July 3, 2012

Twenty-five years ago tonight I was staying with my ex-husband and planning last minute details for my second wedding the next day.  A day of Independence, right?  My sisters came to be my bridesmaids, as they did the first time.  This time, however, our sons stood with their dad.  My uncle and aunt made a real family ceremony for us.  I don't know that we have lived up to everything we committed that day, but a lot sure has happened during the years until now.

We moved from NY to NC on our way to FL, and have been here since 1993.  We have a home (first one since 1970) due to the generosity of a church member who said no minister of his church was going to live in a one-bedroom rented apartment.  God bless him!

A lot of health problems have been overcome.  Bill had left main coronary open heart surgery before we left NY.  That left him with a physical disability and he has been unable to work.  In 1991 we discovered he had cirrhosis of the liver that was untreatable except by transplant, which was accomplished in 1995 at UVA.  The medication he had to take over the years has left him with a weak kidney and diabetes.  He also had a prostatectomy for cancer and urostomy for a shrunken bladder.  Other than that, he's doing fine!

My journey has not been quite so dramatic.  Left total mastectomy for large benign tumor, cholescystectomy (gall bladder), right total knee replacement (injury 41 years before), and COPD for which I use a CPAP.

You know, growing old ain't for wimps!  But God is good - all the time!

We are in the process of catching up on cleaning the house and organizing all the "stuff" we have accumulated.  It's a challenge. 

So, tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of our second wedding.  I'll be remarking on the 53rd anniversary of our first wedding in September!  We don't have much planned beyond a steak and salad dinner and a lemon meringue pie.  Our blessings are too numerous to count, so we'll just enjoy the day.