Love

Lighthouses and Other Things

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Before writing this, I had a long discussion with my wife, a woman who I have loved deeply for the last 10+ years. She asked why I had never written anything about our lives together but had written a great deal about my past. I really didn’t have a good answer for this. After much introspection, I think it may because I was doing what was simple rather than what was important. She has had some recent health issues which creates a lot of stress for both of us and she seems to believe that she is burden for me which could not be further from the truth. So here is something that shares both the good times and a little about how life can change.

Early in our relationship we took a trip to Florida. Part of the trip was a visit to Pensacola Naval Air Station. While there we visited a lighthouse on the base. It was a traditional lighthouse, a tower with a spiral stairway leading to the top and a walkway around the outside at the same level as the light. If I remember right, the lighthouse was white with black stripes. It was fun although walking around the outside at the top was a bit scary. Little did I know that lighthouses would come back into our lives later.

A few years down the road, we travelled to the north where our first stop was in Door County along Green Bay. There are several lighthouses of different sizes and shapes there. Most are at least accessible to tourists although you may or may not be able to actually go inside. It was fun looking at them and, at least for landlubbers like me, to see the differences between the buildings. I would not have enjoyed this trip as much had it not been for my travelling companion who is now a big part of my life and my true love.

From there we travelled along the shore of Lake Superior where we were able to actually stay in a lighthouse for several days. Yes, actually stay there. The lighthouse had been converted to a bed and breakfast. My wife and I loved the place and hoped that we would get to visit again. The light was still working although it was controlled automatically meaning we didn’t get to meet an actual lighthouse keeper. I, and I hope she as well, will always cherish those days and can only wish they had lasted longer.

A few years later, we faced a major challenge when she was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, or AFIB. While she did receive treatment for the problem, there have been lasting effects which she fights daily. Most of this has to do with strength. We cannot do all the things we enjoyed or spend time out and about. She tries to fight this daily but has largely been limited to time in bed. This has not been easy for either of us to deal with but it has not diminished my love for my wife. I try to do everything I can for her to let her know my love remains but I often feel my efforts are not enough. Still, I will continue to care for her and do all that is possible.

There is nothing more important to me than my wife and her love. No one will ever replace her and if something were to take us apart I would not even try. I hope she feels the same about me.

While I have enjoyed writing my blog posts, I think they have missed the most important things. So, I’m going to back away from this for a while. Please do not comment or respond to this post. It is really a private thing. I wish each of you the best but please allow us to share our time and stories together. For those of you who may also be experiencing rough times, know that our thoughts will be with you.

Again, please, no comments or likes. Thank you.

“My Three Dogs, Love will find a way home” By W. Bruce Cameron (A Book Review)

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If you are an animal lover, no matter what type, this is a book that will find a way into your heart. It is extremely difficult to assign a genre – it could be an adventure, a pet story, a love story, or any of several other types. It could even be reclassified from a novel to a non-fiction book with a few minor changes and a disclaimer or two. After much thought, I think it best falls into the realm of a love story or, actually, several love stories in one.

There are many types of love included, sometimes only briefly while others throughout the book. There is brotherly love. There is also the more common love between a man and a woman. We see love between people and animals. And we see love between the animal members of the pack as well as the human members. There is also love from Teme at the animal shelter, Georgia, a police officer, and Ron, a man who seems to love and feed homeless dogs on the street. Each of type of love is faced with challenges. Can love survive or will the challenges be too great?

The story focuses on the dog pack of Riggs, Luna, and the newest member, Archie along with their human pack members, Liam and Sabrina. While Liam and Sabrina seem to be in love, their relationship is challenged because Liam seems to sometimes forget to include Sabrina in life changing decisions. As a result, Sabrina decides to take a break, move in with her sister and decide if their relationship can continue. When she moves, she must leave the dogs with Liam because her sister is a “cat person”.

Liam is unhappy but struggles to keep going and take care of the dogs. This works well until an unfortunate accident makes it impossible for Liam to continue. Brad, Liam’s brother, steps in to help which he has done since they were both teens and lost their parents. Since Brad does not like Sabrina, his only solution is to take the dogs to an animal shelter, not a no-kill shelter. The ideal solution would be for all to have a new home together, but this does not happen.

The book follows the adoption of all three dogs and the efforts of Riggs to bring the pack, both animal and human, back together. Along the way Riggs and the other dogs meet new friends, and enemies.

Read the book to find the answers. But be prepared to shed a few tears along the way and question whether we, the two-legged members of many packs, have done the best we can for our non-human family members. Have we earned the unconditional love that they give us and do we do all we can to protect them, especially if something unexpected happens?

“You Are Here” by David Nicholls (A Book Review)

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Previously posted on Facebook.

My beautiful and loving wife gave me three books for Father’s Day this year. Those of you who have seen my previous posts may remember that I have loved reading since my early days and I suspect I have read hundreds, if not thousands, of books since then. Any time I receive books as a gift it is wonderful.

In a recent post, I wrote a short review of the first of these books, Nick Offerman’s “Where the Deer and the Antelope Play …” I’m going to try to do the same for another here, David Nicholls’ “You Are Here.” Nicholls, much like Offerman, has had a varied career as an actor (for which he said he had no talent), a writer, and a screenwriter.

“You Are Here” has been described in many ways by others – an outdoor story, a journey, a love story, by Nicholls himself as funny, and more. I could agree with any of these. The book presented a bit of challenge at the beginning because of differences between the typical American novels I read and the British style of Nicholls. But this disappeared after only a few pages.

While trying to not spoil your enjoyment of the book, it centers on a hiking trip primarily involving a man, Michael, and a woman, Marnie, with seemingly little in common.  He was a geography teacher; she a book editor. Both were coming out of unsuccessful relationships. Both were somewhat isolated, by choice, as a result. They did have one friend in common, one who kept pushing them to get out of their isolation. The friend was finally successful by organizing three day hiking trip with several other people.

“You Are Here” follows the trek and the decision by Marnie to extend her hike to accompany Michael for several additional days of his planned, longer trip. Up and down hills, through the countryside, the trip continues until an evening when Michael meets with his former wife. Unfortunately, Michael had not told Marnie about this meeting until the day it was to occur Obviously Marnie’s feelings were hurt. While the meeting occurred, many surprises and unexpected results ensued.

What would happen next? Would Michel and Marnie reconcile and live happily ever after? Would they never meet again? What really happened when Michael met his ex-wife?

A few months later, when the man, the woman, and the friend who started the whole adventure met again, the meeting will be a surprise to all who read the book.

This book was a Barnes & Noble Book Club Selection and it is easy to see why. It can be enjoyed by anyone who reads it no matter how they categorize it. While my initial reason for reading it was as an outdoor book, the other views came through as well.  I would strongly recommend it to all.

Good reading.