Twenty-two years ago today, Don and I were married in Killiney Beach, in our yard overlooking the Okanagan Lake. This lovely community lies between Vernon and Kelowna on what our friends called “puke road”. The west side road. It  is a dandy, to say the least.

We have had our share of ups and downs, good times and times that definitely could have been better. The bittersweet memories from that day are that my parents, aunt, uncle and Don’s brother-in-law  are no longer with us.

The good times now is having 5 ‘kids’ working on making their own lives work for them, having two of our grandchildren graduating from high school this year and living in our dream home in Canada’s only desert. The best thing for me is that Don is much better, health-wise, since we moved here. I thank God every day for this, believe me.

He is a super-duper cook, wonderful father, grandfather and husband. Besides, he is so much fun to tease and flirt with every day it makes life so good for us.  This is something neither one of us takes for granted.

He made me wait three years before he asked me to marry him and I didn’t give him the chance to take a second breath. Did you really think I was crazy? Besides, his sister always said she would have married him first  ‘cuz he is such a wonderful cook.

I met Don 25 years ago through friends and fell so hard for this man with the silken voice. We talked for hours on the phone (something I very rarely do, except when talking to Kelly or Suzanne) and planning and carrying off surprises for this guy is always the best thing to do.

Am I in love with this man? There aren’t enough stars in our Universe to place separately on each one the feelings I have for this wonderful man. He owes me 40 years still. (It was 40 years the day I married him and every day I tell him he still owes me 40 years.

Thank you Don for all you have given me and, again, you owe me 40 years.

p.s. I love you so, so much.