My Valentine

My Valentine - 1970

"Happy Valentine's Day!"
I said first thing this morning.
She said it back to me.

My response; "This is the 49th time we have said this."

She said; "Yes.  And my Mom passed away 50 years ago today. I can't believe it has been that long."
(My Valentine was just 18 at the time.)

I want to somehow fill that empty space in her heart. Space her Mom could have filled for so many more years. I know that I cannot possibly do this.

And I think about the wonderful relationship she has with her daughter.

And I wish she could have had more of the same with her Mom.

And I wish I could say this to her Mom;
"Your daughter has filled the room with her smiles and laughter for all of her days. She warms the hearts of her son, daughter and husband every moment she is in our lives. You must be so proud of her, your Julieann Marie. Thank you for giving her to us and Happy Valentines' Day Betty Thomas."

Flipping

On our short, three block segment of ten street homes, one home has flipped and two are in the process already this year.

Time had come for folks who weren't so old when we first moved into the neighborhood just over 30 years ago.

Millie and Ken's Place
Good folks now gone

The house across from us was once occupied by Millie, retired school teacher and Ken, retired engineer.    Ken passed a few years back and Millie has found fun in a retirement center. Their home of around 55 years just hit the flip stage.  You can tell as the Mercedes, BMW's and Grand Cherokee's park often and stay a while...their owners carefully going over the premises inside and out.  Makes me think of vultures hovering over a desert carcass. Of course it's not really that bad, just time marching on.

Millie and Ken never really upgraded their home from when they bought it new around 1959, save a new roof a few years back.  Now it needs dual-pane windows, new flooring and new kitchen redesign and remodel, 2.5 baths remodeled and a wall or two knocked down.  Could also use new contemporary siding, some serious lawn work and quite possibly new furnace and air conditioner.

The flippers are all over this one like a cheap suit.  Hell, I was even kicking it around with Julie.  But...I am too ignorant about putting the proper deal together plus, Millie and Ken's daughter has it priced about $50k over market...way past the ballpark.  The expert flippers will figure it out though, eventually.

This is Sacramento in 2018 and there ain't enough homes to go around. 'Merica.  Land of opportunity.