13,000 consecutive days

Today, December 30, 2006, is the 13,000th day that Sweetie and I have been married. We have actually known (and loved) each other for 14, 813 days, but I was away in the service and although those days are important too, we don't count them for the marriage.
Without sounding too sappy, this lady that I love is my rudder and my keel and the sails of my soul. She keeps me on course and stable and moving forward.
In return, she says I make her laugh.



So, what's our secret? There are a few.
Always remember that you liked the person before you loved them.
Expect hard times and move past them.
Hug each other. It takes 4 hugs a day to survive, 6 hugs a day to maintain and 8 hugs a day to grow.
Never grow tired of saying "I love you".
Once a day, try to make the person you love laugh.



















One more thing - figure out this code and say it to the people you love every night (even if it's over the telephone).
GN ILY SYITM PD GB

Make it a nice day or, better yet, 13,000 nice days.

The rabbit vs beaver conflict

At first glance, it looks okay but I think I may have used too much whitener.
Either that or I am auditioning to be the new Canadian beaver mascot.
Either that that or Elmer Fudd is hunting for me and being vewy vewy quiet.
Either that or I have too many Altoids in my mouth at one time.

Winter-like sunset

Winter doesn't arrive until the 21st, but when I took this (at 5:30PM), it sure looked and felt like it. It's going to be a long season.

The story of Sweetie

Once upon a time there was a really young man named F-stop Steve (although he didn't go by F-stop at the time). He somehow instinctively knew what his future wife would look like. In fact, he was able to describe her in very minute detail.
He is on record in the family archive as having described her as follows: "She is 5' 2' tall, has dark hair and the biggest and deepest brown eyes in the world. She has a beautiful smile and when she looks at me, her eyes light up and my heart dances."
F-stop's brothers thought he was crazy. How could he know what his future wife would look like?
One beautiful day in June 1966, a lovely young lady (that worked in the same place as F-stop's mother) mentioned that she was moving to a new apartment on the weekend. F-stop's mother said, "Stop by my place, I have three boys that can help you move."
So the lovely young lady pulled up in front of F-stop's house. Just as she got out the car, F-stop and his brother were looking out the front window.
As she looked up from the car towards the window, F-stop punched his brother's arm and said, "That's her."
His brother asked "That's who?" "That's my wife" said F-stop. "You're crazy! You don't even know her name!" said his brother. "Doesn't matter" said F-stop. "That's my wife."

On December 30, 2006, F-stop and Sweetie will be married for 13,000 days. Exactly. I was right all along.

A different point of view

This image is far more powerful than the one I was going to post.

Is it just me?

While I admire and appreciate the sentiment, I think it's odd to see those bumper stickers on a Lexus.