October 23-26, 2003 … our 50th wedding anniversary
What a week is has been! My sister Mary and her daughter are here as well as Carla and Wally. We finally had the big wedding we missed 50 years ago. The church was packed. Grandson Mike walked me up the aisle. I was nervous but as soon as Harry’s hand reached out for mine, all was well … and I did get into my wedding gown, just didn’t breathe too deeply. Our two girls had filled the church hall with enlarged photos of us in years past … we looked so terribly young.
We had a big family dinner the night before at the house. When the grandchildren arrived I was so excited I actually crawled under the table to get to them. Sometimes the child in me just has to get out.
I gave Harry a special framed photo of him standing beside Churchill on his honor guard in 1954 and he gave me a framed picture of photographs from our wedding, circling a larger one of us taken recently. Across the bottom it said “50 years of Romance”… now how precious is that! Wonderful memories … wonderful blessings!
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November 16, 2003
We enjoyed the Grey Cup with the usual gang of friends that always meet for this event. Harry is such an enthusiastic spectator. He’s more of a show than the men on the field.
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December 22, 2003
Christmas is almost here. We had dinner with our friends and reminisced about Harry’s heart attack in 1989. Those three days he was in intensive care were the three scariest days of my life. Someone once asked me if I prayed. I said “no.” God was so present with me I felt I could have reached out and touched his hand … there were no need of words, He walked every step of the way with me.
Great news! Harry got some medical insurance and we will be able to go down to the States for the month of March. We’ll fly down and our neighbours will find us a place to stay and be our chauffeurs. This is the best Christmas present yet!
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February 7, 2004
How quickly things change. I was having some bladder troubles and an ultrasound revealed an ovarian cyst … a fair sized one. I had similar problems many years ago and everything turned out okay but it is somewhat frightening. This cancels our trip and I know Harry is very disappointed as our insurance is now null and void.
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March 21, 2004
There has been so much on our plates and we could have done without this, but God has his reasons even if it is not exactly how I would have arranged things. Surgery is booked for March 29 and Lyn will come up and stay with her Dad. Harry has already learned to run the bread machine but he is not a dolly-domestic by any stretch of the imagination.
I really feel my faith has grown through the last few years and I know that regardless of what the future brings God will be there and that He loves me.
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April 10, 2004
This journal was to be about Harry’s cancer but it seems to have a life of its own as it maps out the events happening in our lives. Now it has become mine.
Only Harry and my girls know there were some pre-cancer cells in the cyst. Lyn and Roman both came up to G.P. for support. Robin is in shock. The doctor said everything else was clear and just to wait for the final results from Edmonton in six weeks.
Harry is very attentive but we are both stretched out as far as we can go. Whatever, it is in God’s hands and that is the best place for it to be.
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April 20-24, 2004
Good news! There is NO cancer. How does one thank God under those circumstances … words are not adequate. I guess He still has some work for me to do here.
I am slowly getting better. I go out for about an hour then home again for a big sleep.
An ultrasound has revealed a gall bladder problem … accounting for my consistent nausea. We will have to deal with that later.
This is granddaughter Andrea’s last week at home. Then off to university. My heart aches for Lyn. I know how I felt when she left home. I’ll be doing lots of praying for both of them.
My nerves have settled down, although I tend to tear up rather easily. All is well.
