Another year to mark

We had 47 years together; some were difficult but the wonderful times far out number those. Those last days were difficult for me....but  those days were more difficult for you. You told me that you wanted me to "live a happy life". I try each day to find something to be happy about but some days it is near impossible. You were my happy life.

 Today is 7 years without you. Time does not make it easier. Some might say it is time to move on...where? how? My world feels  shattered just as it did our last 33 days together. Each day hurt so much. I still can hear the nighttime phone call to say you were finally at peace. For me it meant a lifetime of missing you. I miss your smile.... your touch.... holding hands. I miss your humor and witty comments. Sometimes I look over my shoulder when I am sewing/crafting to not find you there. You always encouraged me to try something new. You thought I could make anything.

 Some days, many actually, I look to the garden and remember how much you loved being out there with a watering can in hand. You did not want the automatic sprinkler system on. It drove me crazy but you enjoyed caring for each plant.  It is sad sometimes for me to sit outside without you.                

So my love, I will continue to remember all the wonderful loving times.  Our love will always be in my heart......

My mind…

Still talks to you

And my heart still looks for you

But my soul

Knows you are in

Peace.

La Vita e Bella

December 16, 1945~~~June 21, 2017

Super Bowl Weekend

 Today is starting out with a very cloudy sky and although the temp is around 63 heading toward 73, without the sun it is a little chilly. I know some of you have cold and snow, I should not even comment. there is a chance of rain for tomorrow...Super Bowl  with KC Chiefs  and the Philadelphia Eagles. I will be cheering KC. There will be a Navy fly-over and it will be 5 all women pilots.

Just outside my sewing corner window is a hummer feeder. It is so nice to look out and find one visiting. (the picture is taken through sheer curtain). Sometimes other feathered friends stop by. I have finally started to connect my quilt squares...

and it has already started to fray. Not the flowers yet just the seams. I am still thinking about borders or not...edging.... you know if you quilt that it takes thought and planning to finish projects. Now do not be misled, I am not a quilter really, but I do know how to quilt. I am finding that I am enjoying this change of projects very much. I love hand sewing. The squares are hand sewn but the seams are by machine. Special thanks to all of you who send cards and emails and Facebook wishes for my birthday.  Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Thank you most of all for your friendship.

On February 9th, Alan and Lisa celebrated their 2nd wedding anniversary....how times flies!

Yesterday ~~~

💔49 years ago yesterday, on April 25, 1970 I married my a special man...Dennis Errol Horton. Yesterday was a hard day missing My Denny and I will go on missing him as long as forever. Yesterday there were tears and feelings of sadness and loneliness. Feelings of anger. Yesterday I looked around and saw...a picture of My Denny and his smile that tickles my heart still, a picture of us on horseback celebrating our anniversary, shelves and shelves of movies that we would watch together, the curio cabinet filled with Southwest objects that we collected and then the knife he bought on the very last time he went on an outing. So many things to remind me of the man I love who is no longer here to smile, or hold my hand or call me Graz. Through the tears there were smiles remembering so many wonderful times we shared. When times were hard or difficult we held each other tightly and promised to be there for one another and we always were.  My heart aches but there is the warmth of his love still in my heart. I am lucky...yes lucky... I have so many memories.... memories to help push away the tears and get me through another day. Tomorrows will always be difficult but I will look around and inward and see his smile, hear is voice and feel the warmth of his hand holding mine.

There are so many dates to remember, all of them special. Happy Anniversary Denny.

It would have been.....

Today is another one of those days for me. Today would have been my 48th anniversary. Each year I posted a cheerful memory of our wedding day, mine and Dennis' special day. I feel sad but also there is that special place in my heart that remembers the delight I felt when we walked out of church as Mr and Mrs. .... my Denny and me. I was 23 and he was 24. It was 1970.

The story is old and true. It was love at first sight for both of us. Quite an unlikely match really. Me sort of preppy and he sort of hippy but it was a good match that lasted 47 years. Some people questioned  how he could marry a gal who could not cook and did not do housework and this and that. His answer was simple, "I will teach her". I did not even know how to use the washing machine! You see, Dennis lived on his own since he was 16 and then joined the Army so he was very capable of living on his own. In the beginning we cooked together and divided the household chores and it worked. We lived our first year in his 2 room house on a country road far removed from the city lights...as a matter of fact, our street had no lights and ended at the lake! Our mail was delivered to the top of the road at pole #3. I loved it.

Our rings are there for me to touch each day, a symbol of our love.
Our vows said "until death do us part"....I will always be his Graz and he will be My Denny and tonight I will drink a glass of wine to celebrate the wonderful memories. Thankful that we met and married and shared a life together.

A different anniversary date

In the past I have posted lovely comments (I thought they were) about my wedding anniversary.  Yesterday was the most different of all 47 years that my Prince and I have been together. It was spent in a medical facility for him to have several tests.....he is once again having great difficulty with swallowing and stomach issues. We spent the last week in prep for our anniversary date and it was not easy for him and at times for me. On the big day I had to wake him at 1 AM to start the last of the prep and continue to keep him awake until 5 am then back up to get ready for an 8:45 check in. I did not dare to sleep at all because, well, he tends to forget now and again and sure enough at 6 am he was getting something to drink. Not on my watch! Not after all the reminders to drink this, drink that, take this for 5 days...I sent him back to bed and really stood guard over the kitchen doorway. So we arrived at a medical building instead of the beautiful church as we did so long ago and after half an hour in he goes and then all of a sudden the receptionist announces that they were having a computer glitch and things will fall behind, a bit...finally after another half hour the connections were fixed and thing moved along. At 12:15 were left for home and Denny off to sleep. Me? I was so tired but could I fall asleep, of course not, well finally I fell asleep around 10 pm. I woke at 2:30 this morning starving as I hardly ate anything yesterday. This man; Mr Horton, Mr H, Dennis or as I call him Denny, is my everything. I am keeping positive thoughts of good test results ( although there may be a minor issue to deal with). We took our vows on April 25, 1970 and told each other...in sickness and in health and so it will be. Today we continue our journey together. Did I mention on the drive home he stated, "well all that and it only took 10 minutes"....we must have been in a different facility! I truly love this man. Sorry nothing crafty to talk about today although I did work on my Victorian Thread Bag and will finish it today. I may try some smocking later....or something else. Thank you for stopping by and for your most caring kind words and valued friendship. Have a great day and I hope to show you a new project that I will be learning real soon...as soon as it arrives.
Count down ...The Brother Alan arrives in 14 days. "I'm so excited, I just can't hide it" .....

46 years....

I have been so lucky to have this man to love and be loved in return. It seems hard to believe that it has been 46 years! Can not imagine my life without him. Our journey together continues.....

........and we still hold hands....

What a week this has been. I am still hanging on to this lousy cold, or should I really say it is hanging onto me! I do feel better at times then I step back a bit. Started with a cough yesterday. I am of to work today...I can only hope that this is a good Jo Ann Saturday day.
Today is a special day...Dennis and I celebrate 45 years of marriage. We met we fell in love and we married in a very short time. We have shared smiles, laughter and occasional a tear or two. We are friends and yes, we still hold hands. He spoils me with love and care. I Keep him on his toes and provide  him with a chuckle or two...and we still hold hands. He fills the car with gas, he plants and tends our garden, he cooks our meals and helps around the house....and we still hold hands. I am the real lucky one in this marriage. Our bond is strong and when he holds my hand, I still feel love.

He is and will always be my prince who makes me feel like a princess.....

A special Day

April 25, 1970

I knew this was a good thing to do. I knew I would be happy. I was calm and content as I dressed in my gown and readied myself for my big day. Dennis and I exchanged our vows on a Saturday morning and I felt my heart and soul fill with love.  We met and decided to married a week and a half after that! There were a few times in the past years when we comforted one another and times that we cried together and mostly times we hugged and laughed an gave our love to the other. have  There will be no special celebration today, just the two of us spending the day here or there but always together. Denny, as I refer to him, has been and will always be the most important person in my life. I have been so lucky to have spent these last 44 years with the man of my dreams... the person who is my everything. -------My Uncle Arthur was the photographer for our wedding. He took lots of pictures but this was his favorite.... he had been upstairs while my sis Linda helped

me get ready when. While waiting to leave for the church, I sat on my window seat in my bedroom and he snapped the above picture.
I do not often look through these old pictures but I did today and wanted to share these 2 in particular.  A sister helping a sister for a big day and a 23 year old waiting to become a bride.
I always tell Denny that his kisses are the best...with that I leave you with this cute card front

 

The inside reads;

I fell in love with you for lots of reasons----but your kisses really sealed the deal!

As always I am happy to share time with you my friends, I hope it was not too mushy a post for you, but today is a special day....

Our special day

On April 25, 1970 Dennis and I shared vows and 43 years later we still share them.  I married a man who is my best friend. I love him more today than yesterday and look forward to tomorrow. He is my strength when I need it and my laughter at the unexpected times. We are two people with one heart. I still feel special when he smiles at me.... sometimes when he laughs at me! I am lucky to have a man who cares about what I do even if he is not sure what it is that I am doing... and always has praise for me. I enjoy the beauty he puts into our yard so that I can see it everyday. And he is a good cook too!
I could share some stitch stuff today, I could share what arrived in the mail yesterday, or the first flower from his small cactus,  I could tell you about a new issue he is facing, but I would rather share this with you....

My guy Dennis... I love him so. I never want to be without him.......

Cloudy day....and the Madame is back

Today is starting off very overcast and cool. It is so refreshing..... a light breeze and the chimes are singing......Maybe it will rain...

Mr H and I just relaxed yesterday... it was a nice quiet day. Our years together have been special. Through wonderful as well as trying times, we have been each others strength.  I did not stitch at all but I did read and we watched a movie. I must download another library book to my eReader. The guest room is back to my sewing retreat. Ms Zoe went in a few times looking for the brother....

Madame Muriel has returned to the guest room....

Hello everyone. I am back from my stay in the Master bedroom with the angels. The brother was very nice. Everyone was busy while he was here. Today I think I may go out with gracie and Mr H. I know they have a few errands to run. I also see that there are so many tomatoes to pick. Mr H said something about cooking them and freezing them.  Last night gracie made a white pizza with red and yellow tomatoes from the garden. The smell was devine. I think there will be cinnamon rolls baking later..... I am happy to have you follow my adventures here with Ms Zoe and her family in Arizona.

Well, my friends, thank all so very much for all the kind wishes for our anniversary. I am a very lucky lady to have him in my life. He spoils me and I love it! While I wait for rain... if it does rain today, I will stitch and try to get a few errands taken care of. In the meantime, hope your day is wonderful and hope to have you back real soon.

NOTE: Jo is having a wonderful giveaway.....so check it out here....

Our special day

We have lived and loved together through many changing years;

We have shared each others gladness and wept each others tears.

(Chas Jeffreys)



Dennis said~~~~~I do

Grace said~~~~~~I do

Today we say I love you~~~~ 42 years of love, friendship and respect.

I would not trade one day of these last 42 years....well, maybe a few! We met and fell in love at first sight...it is true.  After only 2 weeks we decided to get married and the rest is history.

The kid brother left yesterday....we had a great week. Museums, glider riding, wine tasting, shopping, delicious meals,  wonderful talks, and some time for just the two of us mixed in. We are 11 years apart.... but yet close in our hearts.

Just look at this magnificent work! It was on display at The Desert Caballeros Museum in Wickenburg. I sometimes can't keep track of my few cross stitch needles! So beautiful.

Well, I really must get back to my laundry..... and my HAED Iris.... which is coming along.

The day is very overcast and much cooler. The temps have been in the low 100's last week....so this is a nice change. It is alwasy a pleasure to chat with you. I will be getting back to visiting everyone and will have time to comment. Thank you for your kind words.....have a wonderful day.