35 Years

This past Monday, Art and I celebrated 35 years of marriage. The few hours we were able to spend together were a lot of fun and much needed. After some roses, a nice lunch, and walk in the Old Port, and then yes, a trip to one of our "together places", BJ's, the day ended much too quickly and he had to make the drive back north. After he left I was talking to one of my friends on "Facebook", who just happened to also be one of my bridesmaids and we were reminiscing about all the fun we had that year that Art and I were dating. It really doesn't seem like 35 years ago. We have been through so much in 35 years, and have still managed to come out on top. When I think back over the 35 years I'm reminded of a movie that Mary Steenburgen and Steve Martin were in called "Parenthood" and I remember what the Grandma in the movie had to say and it went something to the effect that when she was a little girl and was taken to the amusement park, there were rides such as the smooth, predictable merry-go-round but then there were "thrill rides" such as the roller-coaster. Life is much like that and we make choices as to what we want to ride. Some people choose the nice, smooth merry-go-round, wanting to go through life not mussing up their hair. Others choose the roller coaster and hang on for dear life, taking all the twists, turns, and loops in stride and try to enjoy the ride without puking. I think we chose the roller coaster. While we started out on the flat, smooth, part like everyone else we ended up with many loops, twists, turns, and corkscrews being thrown in along the way. As we've gone through the years, we've come close to flying off or puking but we managed to hold on and are better for it. God and life have treated us well and I wouldn't change anything at all.
Let's see if I can remember everyone....from L>R: Margie Appleby King, Julie Seile Michaud, Jody DiFrederico, Wendy Lane-Doiron, Me, Allison Billingham, Stephanie Peckham Mooney, Jane Boutaugh Frost, and Diane Birt Brown.

Steph, me, Art, and Harold (Hippie) Plourde

My Dad and Mom, Me, Art and his mother and father

Carla and Arthur Birt

June 8, 1974