinarian, in San Juan Capistrano and devoted father and husband.” The inscription sits atop a wooden carving of a cowboy. I was able to get a photo of the girls, standing next to it, before we were chased out, for them being under age.
From there, we walked over to the park because we could hear live music. San Juan Capistrano has a marked Western flavor and history. We were amused and delighted to see a large crowd, line dancing, to a live rendition of Pink Floyd. Only in SJC!
As we stood there taking in the sights, a man walked by me wearing a type of Hawaiian style shirt that I’ve only ever seen on our dearly departed Joe Cortese. I looked at the man and immediately recognized him as one of my stepfather’s good friends, Ray. He used to bounce Max on his knee when Max was a little guy. He came to New Mexico with us for the spreading of Joe’s ashes in the Pecos River.
He asked me if Max still had that red, red hair. I showed him a current photo of Max and he smiled. I told him that I first noticed him by his shirt because it looked like the style Joe used to wear. I was delighted when he told me the shirt had been a gift from Joe. I really love being here, in this city, connected to my past.
