Bill and Marilyn Walker's Christmas Tree.

I've been housesitting my bosses' home in Westlake Village since the day after Christmas Day. Part of my responsibilities include peeking in on his in-laws, Bill and Marilyn, who live just 5 minutes away.

Bill, 86 and Marilyn, 81, fend after themselves fairly well. It's just that their daughter felt a bit more at ease if I'd help them prepare breakfast and dinner. So we've had muffins and coffee and bacon & eggs, spaghetti & garlic bread, chicken & potatoes...it's been very nice getting to know a little about their lives. Bill's an ex-Navy man from Southern California who served in WWII and Marilyn is from Chicago. They met in San Fran during the early part of the war - Marilyn was working at a restaurant there and Bill came walking in and the rest is history. They raised four children and Bill spent much of his career as a newspaper writer.

Today, life's slowed down quite a bit for both of them. It's getting a bit more difficult for Bill to read the newspaper and remembering things isn't like it used to be for either one. But almost every time we've sat down to eat, Marilyn will turn to Bill and smile and say, "I love you".

So...some things don't change with age, do they?


Lovebirds after over 60 years of bliss - Bill and Marilyn.