in loving memory of my so much better half touched by the end of time
On our way from Vancouver, WA, we stayed at campgrounds with our new Starline popup and learned to never run out of propane after suffering freezing cold one night. We love to camp, even our week long stays at the fireworks convention. Jenf in her prime and living the life back in the 80’s. Miss your ever so sweet smile…
“Birthdays are the beginning of a lifetime of unknowns and surprising discoveries that lead to some things that really matter for a very long time.” (from Jennifer’s trifling other half – me)
How did Jennifer’s Mother navigate life’s twists and turns to arrive at a point that enabled her first child to find me? How did my Mother from Georgia navigate to California to enable her first child to find Jennifer…hmm…? (Of course, families matter!)
How is it possible that Jennifer and I were in the same place at the same time in Hollywood at night during the 60’s? Jennifer was 21 and I was 17. Look at Jennifer’s photo at such a young age. There’s no possibility that her life could intersect with mine from across an ocean. What dice could possibly roll to end up lucky 7/11, which is my birth date.
Jennifer would be 75 today and still be in charge. We’ve all got to go sometime, but Ma, did you have to lead the way…?
Jenf is ready for annual Company Xmas Party wearing her favorite Boa and me with my Employee Badge in a tuxedo. We really surprised everybody at the Party. We took this selfie in our living room and we really decorated back in the day. Ceiling packed and Xmas trinkets all around. Damn, Ma’s a good looking woman, full of life, ready to go…
I really miss my much better half.
1994 in Maui, HI for 10 days. We got bumped at the Hotel because they overbooked, oops! We were so hopeful to get a beachfront room, but alas. Didn’t slow us down though…
1st day there, we visited a wall on the beach to watch the surf and a rogue wave swept over us – neat…! We did some snorkeling in two locations around the island. Surprising how strong the current is in a reef. We got close enough to touch and managed to avoid getting cut – its sharp… Didn’t see any sharks but we were nervous even 20 years after seeing the movie “Jaws”. Loved the day and night boat rides and Luau. Fish for lunch everyday. Really enjoyed the road trip on the Road to Hana. We rented a tourist recording about the history of Hana. On the Road, we picked up a lady hitchhiker that was a local and got a lengthy story. There were lots of little stacks of rocks on the beach at Hana, even in the strong wind. See below underwater pic of me from one of our adventures:
In 2005, we spent the week of Christmas and New Year’s Day at Disney World Florida using our Hilton Grand Vacations Resort at Tuscany Village in Orlando, FL. See Jenf in Jungle Land munching an ice cream sandwich and puffing a smoke. There were so many highlights during our stay. One highlight was walking around a corner in one of the “Lands” after dark and being showered with snow, seeing the lights and hearing Xmas music. Took Ma’s breath away. Another was Cirque du Soleil: La Nouba, which was so impressive that we haven’t seen another performance like it since 2005, and we’ve been to almost all the shows in Las Vegas, – nothing compares to La Nouba.
See below Jenf in Tom Sawyer Island on 12-24-2005.
In 1979, our just-built home is in Camarillo, CA where Jenf waited in line overnight to put our name on the waiting list to purchase it. Thanks to Jenf, we were successful and lived in our new home in Camarillo until May 1980. We sold our home and left California to live in Washington State, but on the way, Mt. St. Helens erupted and we drove through the ash to visit Linda and Jim. We only stayed a few days then decided to tour the Western States. 25000 miles later, we settled in CO. We stayed in Pikes Peak RV Park in Manitou Springs in our popup trailer for a month before we knew Colorado Springs was just over the hill. Been here ever since.
Our Son Paul around 5 years old and his dog Leon at Three Rivers Hideaway Campground near Sequoia National Park in California. Three Rivers was the regular week-long vacation spot for Ma’s parents with 5 kids.
Ma’s 72nd birthday photo. Those are Oxyview glasses she’s wearing that gave her immense pleasure to talk about with almost everybody she saw using an oxygen tank. I made little tags with their website address for her to handout. I’d make 105 at a time and Ma had me make more all the time. Ma loved her glasses because she could visit at length with oxygen Users about how they work and how I found them for her. Not one person she visited with had ever seen them, which made her a Saint in their eyes because the glasses were so neat. We’d go out shopping or driving quite a lot and Ma would spend quality time with people using oxygen. So what, we’re in no hurry, we’re retired, and those visits always gave Ma a warm-and-fuzzy feeling. Ma would glow for a while after each chat.
Ma got a new script for eyeglasses in May of 2017 and I asked her to buy online from zennioptical.com, where I got my lightweight polycarbonate glasses for $83 (they’re $93 in June of 2020). Ma wanted to see how they look on her and Zenni lets Users upload a selfie to try them on. Ma ordered them but when she got them they went into a drawer and she went to Sams. Got a lovely pair for $250. Ah well, spare parts for me. In fact, 3 years later, I replaced my frame with Ma’s so they’re good as new, except for the lenses. As I always lovingly say with the greatest admiration, “Good looking woman!”.
Our son was born in May of 1971. A fairly modern age after the 60’s; however, Kaiser Permanente wouldn’t let me in to play with Jenf during birth. No handholding, no Lamaze, no “I hate you” from the Mother of our child. Its a good thing they didn’t let me in, I’d have been most perturbed about their lack of practice for giving a saddle block. They missed 3 times, so Jenf had to let nature take its course – “natural childbirth”. They say this kind of birth enables pure bonding with the child, which in fact led me to forever say, “Always a Mom!”, no matter what the circumstance and for all time to come. They eventually let me in from the “Waiting Room” where I was playing with other expecting Dads. Ah well, to be alive in the 80’s or 90’s when you could bring a camera with you.
Remember the just-married photo where Jenf is taller than me? Ma really lost a few inches over the years as can be seen in the blurry snapshot under the mistletoe. Ma’s birthday snapshot with me in 2017 is another that shows how the bones have settled.
Got a snapshot of the Sun in the photo of a hillside at Independence Pass on my way to take a photo of Maroon Bells at Maroon Lake. The Maroon Bells photo on the homepage is a freebee from Unsplash and I wanted to use my own photo on Ma’s Memorial Website. However, at the entrance to Maroon Lake, I learned you must have a parking permit from www.aspenchamber.org for $10 but there are only 40 spaces and most are sold out for months. Next time, I’ll schedule a shuttle then pay for parking in town. I also learned you must leave the Park before 5pm on the last shuttle. Magnificent scenery going through the Pass on Hwy. 82. On my way to the Summit, I was as emotional as I was the day Ma passed away because it was so beautiful and Ma was missing out. Marvelous scenery on the road to the Lake, which is Maroon Creek Rd. off Hwy. 82. I got a snapshot of clouds and hillside as I was turning around to leave the entrance to Maroon Lake.
We were walking around the Colorado State Fair many years ago and found a booth where you could put on some jewelry and clothes to get a photo. Ma had Lisa from Hairitage Salon do her hair that day and figured, why not. In just a few minutes, Jenf got a photo and I’ve had it in my wallet ever since. I can’t help myself to say, “Good looking woman!” with all the reverence I can muster.
Nobody knows this because it was just Ma and I, but whenever we would find the occasion to browse one of our photo albums, I’d usually say with the greatest admiration, “Good looking woman!”. You can’t deny I got lucky to get a stunning flower.
Look at us. April 23, 1969. Jennifer is so much taller. We certainly did make a lifelong commitment. Is that a Polaroid photo? What a wonderful ride its been…!