Just another Manic Monday. Today is one of those bright blue autumn days, where you almost feel that if you look straight up and strain your eyes, you could make out heaven. There is not a cloud in the sky and not a breath of wind in the air.

Thanksgiving has come and gone and my shadow has widened and I don't think it has anything to do with the rotation of the earth and how it turns on it's axis. We spent Thanksgiving Day at Quail Lakes Baptist Church in Stockton with Darla's extended family on her Father's side. There were numerous cousins and Aunts and Uncles, not to mention too many second cousins to even attempt to keep track of names and who belonged to whom, etc. There were 55 of us in all. We had the kitchen, a tv room, a dining room and the gymnasium at our disposal. Our boys were able to play basketball and use up the full allotment of energy that God gives young people. David was able to play one-on-one basketball with one of Darla's second cousin's husbands. The guy is 22 and has some hops. David represented well on the court and had a few nice moves. The guys tried to get me to play with them along with another 30-year old cousin or husband of a cousin or who knows? My funny bone has a bad cramp in it so I had to beg off. I was never a basketball player on my best day and unless the basketball game that I'm being called into involves spelling something like the word "Horse", I'lll generally take a pass.

We all ate much turkey and all the trimmings with pie for dessert and much of it was "laid to waist" as they say. After the gym was swept, the kitchen cleaned and tidied up and the dining room had it's floor properly mopped, one of the aunts decided that before we all left to our own homes and lives for another two years, the brothers and sisters should have their pictures taken. Darla and I had bought a new Nikon camera for the holidays and this was pressed into my hands by Darla and I was asked to snap pictures as Darla was working her Mom's camera. I'd just opened a can of Root Beer and as I struggled with the new camera to find the on switch and see something through the lens, the gathered brothers and sisters began to chuckle. I looked down to see a spreading stain on my shirt and felt the cold sweetness of the soda begin to permeate the cloth and make contact with my skin. I was able to lean forward and keep the sticky mess from invading my Docker pants, but a small puddle was created at my feet and the hot warmth of embarassment crowned my face. Leave it to me to get a good smile out of the assembled posers.

Darla and I took a ride in our new SUV up into the gold country on Friday. I had several insurance inspections to do in Auburn and Placerville and we drove the old Highway 49 through the town of Coloma, where gold was discovered in California back in the 1840's. We had a nice day and stopped for lunch along the way and enjoyed the sunshine on a great Fall day.

I went and played golf on Saturday and shot a smooth 80. I took my wife to dinner that night, already feeling lucky. Life is good. Hope your holiday was as good as ours.