Happy Memorial weekend everyone.  I hope you all are having an enjoyable extended weekend.  Always remember why we have the extra day off.  Who knows what our lives would be like if not for all the men and women that served in our militaries and the many that gave the ulimate sacrafice so we can enjoy the freedoms that we do.  A special THANKS to my dad, Charley, Uncle Ted, cousin Ed and Uncle Chuck.


Memorial weekend was always a special time for Genie, myself and the kids.  After we moved to Sacramento, our full-family time diminished quite a bit.  Even though San Jose was only 2 hours a way, it seemed to always get in the way.  At this time as well, my mom and Charley were living in Clear Lake and it seemed we would see them only on the famliy events in San Jose.  When I took the break from the rerstaurant career for about 5 years, I actually had weekends off like the rest of the world, so when a holiday rolled around on a Monday I actually had an extra day off.  So one Memorial Day weekend we decided to spend it with my mom and Charley at Inn Oz.  This was the bed and breakfast that they had in their home.  Genie and I loaded the kids and PJ in the car and off we went. 


It was always a fun time to go to Clear Lake.  Come on, they had a lakefront home.  How can that get any better?  It was always so beautiful and peacful there.  I seemed to spend many nights there just staring at the starry nights and marveling on how many stars are really in the sky.  There are so many more when you leave the city.  One year, a waterslide park opened in Lake County.  That suddenly became our destination.  It was no Sun Splash or Manteca, but it was waterslides.  The fact that there weren't many people there made it even better.  It didn't survive long, but we got a few visits to it.  What ultimately came of our first trip, was the fact that this became "our" weekend to come and spend with Nana and Grandpa.  The kids got to spend time with my mom and Grandpa alone, and Genie and I got to spend time alone as well.  When mom and Charley moved back to San Jose, the Memorial Day weekend changed for us.  We had lost something.  Don't get me wrong, I am not bitter, but more nostalgic.  I will alway cherish those times Inn Oz.


As I move forward in my life after Genie's passing, I find that all "special" days bring forward feeling of grief and sorrow.  It seems there are memories of the time we shared on every occasions.  I know this is part of the healing process, but I will tell you, it sucks!!!   I cherish all of my memories of my time with her, but it is hard to deal with the fact that I can create no new memories with her.  Instead I create memories with the kids.  Watching Johnny take on The Race for the Cure or taking Jordan to San Francisco for a theater perfomance or going to Giants games as a family, there are so many memories yet to have.  I am finding it is good to grieve, but life moves on and I am finding that my life and my kids lives move on.  There is so much more to live. 


Genie...I love you now and forever!!!


John