fifty

Most of the things in our lives that make us who we are - our hearts, minds, bodies, ideas, passions - have kept the same as they were in our twenties when we met (me 19, him 21) and then married (me 22, him 24).  (bodies not so much)

We celebrated 50 years of marriage on September 8.  I am so grateful for him.   

He has been a rock for me and a companion and a lover.  He has supported my art.  We didn't know when we started this adventure in 1973 that he would end up being a financial planner for social work and that I would end up being an artist, but that's what we have evolved into, along with being a lucky couple.

Ned and Judy.

September 8 2023

only in the middle of our story

 She let her words fly forth as blessings

 like white birds cheering the heart

 In the shelter of Bear's arms she let go of her fears

ned and judy 25 years 

Her words became like birds and flew away
becoming something unexpected.

It's our 44th wedding anniversary today, and I am thinking about a card I received, a gift.  It had Denise Kester's poem (quoted above) and image (see here) on it.  The friend told me that Ned is my bear and that is true.  

I made this quilt with quote by Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnet XIV to celebrate our 25th. That was 19 years ago and we were just barely in the middle of our story.  Click here for entire quilt.