I’ve been streaming “Morning Becomes Ecclectic” from KCRW as I work and it has got me pining for the city of Los Angeles, where I spent a blissful month-long sabbatical two years ago.  That time, and the city itself, now seem galaxies away.

What do I remember about LA?  The streetscape, which is quiet but rich in spectacle.  The landscape, with its hills and views.  The pace, which is purposeful but relaxed.  It’s the space within the city that I miss most, the expanse of parking lots and green lawns and empty sidewalks and uncluttered aisles at the grocery stores.  These are spaces for contemplation and spaces for rest and spaces for things to take root and unfold.  The music that DJ Jason Bentley selects each day has a soft and jangly edge and unfurls quietly in the background.  That sense of possibility is dear.