JUST A FEW LITTLE DETAILS. . .

 Remember recently when I left you hanging?
About all those other women before me?
I was going to tell you something I later discovered.
About all of them.

                                                     (This is how I picture them. Indulge me).

Well.  If you will recall our first time to talk.
The time he finally said he would
like to meet me and did I have any
place I would like to go out to eat?
I had told him anywhere would be fine.
What I failed to mention was...
there was a significant pause on the line.
He had appeared to be giving it
considerable thought.
About where we might meet.
Then. . .just 'off the top of his head'
'Would Metro Diner be all right?'
Nothing seemed funny about it at the time.
It was later during our very brief courtship
That he confessed.


My sweet Odell had taken 'all those other women'...

...to Metro Diner, as well.

Too funny!  I could just imagine the waitresses
wondering if this man was Casanova himself?
More to this little story.

Later.
After we become Mr. and Mrs. Odell Edwards.
(sigh)
A wedding post. Can you hear the bells?

LET'S PAUSE FOR A MOMENT...

Just for today.  Then we'll return to our story.

Today is April the 2nd.
A very special day.
It is our anniversary.
And my first one alone.

We would have been married 12 years today.

Our wedding day was so beautiful!
But I won't go into that day now.
I want to save it for later.
For a chapter in our love story.

Today, I just want to remember.
There will be tears.
There will be laughter, too.

I watched our wedding DVD.
I listened to the lovely songs.
I watched us take our vows.
'Till death do us part.'
I smiled.  I cried.
I cried some more.

Later, I will look at every picture
of our wedding album.
I will remember each beautiful moment.

And, yes I will cry again.

I am going to visit his final earthly resting place today.
I will put a shiny Mylar balloon in his vase.
Alongside the pretty Spring floral arrangement that is already there.
I might even take two balloons.
'HAPPY ANNIVERSARY' and
'I LOVE YOU.'


I can't pretend this is an easy day for me.

But my wonderful husband deserves
my highest tribute!


He is forever loved and in the heart of
his girl!

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

 I just knew Odell would be a lot of fun.
What I didn't know was how ornery he could be!
By now, he has met my family.
Oh, yes, he is fitting right in.
And feeling pretty comfortable with this girl I might add!
And the feeling is mutual.
Very mutual.

One evening while he was working late, a friend and I went out for awhile to play Bingo.
This friend lived out of town, so occasionally she would sleep on my couch if Bingo finished late.
She and I drove up to my apartment and I saw Odell's truck.
Good.  Very nice surprise!
When I unlocked the door and went in
I expected to see his smiling face.
Didn't happen.
I went through all the rooms of my
one bedroom place.
Okay, that didn't take long.
I called his name repeatedly.  No answer.
I began to worry.
I mean, his truck was parked outside.
Right?
Right.
Had he met with foul play?
(I know. Who says "foul play" anymore?) Anyway...
My friend and I proceeded to walk outside
and around the building, calling for him the entire time.
Upon returning and going inside, there was still no sign of my guy!
I looked behind the shower curtain.
And inside the dryer.
Allright. I admit that was silly.
Maybe not silly.  Just desperate!!
But, as I looked up from my dark thoughts, I saw him standing there.
In the hall.
Grinning at me.
'Where did you come from?'
He glanced up over his head to a vent
in the ceiling.
'No way.  You couldn't have gotten up there!'
He laughed.  He wasn't going to tell me.

It was a few days later that he asked if I wanted to know
where he had been hiding.
Of course I wanted to know!
'I was between the wall and the headboard.' was his reply.

'I almost lost it when you stood there and 

looked under the bed.  I almost grabbed
your leg!'


Seriously??
I could hardly believe it!
Only Odell could fit between the wall and the headboard!


Yes, he was ornery, but he was to soon find out that so was I.
As his daughter, Sally, had said when she met me.
'Dad, I'm so glad you finally met your match!'


Yes, payback was just around the corner. .  .