I have so many memories of family Thanksgiving dinners. And over the decades, I’ve noticed a subtle but unmistakable shift happening around the table. The conveyor belt of time keeps moving, and nowhere is that more obvious than at Thanksgiving dinner.
Growing up, there were only two tables that mattered: the adult table—where the Important Conversations took place—and the kids table, generally a wobbly card table or a rented table pushed somewhere inconvenient, like next to the garage door or smack in the middle of the family room. At the kids’ table, the chairs never matched. One folding chair, one office chair, one exercise ball… if it could be sat on, it qualified. The rules were simple: don’t break anything, don’t spill cranberry sauce on the carpet, and absolutely don’t interrupt the adults. I remember mixing table scraps into a glass, creating whatever questionable “witches brew” we thought was hilarious at the time.
Fast forward a couple of decades, add my wife, a couple kids, inevitable job changes, and suddenly my place was at the adult table. The “Important Conversations” – only to be interrupted by kids at the kids’ table — were now about our own kids, our careers, home improvements, who brought what to dinner, the NFL game, and the perennial discussion of how fast the year had gone by.
Now fast forward again—another couple decades. Sure, the names and faces at the table are mostly the same, but something undeniable has happened. Besides the extra gray hair and new wrinkles, the conversations have shifted to our kids heading to college, our aches and pains, retirement planning, Medicare, and 401(k) distributions. And something even bigger changed this year: the so-called kids’ table is at the home of one of the kids! They’re hosting the entire event. I assume they’ll be juggling the turkey, the homemade cranberry sauce, the timing, the thermostat, seating assignments, and the Wi-Fi password. At this point, the line between the adult table and the kids’ table has blurred so much we might need new labels: the seniors table and the adult table. I never saw it coming.
Thanksgiving is a time for noticing and measuring change. The grandparents who once ran the show now settle into their chairs a little slower. The kids who used to race around the backyard now drive themselves to dinner. And the photo we take every year—same spot, same joyful chaos—has a way of showing us how the years mark us. A new partner here, an empty seat there, a new baby added to the mix, a dog refusing to cooperate. These are the chapters of family life, written in side dishes and laughter.
If I’m lucky, I’ll be asked to carve the turkey again. I may need stronger glasses (and maybe one of those cool headlamps) to see what I’m doing. But the real benefit of carving the turkey is obvious: I get to sneak a bite or two (or three or four). Who’s going to notice? All we really want to notice is who’s coming through the door this year. Let the tradition roll on. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
As is tradition for this column, here are some notables from our local residential real estate market. El Dorado Hills and Folsom are both showing meaningful year-over-year shifts. In El Dorado Hills, the average sold price rose to $1.13M—up about 5.5% from last year—while the number of homes sold increased by 8%. Inventory expanded even more sharply, with total homes for sale up roughly 20% and new listings rising 15%. Folsom reflects a similar trend in activity, with homes sold up about 6% and new listings up 16%, even as the average sold price dipped around 4%.
With more listings and today’s economic conditions, the average Days on Market has edged upward as well. As of today, El Dorado Hills has roughly 3.5 homes on the market for every one pending sale. Folsom sits at a more seller-friendly ratio of about 2.35 active homes per pending. Just like our shifting family tables, the market keeps evolving—proving once again that change is the only thing that never takes a holiday.
I love where I live. I’m excited to continue to help more families with their real estate needs. With proper planning and a good Realtor (Luckily, I know a really good one….), you can smoothly get to your next stage in life. For more tips on how to successfully navigate the real estate purchase or sale, or suggestions on Folsom topics, please contact me at Coldwell Banker Realty, 916.812.4341,pquan@cbnorcal.com,www.PatQuan.com. CA DRE #01918240
Copyright © 2025, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
