TRADITIONS.

We've often observed there is no such thing as normal. Traditions adapt to circumstance.


I never imagined that my oldest sister and youngest brother would compare their bald heads one day.  Dawn has a few wisps more. Clark says, who needs hair, anyway? Dawn is 80 Clark 58.


Dawn's son, Tom, is two years older than Clark. Tom, Clark and my brother, Mark, grew up like brothers, rather than uncles and nephew. (Mark died at age 50 in 2005.)


Dawn's daughter, Debbie put together a great dinner for 12 with people we seldom see. Debbie's husband Bob Blake on the right, with his son Jeff and the latest granddaughter, Abbie.


Jeff claimed he'd never had his picture taken with both of his grandmothers, Dawn and Rita Blake.


Debbie's daughter-in-law Margaret with the youngest great-grandchild. At Thanksgiving, Dawn got to see her other five great-grandchildren. There are grand rewards for getting older. That must be why we call them grand children.


Bob Blake's sister, Pam and her two daughters and her daughter's boyfriend came up from Manhattan Beach. I think we saw them at the last family wedding.


The older we get, the more we look like each other,so someone observed.


Tom and Bill share a laugh. The picture is lousy but I love it when people laugh with gusto.


Dawn's daughter-in-law, Maryanna used to be an Olympic swimmer for West Germany. At age 70, she could pass for someone in her 50's.


After dinner, we played bingo. Debbie and Dawn play bingo at the Terraces Assisted Living Center on Thursdays. So, she decided to stage a bingo game with wonderful prizes at home. Great Grandson CJ helped me call the game.  In all the hustle, I didn't get a picture of Debbie, who is Dawn's youngest daughter. Debbie is a School Psychologist and a whirlwind of energy.


The next morning, Tom, Maryanna, Brother, Bill and I all met for a late breakfast at the Terraces before the long drive home. Tom and Maryanna live in Sunol, California. It was touch and go for a time, but Dawn is getting stronger and stronger after her brain radiation.  Traditions change to meet the circumstances and the circumstances be getting better