April 14th, 1973

Paul and I met in college as freshmen at the Hazleton campus of Penn State University in 1970, the same year we graduated from high school.

So 36 years ago today, Paul and I got married in St. Thomas Moore Church in Allentown Pennsylvania, just a few blocks from my parents home on South Main Street. We were 20 years old! Paul's parents lived and still live in VA, so they were there, as well as many relatives from Hazleton PA- where both sets of our parents and grandparents are from, and other relatives from around the country. Its a beautiful church that is circular with stained glass windows all around. While the ambiance is great, it was hell for photographers.

We celebrated our 36th Anniversary this evening..Paul brought lovely roses, and we went out locally for a very nice dinner..nothing too fancy- these are frugal times, but we did have a bottle of Pinot Noir from Oregon and a nice and fresh fish dinner. While we were waiting for our table, the very nice bartendress gave us a taste of all the Pinot Noirs they had to offer, and the Oregon one was our favorite..and in the mid price range. Better than the cheapies, which also were good, but the most expensive one I really didnt care for, from Australia- which I thought would probably be my favorite.

We left 2 days later after our wedding in 1973 for a road trip to California where the US Army expected us soon for Paul to start his Chinese Mandarin language classes in Monterey, the Defense Language Institute. We drove across the country with our limited stuff, and very much enjoyed the trip and the scenery, and had a stop overnight for a few hours in Las Vegas, which was a highlight for us. We also stayed a night with my aunt and uncle in Colorado, and had a great time there and they really treated us with a great dinner and corningware gifts, which I still use to this day, and think of them often when I use it. Taking a drive from the east coast to the west coast, we realized that our country is amazingly beautiful. If you have the opportunity, do this yourselves sometime.

We lived in a little one bedroom very nice second floor apartment with a balcony, 2 blocks from the beach, and across the street from the Naval Postgraduate School. I got a job there in the accounting department for the year we lived there. I walked to work, and had a window office overlooking the lovely gardens where peacocks roamed and were very vocal. Paul had a motorcycle and drove that to school on the hill. We went to the beach on the weekends, also the vegetable market, the pier, or took walks and shot hoops on some local school grounds. And studied...Paul studied Chinese, and I also took classes at the community college..film studies and art. Although Im a Psych. major.

We have moved many times since then, had other jobs, gone to other schools and gotten other degrees, but we have been blessed with the greatest treasures.
How our lives would be more empty without?
Adrian was born in 1981 in Davenport Iowa
Evan was born in 1984 in Rockville Maryland
Mara was born in 1986 in Rockville Maryland

So, 36 years later, we want to say to all that we are so grateful for all the friends, relatives, and people who have come into our lives and made it so rich and fulfilling. Especially our children. And their friends, and our friends, and our relatives, and everyone who has touched us in so many great ways- clients, co-workers, people we meet in everyday business and social settings, strangers whom we have met through our travels- Life is good.