WEDDED BLISS - P.S.

WEDDED BLISS - P.S.
I have just returned from having lunch with Marie. While there, I re-read our Anniversary card from Mary, Greg, Daniel and Jason. Hallmark says it much better than I put forward in the preceding piece. I would like to share it with you.
“ To Mom and Dad:
Because of the two of you,
I know what love is.
It’s patience. It’s sacrifice.
It’s sharing joy
and keeping faith.
It’s what keeps us strong
and helps us find our way.
Because of the two of you,
I know what family is.
It’s laughing. It’s listening.
It’s growing up and
growing together.
It’s being there for each other,
no matter what.
Because of the two of you,
I know that love and family
Are at the heart of a good life
and a lasting marriage.
Because of the two of you,
I’ll always be thankful
for the love we have
and the family we are.”
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We shared nice lunches in the Laurel Creek dining room. There was a large Christmas tree, and all the decorations.
Lillibeth, the Station Three nurse, stopped by to wish us a Happy Anniversary. She was marveling at our 65 years together.. I asked her if she was married? She said, “Yes”. I told her “to hang in there. the years go by faster than you think.”
Tony Bennett was singing, via the dining room’s excellent P.A. system:
“I’ve Got It Bad, and That Aint Good.”; “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm”; “Noel”; Baby, It’s Cold Outside”; “Silver Bells”; “Merry Christmas”; “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing”, and, of course, “Rudolph” had to have equal time.
As we were eating our banana cake -dessert, one of the servers asked us if we were ready to share our Anniversary Cake? Talk about over-kill! We passed.
Back in Marie’s room, I tried bringing back old memories. I asked her if she remembered our first Christmas Tree? She thought for quite a while, and then she smiled and said, “Yes”. We spent the first night of our honeymoon staying at the Copper Queen Hotel in Bisby. If you have never been there, you should check it out. Our second night was at the El Conquistador Hotel in Tucson. I can’t remember the room rate, but it wasn’t cheap. It was a very nice hotel - the best that I had ever stayed in. Of course the rate was “American Plan”. (Needless to say, I think that we ate only one meal there. What a waste.)
One of the hotel staff brought us a very nice-little decorated -Christmas Tree, and placed it on top of the dresser. Our first Christmas Tree! To celebrate our 50th Anniversary, we took an Elderhostel trip to Douglas. En-route, we wanted to stay at the El Conquistador Hotel for old times sake. When we got to the area we remembered, we couldn’t find the hotel.. I asked around, and learned that the hotel had been torn down, and a parking lot was built right where we were standing! That’s progress, I guess.
Ray L’Amoreaux
December 23, 1944 - December 23, 2009.