Milestones

All of us experience milestones in our lives; Gordy and I are no exception.  In order to see how far we have come in our lives, it seems appropriate to look back especially when he has travelled the "c" journey.  We have come so far in one year.  On the blog, our entries for the end of August in 2010 reflect a different world for us.

August 27, 2010:  PET-Scan results reveal 2 hotspots of activity instead of an "all clear and clean" report.

August 27, 2011:  We attended our annual neighborhood block party and walked for an hour in the morning.  He led the children's parade with the American flag in hand.  Gordy is currently free of cancer!!!

August 30, 2010:  Met with two doctors at the Cancer Care Center in Iowa to discuss the "hotspots" and they are not overly concerned but agree that we need to wait 3 months for another PET-scan to see if spots grow. Waiting was very stressful.

August 30, 2011:  Left Macomb for Chicago via train.  We are anxious and excited about what will happen tomorrow! Traveling anywhere for Gord was not an option last year.

August 31, 2010:  Our 42nd anniversary.  We managed to have lunch at a restaurant but eating was extremely challenging for Gord.  His energy level was low and going anywhere in the
evening was not feasible.

August 31, 2011:  Today is our 43rd anniversary and Gordy is still "clear of cancer" at this time.  He says he is about 80 to 85% back.  Life is good; no, in fact, life is very, very good!  Why are we in Chicago?  We fly to Rome, Italy!  Rome, Sorrento, Florence, and Cinque Terre are part of our Italy locations.  Gord and I will be also be in Cannes and Paris, France.  Gretchen Miller called to wish us a happy anniversary and have a good time.  She also remarked how we have come a long way in a year.  She is right!  Only in our dreams could we have imagined Gordy being healthy enough to travel so far away. 

Looking back at those August 2010 entries, I wrote that the love and support of family and friends made a huge difference to us during Gord's health battle.  I listed our immediate family's names:  Jennifer, John, Gordon, Lisa, Ryan, Luke, and James. Now we are blessed with another  grandson, Paul Austin, born June 3rd!  Another positive milestone!  I had the privilege and opportunity to be in the labor and delivery room when Paul came into this world.  Birth is such a miracle!  I sang Happy Birthday to him when he was 10 minutes old.  Guess I am taking this Dr. Diane thing to another level??  Jennifer and John have three healthy sons.  Life is very, very good.

Milestones are important to recognize and celebrate like anniversaries, births, and cancer free results.  Change is a part of our lives-- we can count on that.  However, I was reminded by our minister in a sermon that while everything changes in various degrees, God's love for us is constant and never changes.  It is comforting.

Blog entries may not be posted for a while.  We plan on soaking up all that Italy and France have to offer.  Yes, life is very, very good.

Anniversary Number 42

Diane and Gordy walking down the aisle at Gordon & Lisa's wedding on June 27, 2009.

Diane & Gordy, August 31, 1968, United Methodist Church in Winthrop Harbor, IL.

Gordy is having some product nourishment after we had a lovely lunch in celebration of our 42nd anniversary. In our new normal temporary life as a couple, restaurant dinners are on hold, but the lunch today was fantastic. Baby steps for the both of us.

We continue to be passengers on a roller coaster ride called life. Our day-to-day schedule resembles a merry-go-round. Then suddenly after a trip to the doctor or receiving test results, we are suddenly thrust onto the Screaming Eagle Roller Coaster. Couldn't there be a happy medium?

Rereading our recent entries, not many happy or humorous times are conveyed except for the hilarious "I don't know you" statement by Maury to Gordy. It was a priceless moment, folks, and one I'll never forget. But with today being our anniversary, it seems fitting to get a bit nostalgic. When I think about how we began our marriage, what we have experienced, and where we are now, we have come a looonnng way.

In 1968, we picked August 31st so that we could work our two jobs respectively to earn as much money as possible. After the TET offensive in February 1968, graduate school deferments were eliminated and Gordy got his 1A draft status in July just before our marriage. I quit college which had to disappoint my parents even though they never uttered those words; Gordy had a Title 4 fellowship for graduate school at the University of Florida. I needed to get a job once in Gainesville after we moved into a furnished apt. someone else rented for us--the rent was $102.50 per month. Our total income was $420 a month. My wedding dress cost $110. Our honeymoon was a two-night stay at a Howard Johnson's in Kenosha, Wisconsin. On our wedding night, we opened our cards and were elated that we had received a total of $800--wow, a jackpot!! We didn't have enough money for an engagement ring for me. Our car was a 1961 Chevy we called the "Blue Streak" and had to warm it up in Florida in order for it to run. Most of our wedding presents were boxed up and filled our car. When we got tired of driving in our unairconditioned car at night on the sojourn to Florida, we stopped at a rest stop and slept unafraid of possible intruders. A hotel room for 2 nights was too expensive. I didn't know how to cook; my first meal resulted in grilled chicken with crispy skin and raw meat. Gordy and I made our weekly trip to the laundry mat because I had never used one before marriage. Our grocery bill budget was $25 per week which included two 8-packs: one "real" Pepsi for me and one "real" Coca-Cola for Gordy. Having a McDonald's lunch once a week was a splurge. The two years in Gainesville were priceless.

Through the years, our lives have changed in many ways. Every marriage has its ups and downs--gosh, another reference to a roller coaster maybe? However, we are so fortunate to have found each other and fallen in love so many years ago. We've been blessed with Jennifer, John, Gordon, Lisa, Ryan, Luke, and James. The emotional support and love of our family and friends during the past 6 months are indescribable in importance for our survival and ability to withstand whatever comes our way. I asked my former neighbor, good friend, and breast cancer survivor from 1995 Sandi Ball about her time with cancer, her recovery/treatment, and what she had learned. She replied that she realized how much her husband Randy loved her. I hope Gordy knows how much I love him.

Thanks for allowing me to relive and relay a bit of our lives in 1968--it was a memorable year and I've had a wonderful life and will continue to do so with Gordon Arthur Taylor Jr. It's been a privilege being his Dr. Diane!!