What a great day!

We had a great day in the San Francisco area. I began the day by taking a morning walk from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf and back. The weather was perfect and it got the day off to a good start. Next up was a visit to Muir Woods. The majestic redwood trees always help put my life I perspective, and walking through the quiet foliage makes me feel at peace. I make sure to see Muir Woods every time I visit the Bay area. It is nice that there are well marked trails, and it is impossible to get lost. While some people may think the trail at Muir Woods is too commercial, it is perfect for people like me who want to experience the magnificent trees, but aren't able to rough it in the real woods. We had a fabulous lunch at Sam's Anchor Cafe in Tiburon. The place always has a positive vibe and when you sit outside and look over at the San Francisco skyline, it is bliss. Especially on a beautiful day like today, the day ended in North Beach, at the appropriately named North Beach restaurant. It is one of the best Italian restaurants around, and the veal dish I had was the best veal I ever had. It was a perfect way to end the end perfect day - lots of exercise, food, and good conversation with Ed!

The emotional memory lane

I always seem to post when I have an emotional connection to writing. Today would have been my mom's 83rd birthday. Seems like a long old age, except when I think that that she has been dead for 22 years. Then it seems like she died too young and it has been way too long since I have seen her. I got a wist of sentimentality today and went to the cemetery. It had been too long and I was worried that something bad might have happened to her burial place. With all the issues around cemeteries in the Chicago area, I was worried. But I went to the cemetery and the mausoleum where she is buried seemed in better shape than the last time I was there. Ed went with me and we visited his grandparents' graves and my grandparents' graves also. They are all in the same graveyard. We couldn't find my grandparents' graves but went to the office. The people there were kind and looked up the plots. It was interesting because they pulled old handwritten documents from the files in which my grandparents' handwritten notes were in the files. We eventually found the plots and they are very close to where the circus people are buried - the "show folks." It was time well spent and I am glad Ed went with me to the cemetery. The drive down there was interesting - down Mannheim Road - and we also decided to drive around Ed's old neighborhood in Westchester to see the house he grew up in. He will report back to his parents tomorrow about the graves and the old house. Definitely a trip down memory lane today.