Forty-two years ago today, Jeff and I had our first date. It was a blind date set up my Dad and Jeff's sister. I was divorced and lonely. When my Dad came home one night, he said this guy (Jeff) was going to call me and ask me for a date - oh, and I was to say yes.
On the other side of town, Jeff's sister, Jill told him he was to call me and ask me out and that I would say yes. Recipe for a disaster? Could have been, but it wasn't. We both were in the right spot at the right time - stars were aligned - and here we are 42 years later.
I knew Jeff was a good man when he took me and my son grocery shopping. I was on a very tight budget (i.e., I was broke) and when I went to the grocery store I headed for the heavily discounted items, bent cans, old bread, stuff like that. I was pushing my cart around looking for the best way to spend probably $20.00, though I can't remember for sure. Jeff, on the other hand, was putting lots of food in his cart and when we went to the checkout, I was dreading how much all of those groceries were going to cost me. Turns out that I didn't pay anything for the groceries that day or any day since.
My grandmother told me that long engagements don't necessarily make for long marriages. Keeping that in mind, we were married on September 21, 1974. We honeymooned in San Francisco and tried to not spend too much money. Jeff had promised me that with the money we took back home, he would buy a washing machine and a dryer. Okay, that may sound odd to you, but up to that point, I had been using a wringer washing machine and laundromats. I couldn't have been happier, and would gladly have turned down the Hope Diamond for my own appliances.
In almost every situation, when given a choice, I choose a new appliance, or an upgrade to something I already own. I have no hankering to own more jewelry and already have a super nice car to ride about town in.
I know some women are offended when given let's say a vacuum cleaner as a gift. I would accept that gift gladly and realize it wasn't a reference to how I keep my house! So what's on my list of things I would like to have: retractable awnings for my kitchen windows. The back of the house gets the afternoon sun and during the summer, it gets super hot in the kitchen.
Before I walked down the aisle those many years ago, my Dad patted my arm and told me that Jeff was a keeper. Dad was right. Jeff was/is definitely a keeper. He has always been my rock and now that my brain seems to be working about half the time, he continuously tries to make things easier for me.
I love you Jeff.
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