Today is Tuesday, January 18th

We've heard of three deaths in the last day... thank God that's over... they always come in threes: our neighbor, Debi's Mom, Joan Kelley Pariso & Sargent Shriver... T & I were very emotional.  Joan was a dear friend from T's high school & college years whom T'd  reunited with on Facebook.  Joan had been designing homemade cards and writing thoughtful, encouraging messages and heartfelt memories of their early days and sending Tracy 2-3 a week for months.  I looked forward to seeing those cards and sometimes reading them to Tracy, at times through my tears.  Joan had a way of relating that struck home on all levels.  She was our age or a few years younger and lived in Minnesota.  She'd started seeing a 39 year old and was enjoying life.   There was talk of her coming to California in February.  She died of a massive heart attack Monday evening.  I hope she was having fun when it happened!!!!!

We are reminded of the fragility of life and our mortality; the horrible specter of living without each other.  Joan was an important piece in the checkerboard and now she's gone.  She will be missed yet we go on; saddened by the ghost of what might have been and that nothing ever stays the same... there's nothing so constant as change.

Upon reading the email, Tracy went to the beach with Riley; first time since a few days before he was hospitalized back in October.  I missed the adventure but I thank God that there will be another time... I hope it will be soon.