Bumpy Roads and Happy Endings

East Pawnee Butte

"The bumps in the road just make the ride more fun."

Dave and I were late bloomers, each married for the first time in our mid-forties. We met via the Internet, went out on a blind date, and became inseparable from that point forward. Two years later on Valentine's Day, we decided to give it a whirl. We married on September 2--Labor Day--that same year.

2002: The first half-year was completely worry-free, wedded bliss. First Christmas ornaments, first this, first that, loads of fun all around. Then the roller coaster ride began and our lives have been pretty hectic ever since.

2003: We decided to remodel this old house. At the same time, I learned my job would be eliminated so I scrambled to find another and oh my, was it ever a horrible job. Construction was completed by our first anniversary; two weeks later, Dave was laid off from his job. He quickly found another, which he hated nearly as much as I hated mine. Then just after Christmas, Dave’s older brother became ill and died very unexpectedly. It was a devastating time for his family.

2004: I landed a good job working for the state. About that same time, dad was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and struggled with his health all year. My brother Ted and I spent a great deal of time helping dad meet all his needs, determined to fulfill his wish to stay at home as long as possible. And he did, right to the end.

2005: Dad and Ted were at a memorial service for one of our neighbors when, after the service, dad collapsed with a heart attack and died outside the chapel. Somehow we always knew that's the way he would leave this world: poof, gone in the blink of an eye. Ted and I cleaned out and sold our childhood home. Dave was laid off again but soon found another job.

2006: Our old dog Raven destroyed the ligament in one of her back legs while chasing a kitty down the street, which necessitated a form of doggy "knee" surgery. We finally had a chance to indulge in one of our dream vacations: Autumn in New England, visiting Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Dave's father was diagnosed with congestive heart failure shortly after we returned. A week before Christmas, his mother suffered a stroke.

Cottonwood Pass, west side of the Continental Divide

2007: We both turned fifty, and spent most of the year selling Dave's family home, settling his parents in a nursing home, and managing their finances. After a long and difficult summer, as his illness grew worse and more unforgiving, Dave's father mercifully passed away in September.

2008: My mother-in-law's health stabilized and she seemed comfortable in her new surroundings, so we took a road trip to the Meteor Crater, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and the Four Corners. We had a wonderful time. Later that year, after a Broncos game, my gall bladder exploded. A quick surgery fixed it right up.

2009: Raven was diagnosed with canine lymphoma; we kept her comfortable and happy the final few months of her life. We also added a new dog to our family, Tonka, then took a long-overdue vacation to Washington DC, Virginia and West Virginia. At the end of the year, we lost Dave's beloved mother Marge. She was buried on a brutally cold December day.

2010: Dave was laid off once again but worked part-time for most of the year. We took several weekend trips around the state. I returned to my own form of therapy: writing, and discovered this wonderful online home for my journals. After suffering through years of back problems I turned to holistic treatments, without success.

2011: Dave spent the year honing his househusband skills (he's really quite good at it). We decided to add a second dog to our family and after much searching found our little Crazy Daisy. The doctors finally diagnosed the source of my back problem, and I chose corrective surgery. Recovery was slow but went well. Plus, I had the best home health care aide you could imagine.

2012: This year has been good. I feel stronger than I have in a long time. Tonka finally admitted that he does, in fact, kind of like his little sister Daisy (shhh, don't tell her). Dave held a difficult but good-paying temporary job for several months; he is now focused on relearning his househusband skills. And for the first time in years, we are taking a vacation!

Originally the plan was to visit Hawaii for our tenth anniversary, but we scaled it back to suit our circumstances. South Dakota, here we come!

Owl Creek Pass, southwestern Colorado

"Somewhere along the way in this hard and bumpy road called life is someone who will fix your broken-down car and drive you to your happy ending."


::: handing Dave the keys :::