Thursday, February 14, 2008

ANSWERING BLOGOVERSARY QUESTIONS #7

HAPPY VALENTINES!!
I just love it when we experience God's timing and I am experiencing that today. As you know, I have been answering the many questions I was asked during my Blogoveresary celebration in the order I received them. Little did I know, BUT God did that today, Valentines Day, I would be answering a question that so illustrates why Mickey is truly MY VELENTINE and has been for 49 years, 4 months and 10 days. Be sure and read my answer to Larissa and you will see what I mean!!

And now MORE questions!!!

Lisa, My Homemaking Rurality, asked.........Out of all the places you have traveled in and out of the USA...what experience...on one of your trips...made your jaw drop and your heart become a puddle of compassion?does that sound corny?....oh, well... :o)

Being raised in New Mexico I have taken trips into the border town of Juarez, Mexico. On our trips we have been to the border towns of Nogales & Nueavo Larado. As I child and once after Mickey & I were married we traveled 200 miles into the interior of Mexico to Chihuahue. None of these prepared me for the utter proverty that we witnessed when we crossed the border south of Deming, New Mexico into a border town that was not a Tourist town, like the others we had been to. I cannot even find the name of it on my maps. The proverty and filth were overwhelming. The "streets" were muddy ruts. We did not stay long, and I did not sleep well for several nights just thinking about people living like that.

By the way, I really like the name of your blog. Very clever!!

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Larissa, One Day At A Time, asked.........How did you know that Mickie was the one for you? I've actually wondered that before, and now I have a chance to ask it!........Now, Larissa is my lovely, special, young friend who is the single mother of 3 children so I know this is a very serious question in her life as it was for me as a single mother of 2 young girls when I met and fell in love with my Mickey.

Of course, from first meeting there was that physical attraction.....he was the tall, dark, handsome one. 6', slender, black hair and blue eyes!!! But we all know, that is only skin deep. As we began dating, I really have to call it "seeing each other" because we did very few "dates", most of our being together revolved around the girls, taking them to the park, the zoo, on picnics, the amusement parks, the movies, to Santa Fe to visit Grandma & Grandpa, etc. He truly enjoyed my daughters and they loved him. I KNEW it was not just a ploy to get near me!!!!!

He also did wonderful, kind things for me just out of the blue. One incident was a day while I was at work, and he had the day off. I came home to find he had put brick around all my rose bushes, and there were many of them, and along the walk way.

Another incident I remember very clearly and meant so much to me......my mother was spending the weekend with me and Mickey had just come over to spend the day with us. I decided I needed to read through, and then destroy, all the letters I had received from my first husband during two six months stints on a destroyer during the Korean War. The girls were playing, Mother & Mickey were visiting in the house and I sat FOR HOURS in the garage with this box of letters. I read every one of them, crying my eyes out, and then discarding them. Both Mother & Mickey left me alone and let me do this. They both realized it was a necessary separating that I had to do. At different times during the day, one or the other of them would come to the kitchen door, peek out and say, "Are you ok?" and then leave me to my necessary chore and cleansing time. To me this was pure love.....no "you shouldn't do that", no "what do you think this is doing to me?" just loving me enough, and trusting me enough to know what I had to do and letting me do it. WOW!!!! This brings tears to my eyes as I write this and comprehend, more fully today than even I did then, what kind of love that was.

Larissa, you just KNOW!!!!!

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20 comments:

Humble wife said...

So romantic and so tender. I am impressed with giving you the time to move forward!

And I agree about the poverty in Mexico...gets me every time.

Yellow Rose Arbor said...

Yes, that was the perfect post for Valentine's Day! I feel for you, as I was divorced too, and I have only two daughters (but they were older when their father left.)

I've enjoyed the answers to your questions.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Katherine

Larissa said...

Thanks so much, that was great. And I do think you're right, you just KNOW...and maybe that's what I'm anxious for and nervous about all at the same time. Timing is everything!!! Happy Valentine's Day to you! I'm sure I'll have more questions for ya down the road!!! :)

Jill said...

Happy Valentine's Day dear friend. And the part about reading the letters just gave me chills. How very sweet.

Mary@notbefore7 said...

OH susan, the description of that town is so sad. I recall very vividly seeing people living in plywood boards and tin houses in Jamaica on a missions trip. You never forget something like that.

Happy V DAy - yep - you know when you know!

Linds said...

I am catching up a little again, Susan, and I stopped by to let you know i have read all your answers and really love reading more about you. This is such a fun way to get to know each other better!

Dawn said...

Love the love story!

Happy Valentine's Day from the Valentine Capital of the World!

Dawn said...

I have debated writing about our town's love affair with Valentine's Day for the last two years. I've kept my home town secret, but it's such a great story that I guess I'm going to have to do it.

Barbara said...

I got caught up with all your questions - interesting.

j said...

Happy Love day Susan! Very sweet post...Jen

Dawn said...

No, I'm glad you asked - I think I'll do it - I'm writing it in my head as we speak!

... said...

it brought a tear to my eye, too. most of the time, it's the smallest of things that someone does for us that means the most.

happy valentine's day, my friend.

Lori said...

Happy Valentines Day!

Sure enjoyed reading your post today.

Anonymous said...

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Myrna said...

very sensitive answers!

That Mickey is truly the one for you! What a sweet story1

Pear tree cottage! said...

learning so much about a darling friend across the seas!

Lee-ann

Nadine said...

Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you had a great day.

Unknown said...

Precious! I certainly feel I know you better now after reading through these questions and answers.Neat idea!

You and Mickey looked wonderful at your Valentine Banquet!

Lisa said...

Aww! Susan...You are truly blessed...yep, you "just know".

Yes, Mexico is so, so stricken with poverty...my little bro & his family are moving there...(going away reception is tommorow!)Going to Jalisco on the west coast...will be missionaries & house parents for an orphanage there. I'll blog about that soon.
Going on over to look at your Show & Tell now...:o)

Kimmy said...

Happy Valentine's Day! ~ kim