45th anniversary, better and better

Saturday, September 3, 2022

45 years. Waldemar and I have been married that long today. At the bottom of this post, I've posted the chapter that defines love. Waldemar has lived out those qualities during our years together.

I remember when 45-yr-olds seemed ancient and a couple married 5 years was an expert at marriage. haha Now that we're old and still together, we may think otherwise.

W has been sick all week. He probably caught the flu bug on the shuttle of terror or last weekend because he got symptoms soon after. He kindly masked in the house until yesterday so I've avoided getting ill. He's sniffling and coming back to strength. Hopefully he's over the worst of it.

Thursday

While W is sick at home, I take the 3 dogs for our weekly walk in the mountains. The other hikers promise to help - and they do. Two take the other leashes. One takes the dogs' water bottle. Sure helps! I've got Juno on a big-dog retractable leash.

What a fun walk, 6 km at a mile high: steep hill climbs and descents, tea plantations, and forests. It's Juno's first hike with us and I had planned to leash her for the first 2 hikes. She's having a ball and comes when called. So we let her romp alongside while we're away from people and other dogs. She stays on the trail, trots ahead and behind with the other dogs, and seems happy to be in the wild.

I take few pics because my hand are full of walking sticks and the leash. I'm watching Juno and Gyspy carefully. But I don't need to look for Bailey: he's either on my heels or a few steps away.

It starts to drizzle at the end so there are puddles and a slippery trail. Everyone pulls on raincoats or ponchos. We're a flock of flapping plastic. We cut the end of a longer trek and call the drivers to move the cars to our new pickup point. The dogs are muddy! Juno jumps into the back of the car along with the others, no problem.

Lunch at Dusen Bambu is pretty - and my food is tasty.

The menu is expensive, with an additional entry fee coming on weekends. The others are not impressed with their food so we will skip it in the future. Anyway, the company's the fun part.

Paulina (#NaraPark #PinoTerrace) has brought pudding treats. Delicious!

And IbuA has baked chocolate-dipped ginger cookies and chocolate peanut cookies. She finds a hot-chocolate mix, an expensive but tasty substitution. Yum. We'll buy more baking cocoa for the next batch. A sweet evening.

Friday

While I'm writing the next 2 BIC talks, the groomers come. They turn Bailey back into a white poodle princeling. And they clip Juno's long locks. Wow - that's short. (I was in a meeting).

After, she acts like a wiggly puppy, frisking around. It's a glimpse of her fun personality. From relaxed and watchful all week, she's playing like she's a 2-yr-old. She runs over when we call her. Below: before and after.

Lizzy texts me about the risk of sunburn if Juno is in full sun with such a short cut. Oh oh! We've never had this breed before. We walk the dogs in the mornings before the sun gets hot. Luckily, even the afternoon walks are shaded by the tall trees of the neighborhood.

I google a dozen labradoodle and grooming sites. They advise to keep her out of full sun and say not to worry because labradoodle hair grows quickly. Still ... that is SHORT! Like a 50s brush-cut.

In the afternoon, the book group meets online and in person. I perch my computer on a rolling stand for Zoom and put out tea and cookies for DrH and myself.

Saturday

When we get up Saturday, Juno is a bundle of joy, bouncing around the porch. She sits down quickly when we pull out the leashes. Gypsy looks at so much energy with wariness. He's sure slowing down this year.

After the walk, Juno relaxes in her mother Cocoa's spot, just outside my office door. Good doggie! What a beautiful head shape she has.

And Bailey? Always beside my chair. (Hey, what's that on my ankle? Ah, it's black rub-off from my walking sandal, how annoying. At least it's not a bruise.) The bundle of white fluff near me is perfect.

Five false bird of paradise stems are blooming in the garden. Those are enough to make an easy, 4'-tall Sunday bouquet.

Read more:

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 

 

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

 

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13)