Celebrating life’s milestones

       Life is full of milestones and I celebrated two of them last week.
       On Wednesday, Sept. 25, Debbie and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary.
      It was in August of 2003 while I was just going about my everyday life writing stories and taking photos for the Montezuma Republican when at the last minute, I decided to do a story on Iowa State Fair Campers from the area.
    I made three trips to the fairgrounds that week where I spent time walking around the campgrounds meeting area residents, taking photos and doing interviews.
      As I walked up one of the camper lanes, I saw Debbie standing by her camper. She caught my eye and my heart.
    I stopped at Raymond and Connie Thompson’s camper up the road and Connie said, “Debbie is our neighbor and she is a nice girl.”
      I interviewed Debbie’s mother, Carole Tindle, for my article and met her grandmother, Louise (Smothers) Tindle, who later called me thorough.
       Debbie and I went out on our first date on Nov. 9, 2003.
       I told her I would stop and pick her up in my pickup truck. She was envisioning a big country truck. It was a city slicker truck, Debbie said later, referring to my 1989 Chevrolet S-10.
        I proposed to her at the river park in Hannibal, Mo. on May 1, 2004.
        I remember calling my dad and when he answered the phone, he asked if I had any good news for him. I told him Debbie said yes.
        “That is good news,” he told me.
         My parents were quite proud of me and always supported my life adventures.
         We were married on Saturday, Sept. 25 at the Montezuma First Evangelical Presbyterian Church with the ceremony being officiated by Dr. George Salnave, pastor of the church, and Pastor Bill Twedt, minster at Jubilee Family Church in Oskaloosa, where I was attending at the time.
        It was a beautiful day. I can still see my folks seated on the front row. An uncle and aunt from Tulsa made the journey to our wedding and hundreds of guests came to celebrate our big day. One person said they felt the presence of God in the service that day. I have to agree.
        Keith Brake, a long-time journalist who lived in Montezuma at the time, filmed our wedding and Roger Allen took the photos.
         My brother, Tom, his wife, Tonya, and my mom, made the cake. They baked it in Janice Henry’s kitchen in Montezuma. And Tom and Tonya sang in our wedding. It was so beautiful.
        I enjoyed having a best friend from Tulsa and a good friend I met at MU in Columbia, Mo. as best men. My brother, Tom, stood with me as well. 
         Between the wedding, the wedding reception and dance, along with a reception in Tulsa one week later, we had an estimated 500 guests who celebrated with us.
        We’ve done wonderful things together through the years from publishing six books, hosting a writer’s conference, now in its 12th year, hosting a business fair with plans for a second one next spring, buying a house and so much more.
        We enjoy attending and camping at the Iowa State Fair and Midwest Old Threshers Reunion during Labor Day weekend.
        Debbie is a blessing to me and I couldn’t’ have asked for a better person to call my wife.
        In addition to our wedding anniversary, I turned 65 on Thursday, Sept. 26.
        Wow, the thought that I have reached the age of 65 is a little overwhelming.
        I just graduated from high school the other day, actually 46 years ago in May 1978.
        I go on Medicare soon and plan to retire within a couple years, maybe!
       What a blessed life I am enjoying full of all kinds of experiences, challenges, going back to college in my 30s and graduating from one of the world’s best journalism programs. And to think, I barely passed high school English.
        I’m a testament that anything is possible.
        And really, I’m just getting started.
        Look for more life adventures coming soon!
         Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.