Update....

I think I am now smack in the middle of something really big. Art is eligible to take his retirement from the State of Michigan. As of right now, he is planning on taking it, and moving to Oklahoma City in May.

And, the wonderful thing is, that is exactly what I want him to do!

If anybody had tried to tell me that I would find myself head-over-heels about Arthur (my good buddy of so many years) I would have laughed and asked if I could have some of whatever they were smoking!!!

Back to work... in love! :)

Darn.

I didn't want to go back to work. I want the summer to continue on in leisure so I can just float around on this cloud and think of his beautiful eyes.

But back to work I went. My first day back was a real trip! I was in meetings and inservices all day with the rest of the school nurses. The first one to see me was Jean.

She looked at me and said, "Stephanie! You look great! What did you do to yourself, girl?"

I said, in a dreamy way, "Oh Jean, I'm in LOVE!"

Well, that was met with a bunch of squeals and requests for "Details! Details!"

There were four people per group, and I was dragged/passed from group to group by all these crazy, happy nurses so I could tell my story! Even though I am telling the same story over and over again, I never get tired of it. And I love these folks, this is the same bunch who held me up with their love and caring when Andy died.

I guess it was an eventful, romantic summer for several of us there. There are engagements, new boyfriends, and one other nurse had a story similar to mine, except she has "only" known her guy for 27 years!

Crazy in love

I am trying to be mature and dignified about this.

It is so difficult for me though, when my heart is singing like a teenagers! I am having a hard time keeping my own secret. It is such a delicious secret. I want the whole world to know! I want to shout from the rooftop!

" I love a man! His name is Arthur

...MY Arthur!

And he loves me too!!! "

Even his name is beautiful to me. I catch myself saying it out loud, just to hear it. I speak of him to anybody who will listen, just so I can again hear the word 'Arthur.' I write his name out, because I want to savor the beauty of it in written form.

Mature? Dignified? No. Crazy in love? YES!

Will anyone understand? Maybe not... but this isn't for others to understand. I believe that those who love us will be celebrating with us, and the rest simply don't matter.

What an adventure this is for both of us! I'm having a hard time believing this is real.

Lights are back on, All's Well!

Back to counting the minutes between emails...!

Beautiful Insomnia....Saturday Morning (moaning?)

(groan)

It's me again.

Arthur was finally able to get through around midnight. This is becoming insane! :) I went to bed at 3:00 AM after talking with him half the night, and now it is 7:00 AM here. I'm wide awake and needing to write.

Reminder to myself: Self, you are getting too old for this...!

Well, I'm mature enough to realize that this stage doesn't last forever.

And old enough to say: "Thank God that it doesn't!"

This IS insane! And wonderful! All I can think about is HIM. His beautiful eyes. His shy smile. EVERYTHING!

They still haven't figured out what caused that big power outage, but I think I know. It was the voltage from our phone calls and emails! If we keep this up, in addition to Detroit, Oklahoma City will also be in the dark!

Major Blackout up North

There is a blackout going on up North... perhaps the largest one in North American history. It started yesterday, and much of lower Canada and the Eastern US seaboard is affected. Plus Ohio and Michigan. So, along with 50 million other people, Arthur has been in the dark since yesterday.

He called last night while I was at bowling, and left a message that he is doing OK. However, I haven't heard from him since. Whenever I try to call I get the same old "All circuits are busy" recording.

I have been reading every scrap of news out of Detroit. They say all State offices are closed, so Arthur isn't working today.

All this turmoil, uncertainty and waiting is starting to get to me. And, I feel like a drug addict, sitting here waiting for my "fix!" I have become so accustomed the past week or so to hearing from Arthur several times a day. I think withdrawal symptoms are starting!

Finally! Jr. Olympic Photos!

I did not take still photos, but Rosemarie was nice enough to share hers. These pics were taken July 28. This is the team competing to "All that Jazz."




The traveling team, Encore Twirlers of Oklahoma City: Angela, Shelby, Kendy and Beverly.



It's always best to not take yourself too seriously! Good going girls! :)

Fish or Frog?

I don't know what to do with these feelings! I am exhilarated, confused... crazy.

The past few days I have spent a good many hours discussing this situation with Kathy. After all, she has known Arthur for as long as I have.

She keeps telling me: "If you feel he is a keeper, then KEEP him! There are no more fish in the sea. THEY'RE ALL FROGS!!!"

I say: "I'm afraid to put my heart on the line. What if he backs off, and I get my heart broken?"

She says: "Knowing Arthur he is more likely to ask you to MARRY him than back off! I think you guys have always been a little bit crazy about each other!"

But, I say to her "We're talking about ARTHUR here! Our goofy, sweet, hyperactive FRIEND. Have I lost my mind???"

She says: "I don't see any down side to this. You know him, he knows you, you both have always got along."

"But! But! But!!! But..... Isn't this awful fast?? Slap me!"

She just laughs at me.

Some help SHE is!

Well, he has booked a flight to come here for a few days over Fall Break. So, it looks like he might be feeling the same way I am.

I AM crazy! I want to experience life... with Arthur! I want to go square dancing again! I want to teach him to two-step. I want to drive from one end of Rt. 66 to the other with him!

I want to take him to Frontier City and ride the Wildcat! I want to try every ethnic resturant in town. I want us to go to Eskimo Joes and eat cheese fries!!! (OK, I guess I'll draw the line at jumping out of airplanes and mountain climbing.)


Arthur? Could I love Arthur???

An age old friendship

It is amazing to me how POSITIVELY the brief time I spent with Arthur has affected me! During the past 18 months I felt myself age tremendously. I don't really look much different, but I was feeling unattractive, slow and OLD.

It isn't the "romance" thing, as much as spending time with an old friend has reminded me of the person I used to be. I am remembering the Stephanie of the days before I even thought of being anybody's wife. I am now determined to get back to being myself, active, fun-loving and decent-looking.

I've started remembering Arthur from so long ago. I adored him back then, but I was too young and inexperienced to know what to do with those feelings. Eventually we went on to more serious relationships with other people and drifted apart, although we remained friends for all these years.

Here is a photo of us together then. This was taken in May of '72. We think it may be the only picture with both of us together when we were dating, although we have quite a few that we took of each other.

He was so good and kind to me, and we had so much fun back then! We never argued with each other about anything. He used to take me for long rides, first in his green 1971 Pinto, later in his '74 Hornet. One year he bought me a huge Easter basket from Hudson's. I wore his class ring for a little while, but as a "friedship" ring. I saw 'Gone with the Wind' my very first time with him. He was the only guy I knew that smelled great with "British Sterling" cologne!

I remember listening to his McIntosh (not Macintosh, different company) stereo and how he would explain the different types of stereo equipment. Arthur is the person who introduced me to the music of 'The Moody Blues.' We also both happened to be into classical music. When he moved into his first apartment I helped move his stuff, and helped him decorate it. (No, nothing happened between us! He and Sue were already an item.)

We originally met at square dancing. We used to dance with a group called the "Teen Wheelers." I was a newbie at the time, and he was in the advanced group known as "Angels." Although a much better dancer than I, he put up with me until I learned how! I remember how he would ask me to dance, hand behind his back, throwing a teasing smile over his shoulder.

I remember the terrible night his brother Kenny died in a freak accident. I remember him coming over to my house and singing with me, my dad and my brother.

We definitely had a past. Do we have a future???

Romance?? Me??????

I guess I should tell everybody about a rather fun developement that occured during our trip up north.

I had the opportunity to have a date with someone that I used to date in high school. Anybody remember Arthur? I dated him back in 1972! If you don't remember, here is some background.

This is a very interesting situation: I introduced him to his wife back in 1972. Sue was one of my very best friends. They were married in 1977, had 4 boys (Dominic, Greg, Matt and Danny) and a happy marriage. Both of our families were close. Sue even made Marilyn (my sis-in-law's) wedding gown. Two weeks after she delivered the gown, Sue was killed in a car accident. That was 9 years ago, and Art is still single.

We have always been friends, and I never have thought of him as anything but. However, when we had dinner, it became obvious to both of us that something was in the air. We ended the evening with an honest, heartfelt kiss.

Now, he lives a thousand miles away, so I really don't expect anything to come from this, but it made me feel wonderful. I guess I'm ready to think about dating?

It's ironic, because Kathy and I were talking about maybe going to a couple clubs when I returned from vacation. I have been getting weary of only having kids to talk with every evening. I mean, I love my kids... but....! Dinner and a movie would be a nice thing once in awhile!

But in the meantime I have been receiving some pretty sweet emails from up north! This is so much fun! It seems like forever ago that I felt alive like this.

Here's to Romance!!!

Photos from our trip to the Detroit Zoo

Welcome to the Detroit Zoo!



John and Beverly are having fun



Kids in front of the penguin house



A brief rest stop...



...then off we go again!



Playing with a brass elephant



Hey! Who is that ugly kid in back?



John Henry poses in front of a retired train engine



Here comes the Detroit Zoo train to take us for a ride!



Goodbye, all! We have had fun!

Back from the Jr. Olympics

I am going to post this today so that everybody knows we made it back from Detroit safe and sound. The twirling competition was lots of fun! The girls did not make the finals. :(

But they had fun, tried their best, and ended up scoring in the middle, for which we are proud of them all! :)

We had a wonderful time visiting with many old friends that I grew up with...and had a nice surprise when one of those friends presented me with photos that he had taken when Andy and I were up there for our honeymoon!!! I had never seen them before! I will be scanning those and putting them on here in memory of our anniversary. Plus, watch for some photos from our vacation!

Love y'all!!!!