44 Years And Counting!

   I wonder how many people know exactly what
they were doing 44 years ago today? I do!
   I woke up at my home in Hazleton, drove to
Wilkes-Barre to get my haircut, then on to
Mountaintop where.......I got married!
  Yep, today is our anniversary.
   The humorist writer in me would like to say
we've had 42 wonderful years together.
    The old reporter in me, striving for accuracy,
would have to admit it's been great for more
than the 44 years we're been man and wife. The
count would have to start as of our first date!
    So what do you get for the love of your life
to mark 44 years?
     There's a whole set of recommended gifts
that somebody came up with to mark various
milestones in your married life.
     To be honest I never really checked it out.
      For our first anniversary I commissioned a
young high school aged artist to paint a picture
of a bench we came to call our own overlooking
the Niagara River as it flowed over Niagara
Falls. I provided a photo of the spot.
     But there were two problems. It was a movie
photo so he had to freeze frame the scene in order
to watch it. Secondly, there was no water in the
river!
      The American falls had been "turned off"
that year, by-passed so experts could study the
erosion at the edge of the falls.
       My artist had to add the water on his own.
       My wife loved it!
       Technically I guess I was following the
rules as the suggested First year anniversary
gift is paper. I suppose a painting on a "canvas"
could be considered paper.
        I must have lost track after that because I
know I missed Crystal at 15 years, Silver on
our 25th, or a Rudy at 40.
        Well this year I'm ready!
         I found one of those anniversary gift
suggestion charts and was surprised to find a
"Bag of Groceries" marked on the line noting
44 years! I'm sure that will be a very big hit
with my wife!
        Still there is one lingering question on
my mind......paper or plastic?
        Hope you'll help me celebrate with a
kind thought for my patient, loving wife.....and
that all your NEWS is good!

44 Years And Counting!