Chillin' with Patsy: The Love of My Life and a Memory Lane Trip

The Ridge

Well, it is Sunday, May 3^rd and time for a different kind of post. You know my usual routines so even though today was not humdrum at all, I want to dedicate this one to a special person in my life. He beat me to posting on Facebook so this is my payback. 😊

Happy Anniversary sweetie pie
An old picture but one of my favourites

Twenty-three years ago today, we were waking up apart, as it should be before you marry someone. Our experience was a bit unique, not entirely but definitely different from many. Bill had walked down an aisle 2 times before and I had done the same 1 time. Sometimes things don’t work and they didn’t for us in the past, bringing us to May 3, 1997.

Our engagement photo
1996

We were married in a small pretty chapel called St. Luke's in the Garden in London, On in the middle of the afternoon. (forgive the picture glare, taken from photos)

Dad and Bridgette were our attendants

Bridgette, Dad, Patsy, Bill, Mom

We had Bill’s dad and my daughter standing up with us and our other children walking down the aisle in front of us. It was special.

Bill and his sisters
Liz and Carol

Patsy and her sisters
Two that my blogger friends may know Gayle 2nd from left
and Donna far right
My how we have changed!

It was a cold, windy, wet day and pictures were taken inside the chapel as it was not nice enough outside to do that. Our reception was a potluck meal prepared by family members, speeches by the wedding party and a dance hosted by a Dj friend from work. It was perfect.

With Bill's girls
Charlotte, Krystal, Yvonne, Jessie

A week later, after having our Grand Am broken into and then repaired, we drove to Washington, D.C. to see the White House and corresponding memorials.

Lincoln Memorial

Korean War Veterans Memorial
and we visited the Memorial Wall
Washington, D.C.

Next, we drove south to Norfolk and Virginia Beach, VA before heading home again to life as Mr. & Mrs. Richards. This was our week long honeymoon. Ooh, that was great. Life changed for us. We were good together.

Norfolk, VA

Throughout our next 23 years, we combined families and navigated through the trials and joys of having a blended family. You know, step-Mom, step-Dad kinds of things. They aren’t always easy but with 6 children between us, we all worked together to make it work. Employment at a school board was where we met and where we forged towards retirement in 2016. By then, there were 9 grandchildren in the picture and life was wonderful.

Seems like ages ago!

We took a giant leap after retirement and sold our small home to entertain our huge dream of full-timing in our 5^th wheel trailer. Here we are after 4 years of spending winters in the southwest. We’d dreamed of Arizona and travelling and now we can say we are hooked on both. Today, we can’t even think of a life that doesn't involve pulling our 36' Suite from our mid-western Ontario location to the border of Canada and across the United States.

It was a great day in the neighbourhood

Bill has been the answer to my prayers for so many things. In the form of a best friend, a sweetheart, someone to laugh with, a shoulder to cry on, someone to endure hardships and the loss of family or friends with and he fills every one of the gaps in between. Happy 23rd Anniversary, Bill!

So, back to today, May 3, 2020. We had a great day together. The weather was perfect. I put on some makeup and a pretty pink top. I got an early walk in, some time together, some time apart, some great time with family, some special time with friends and some time with ……P I Z Z A! Ha ha, it has been a long time since we’ve had pizza and that was the only thing I asked for on our anniversary.