Pugman1943
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2009
- Messages
- 7,686
Fifty Golden Years years starts at the beginning, and in the beginning Sandy, my wife was married to her high school sweetheart in 1966. Mike and Sandy had two children, Michael and Michelle, Mike graduated college, work weekends at a steel mill and began teaching high school. Over these five years medical situations arose but hints were missed until June of 1971 when Mike passed away at age 26 due to extensive cancers.
Sandy felt she had been very well assisted by the medical community so she went to the same hospital to "pay back" by being a candy striper. I was working there and come into the lobby to head for the soda shop and a milk shake when I first saw her, 5'6" and hair in a ponytail reaching to her waist. The first time was just a bright smile, polite hello and I was on my way.
The same routine continued to happen over the weeks until I got up enough nerve to ask her if she would care to join me and have something which she accepted. This went on over several months and one evening Sandy asked if I would like to come over for some homemade pastry and coffee.
One skill Sandy learned from a neighbor was the art of baking, and over the weeks I enjoyed to delicious bites while we learned about each other. Of course in the beginning I did not know about the children, at that time Mike was 3 and Michelle 18 months. And yes, that made me pause and look into myself. I knew I had strong feelings toward her. She was a great lady. I had to look into myself to see I had the right stuff to be a father and husband. We discussed that and the implications and demands and the true meaning of being a husband and father as we continued to date.
We got engaged in February 1972 and married in October. We lived in a small city south of Buffalo and found a pleasant three bedroom home and settled in. One of Sandy's gifts is decorating and we made a home you could enjoy without taking your shoes off at the door. Life was good, I returned to school and got my degree and Sandy took care of everything else. The kids got to be kids, I learned how to paint a house, we made a garden and put in a above ground pool. It was simple, but it was good, and best, we learned how to grow as parents and partners. And I must mention that we did buy our first pug, Brandy. She over our lifetime was the first of four.
In 1980 circumstances required us to make a life change, in doing so we set our sites on Dallas Texas and off we went. And here we are, 42 years later. Three grown children, twelve grandkids, two great grandkids and three more pugs during those years. Many wonderful vacations to wonderful spots both in Europe and the US. Life has been good and we have been blessed. What more could you ask for? Of course there have been some bumps, life after all is mixed with both good and otherwise. But it is what it is and you learn to deal with it and you learn to grow from it. And I and a lucky guy to have founds such a wonderful woman to share these years with.
And lastly I have enjoyed spending 13 years with you folks, my brothers and sisters on CP, my other family. And as family we stick together and share. Thank you for being here when I have needed you or just wanted to hang out. It have been great fun while getting to know each other.
being here.
Sandy felt she had been very well assisted by the medical community so she went to the same hospital to "pay back" by being a candy striper. I was working there and come into the lobby to head for the soda shop and a milk shake when I first saw her, 5'6" and hair in a ponytail reaching to her waist. The first time was just a bright smile, polite hello and I was on my way.
The same routine continued to happen over the weeks until I got up enough nerve to ask her if she would care to join me and have something which she accepted. This went on over several months and one evening Sandy asked if I would like to come over for some homemade pastry and coffee.
One skill Sandy learned from a neighbor was the art of baking, and over the weeks I enjoyed to delicious bites while we learned about each other. Of course in the beginning I did not know about the children, at that time Mike was 3 and Michelle 18 months. And yes, that made me pause and look into myself. I knew I had strong feelings toward her. She was a great lady. I had to look into myself to see I had the right stuff to be a father and husband. We discussed that and the implications and demands and the true meaning of being a husband and father as we continued to date.
We got engaged in February 1972 and married in October. We lived in a small city south of Buffalo and found a pleasant three bedroom home and settled in. One of Sandy's gifts is decorating and we made a home you could enjoy without taking your shoes off at the door. Life was good, I returned to school and got my degree and Sandy took care of everything else. The kids got to be kids, I learned how to paint a house, we made a garden and put in a above ground pool. It was simple, but it was good, and best, we learned how to grow as parents and partners. And I must mention that we did buy our first pug, Brandy. She over our lifetime was the first of four.
In 1980 circumstances required us to make a life change, in doing so we set our sites on Dallas Texas and off we went. And here we are, 42 years later. Three grown children, twelve grandkids, two great grandkids and three more pugs during those years. Many wonderful vacations to wonderful spots both in Europe and the US. Life has been good and we have been blessed. What more could you ask for? Of course there have been some bumps, life after all is mixed with both good and otherwise. But it is what it is and you learn to deal with it and you learn to grow from it. And I and a lucky guy to have founds such a wonderful woman to share these years with.
And lastly I have enjoyed spending 13 years with you folks, my brothers and sisters on CP, my other family. And as family we stick together and share. Thank you for being here when I have needed you or just wanted to hang out. It have been great fun while getting to know each other.
being here.
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