But who's counting?

Today, John and I celebrate 43 years of marital bliss. Yep! Forty-three years ago, we stood before a small gathering, facing my earthly father, attended by John's brother and my college roommate, vowing "I do." to whatever the question was.

Most folks who know us have heard the story of our courtship. Basically,when LaPhonia (college roomie) asked if I'd like to get a group together on January 4th, to celebrate several January birthdays, I answered, "Because John and I have birthdays on January 3rd and 5th, I was sort of saving the 4th in case he asked me out." Naturally, LaPhonia went directly to John and told him that he and I had a date on the 4th.

So, beginning our relationship with a clear misunderstanding, he took me to a fine restaurant for our first date. By the end of January, we were spending quite a bit of time together, and I took it upon myself to tell him I really wanted only friendship, and if he wanted more than that, we needed to "cool it." He assured me that was his thinking also.

On February 4th, he phoned to ask me if I could find someone off campus to stay with; he had something important to share. Helen and Jerry McBee kindly took me in for the night. John got off work very late. He took me through the entire Bible, pointing out scriptures on marriage, wife, husband, parenting. Then he asked me to marry him. I asked for time to think about it; I promised to answer soon and drifted off to sleep. Every time I woke up, John was still right there patiently awaiting my answer. By dawn's early light, February 5th, I said ok.
Each of us should have learned a lesson about the other that fateful night. I should have learned that any project John undertakes, he studies it to the Nth degree. He should have learned that I can fall asleep under any circumstances.

For those reading this who are not mathmatically inclined, Our engagement was all of 18 days long. The wedding cost us less than $100, including flowers and the rings we still wear. And the preacher (Hugh Ousley) even returned our $5 payment with a note to John stating, "This is for taking Betty off our hands."

Now the exciting part is, we begin our 44th year with a love beyond what two silly kids in a VW bug declared often, and I wonder what subject he will pursue next.

LIFE'S LITTLE LESSONS

Today, John and I celebrate 43 years of marital bliss. Yep! Forty three years ago, we stood before a small gathering, facing my earthly father, attended by John's brother and my college roommate, vowing "I do." to whatever the question was.

Most folks who know us have heard the story of our courtship. Basically,when LaPhonia (college roomie) asked if I'd like to get a group together on January 4th, to celebrate several January birthdays, I answered, "Because John and I have birthdays on January 3rd and 5th, I was sort of saving the 4th in case he asked me out." Naturally, LaPhonia went directly to John and told him that he and I had a date on the 4th.

So, beginning our relationship with a clear misunderstanding, he took me to a fine restaurant for our first date. By the end of January, we were spending quite a bit of time together, and I took it upon myself to tell him I really wanted only friendship, and if he wanted more than that, we needed to "cool it." He assured me that was his thinking also.

On February 4th, he phoned to ask me if I could find someone off campus to stay with; he had something important to share. Helen and Jerry McBee kindly took me in for the night. John got off work very late. He took me through the entire Bible, pointing out scriptures on marriage, wife, husband, parenting. Then he asked me to marry him. I asked for time to think about it; I promised to answer soon and drifted off to sleep. Every time I woke up, John was still right there patiently awaiting my answer. By dawn's early light, February 5th, I said ok.

Each of us should have learned a lesson about the other that fateful night. I should have learned that any project John undertakes, he studies it to the Nth degree.

He should have learned that I can fall asleep under any circumstances.

For those reading this who are not mathmatically inclined, Our engagement was all of 18 days long. The wedding cost us less than $100, including flowers and the rings we still wear. And the preacher (Hugh Ousley) even returned our $5 payment with a note to John stating, "This is for taking Betty off our hands."

CALF ROPE

Are members of my family the only ones who say "calf rope" to let someone know you surrender? You have had enough tickling or wrestling or annoyance.

Ever since the first person who read Jessie's story asked me "When are you writing the sequel?" I have consistently answered, "When your character dies at the end of the book, how can there be a sequel?"

No fewer than six people asked me Sunday morning to please write more about Jessie. So it was that I sat down at the computer Sunday afternoon shouting "CALF ROPE" and typing a working title -- Searching for Jessie. It was my intent to trace the research necessary to create Jessie the story of a genteel woman in frontier Alaska. Only problem is that fewer than two paragraphs into the sequal, I hit a big problem.

Ever since the acquisition of the trunk in 1970 , I have been told that Jessie arrived in Eagle, Alaska, via the Valdez Trail. I have studied this path for some time and cannot rectify either her mother's illness or her arrival in Eagle. I have met a gentleman via telephone who may know how to fit the puzzle pieces together. I look forward to meeting him face to face (or as Jessie would say tete a tete).

Meanwhile, as sincere as I was when I shouted "calf rope," perhaps I had my fingers crossed when I spoke the words. Everyone knows it's okay to fabricate things if your fingers are crossed when you spoke.

Olde words....new meanings

There are words that once were reserved for someone or something special that now have taken on a new personality. For instance, look at the word "integrity." In the olden days, when someone heard the word "integrity," it conjured up thoughts of a special person -- a person with no known vices or quirks...as nearly perfect as one could be.

But, there I stood....holding a collapsed cereal box declaring, "This box has no integrity." Again, the next day, my sandwich bread "lacked integrity." And the seat belt receiver was "without integrity." In every case, the item was limp. I wonder "Who decided to trash a perfectly good word to replace another perfectly good word?"

"Lady" is another such word. Once reserved for a female person of strong morals and character, it is more often used to mean the opposite these days.

This morning, I was trying to read an important directive online. The author kept referring to the "functionality/" So far as I could tell, he was referring to the product's function.

I once had a penpal from China. She asked me to explain to her why it took so many words to convey one concept. When asked to give an example, she replied, "The man walked across the street." or "He strolled, sauntered, swaggered, crawled, sped, ran .".....well, you get the picture.

Nothing in this blog is definitive, life-changing, even brilliant. Methinks I find comfort in the olde meanings of words. "The integrity of the upright will guide them....."Proverbs 11:3