We're coming to the end of a stretch of hot weather, although it wasn't really that hot. We didn't need the air conditioner; a fan kept us comfortable through the night. The tomorrow's forecast calls for a cool and rainy day.

So, where have I been? Simply put, trying to find balance. In architecture, you acheive balance when you have matched the strength of materials with the load that they must carry. For several years I let my job define my day. The work started early, ended late, and didn't leave a lot of spare energy for much else. Now it's time for something else, to be a husband, son, father, and friend. Those responsibilities, coupled with a new type of work, require different strengths, talents that I haven't used in a while, if ever. I'm not always confident that my strengths are up to these new loads.

Some years ago, Sandra would take grandson Matthew to guitar lessons. Sandra would ask Matt, "What did you learn in school today?" One day, he asked her, "What did you learn today?"Since then, Sandra and I often ask that same question, of each other and of ourselves.

What have I learned? That will be the subject of future journal entries. Now it's time to go to work.