WOW -- married 50 years ... Part 1 (What a surprise) ...

This past August, Pam and I celebrated a milestone that few married couples reach -- our 50th wedding anniversary.  Can you imagine that!!  Just goes to show you that love conquers all. Check out the wedding picture.  If you can look at this young pup and the hottie holding my arm without laughing, you are either a very kind person or blind.  Not sure what her mom saw in me, but she gave me her blessing and we began this journey. So let me tell you how the celebration went.

One afternoon in July, I was talking to some of my golf buddies about this upcoming event and if they had any ideas of where a good place to celebrate might be.After I eliminated all the locations that were out of the country, one of them suggested Gander Mountain Lodge in upper Michigan.  Good idea -- we had been in Petoskey and Bay Harbor before (once for our 40th and again for our 45th) and we really liked the area, so this seemed like a good call.

It wasn't too hard to get the low down on the lodge and the area from the computer and it was quick work to check out packages they might have during the time we were to be there.  Then I called the lodge and talked to the gal at reservations and explained what the requirements might be.  I knew this was going to be a GO when the gal at reservations told me her last name -- same as ours.  That was a sign.  So I got the room for the number of days I wanted it, and then I started in on the particulars.  I wanted a dozen roses in the room when we got there.  Simple request, but she said she didn't handle those things and transferred me to the concierge who she assured me would be able to take care of me.  Guess what -- the concierge was from a town nearby where we lived.  Another sign.  We talked for a while and he said he could get the roses for us.

He got a lot more.  Check this room out.

I expected the roses, but the decoration of rose petals and chocolate covered strawberries on the bed and the balloons and the note on the door were certainly a surprise.

So that is the beginning of our adventure.  And yes, we did hang the "Do not Disturb" sign on the door.  And yes, we were coming out of our room once and a very young couple came down the hall, looked at the balloons and the sign, looked at us, and kept walking down the hall (and yes, they were chuckling).

Stay tuned for other parts of this entry.

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year. (Paul Sweeney)

Hooah 

P.S.   When I think back over the past 50 years, I find it simply amazing how much time Pam and I spend together.  And I think, like a lot of couples our age, the longer we are together, the less time we spend with others.  Sure we have lots of acquaintances we hang out with, line dance with, play golf with, etc. But we really do become one. So, with that in mind, I offer this quote to end this entry:



Well, we made it another year without one of us either ending up dead or in jail.  I call that a win.