Darling Eddie, Honeymoons are on my mind. Forty-eight years ago this evening, you and I headed out together. We stayed in our Grayling apartment, left pansies on our dining table, worshiped in the family pew, and took off on the first of many honeymoons.  Across the UP we went, stopping at The Mystery Spot at St. Ignace and a motel in Engadine. I remember HEE HAW on a fuzzy television and the radio repeatedly proclaiming the summer’s anthem “Come On, Let’s Do It in the Road.” We had three days to get to Minneapolis, find a place to live in September, and return to work. And, we were away and alone together.

In all the years hence, we have reminded ourselves of the necessity of time away together. When we wrote our Marriage Growth Plan for the year, we promised each other two consecutive nights away alone every quarter. And, we were gifted last month with two whole weeks at our Michigan cabin.

It was a terrific honeymoon. You mowed the grass so my ankles would not get chiggers. We did a few spring chores, but, mostly, we chilled together. Lots of cuddling by the fire, sleeping late if we wanted to, reading multiple “trash novels” from our local church rummage sale, cooking for two, and hanging out in the hammock. We began the summer’s twosome Scrabble tournament. We day tripped to Ontario and froze as Lake Huron impressively blew and crashed. And, to crown it all, the temperatures rose high enough to dare each other into the lake, not once, but twice. Once through the cold shock, the water was like silk on our skin, and you said, “The best part of swimming with you is the kissing.” The person who invented swim noodles is a genius.

Let’s never forget the magic of twosome time away from our normal routine. We aren’t bored at home, but away is a tonic for our twosome.

I love you. Here’s to many more wonderful honeymoons. Happy Anniversary to you, my personal Jack Pine Stump Jumper!       Love, Sylvia