Friday night finally arrives

Dear Family and Friends,
9:20 and Keanna is just about asleep on the floor in the family room. Marilyn made a nice dinner which was delicious. Earlier in the day we did two appraisals in the flatlands of Oakland. Both were little houses and GPS faithfully guided us to all the comps. It is always a bit unnerving to work where there is so much poverty and many rough looking people standing on street corners or driving old cars too fast. Yet the work needs to be done and I'm so thankful I have the work to do.
This has been a week of slow recovery for me. Marilyn coughs from time to time but swears she is not getting sick. I hope she is right. The last thing she needs to take home is a cold to her family in the east. I can tell she is anxious to see all three of them and just after she gets home her little guy is singing in a choir for a baseball game somewhere. James is growing fast and calls his grandma from time to time. She shoots photos of interesting things to take home for him to enjoy.
Keanna is here this evening as Nikki is at her scrapbooking class. For both of us the traffic we faced as we were driving home was pretty awful. Vasco Road is being rebuilt and so it was down to one lane with a flag person guiding you when you could go. We waited a bit going to Oakland and I'm sure Nikki waiting much longer as she drove home. I decided to not use Highway 4 to get home and instead went through Walnut Creek, Clayton and then used Marsh Creek Road to come home. It had no waiting traffic and is beautiful as our recent rain has awakened the green grass everywhere.
As I contemplate the weekend I think it includes a trip to Apple Hill on Sunday. Apple Hill has been a family tradition for many many years. How Nan loved to head to Placerville and visit many of the farms, enjoy the apple donuts, shop the craft booths, bring home apple juice and apple pies. Many of the little dishes and bowels we have came from her friends who man the booths from year to year. We used to buy a center piece each year from a group of ladies we have worked with several times at Christmas Tree Land.
How life changes, time passes by, little ones grow up, we adults become more adult, more set in our ways which somehow seem outdated at times. I often think, if I could have just one more day with Nan, all the things I would tell her, all the love I could share with her and how proud I am of her life.
Now about you, you still have a special someone who is alive and well, what could you tell that special someone that would make their day and make you glad you had shared. Why hold back on love? Why wait for a better time? We who are making our way alone do not envy you your good fortune, as we watch you we gain additional strength from our memories. You just can't ever begin to understand being alone until you are there. Its not awful, its not the end of the world, it just feels like it at times.
When I pause to remember the love and positive strokes from my family and friends it is almost overwhelming. No one could ask for more. You have all done your part very well. Now its time for me to respond with forward steps into the unknown. I work very hard, Marilyn can attest to that but I don't play well or do things that could be seen as exercise very well. So at this point I sleep well and I work well but I know that is not balance.

love

tim