"With God's Grace Our Worst Past
Becomes Our Best Future"
Becomes Our Best Future"
How I missed him. The months went by and I looked forward to a time when we were no longer “dating” and became a union again.
We bought the house in October 2011, and Hubby still had eight months to go before he would become a true Florida resident. Having never had a screened-in back porch before, I looked forward to sitting outside for my devotions. When my first morning came in the new house, I happily pulled out a chair but gasped at the sight of it. A large, black spider, the size of my balled fist scooted across my patio.
Hubby was 1500 miles away. What’s an arachnoid phobic supposed to do? I grabbed a broom as I screamed hysterically through the house, yelling at my absent husband. “You’re supposed to be here. You’re supposed to kill spiders.” Like the Mad Woman of Borneo, I slammed the spider with my broom, not just once, but at least a dozen times, repeating each time, “Die, I tell you! Die!”
When my rage was spent, the tears flowed. I’d vowed, that when Hubby finally made it to Jacksonville, I’d never take him for granted again.
The month after he came for good, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Our retirement plans were put on hold for a long process of treatment. “We will get through this,” he said. “It’s not an end to our journey but merely another bump in the road.”
Fortunately, my prognosis was good. I thanked God my husband was there with me. I much preferred killing a hundred spiders than facing this dreaded disease alone. In sickness and health, the vows said. They don’t list spiders or long periods of separation or chemo brain among those opposites within the vows.
I believe the time we spent dating was a time to reaffirm our love for one another, a prelude to our once again holding hands while we faced a new enemy, one I couldn’t defeat with a broom.
Steve and Me December 2023
GOOGLE, WHERE'S MY PHONE
Linda Wood Rondeau
6/10/2026
HOW AI CAN HELP SENIORS COMMUNICATE BETTER WITH THEIR DOCTORS
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
5/20/2026
THINKING TRAIN
FRANK BALL
5/7/2026
THE CHORDS THAT BIND MY MEMORIES
Linda Wood Rondeau
4/23/2026
A PERFECT WIN-WIN
LAURA B. EDGE
4/8/2026
A FRAGILE FREEDOM
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
3/25/2026
RE-MARKABLE QUESTIONS
FRANK BALL
3/11/2026
Benefits of Vacationing for Seniors
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
2/25/2026
REVOLVING COUPLES ROLES AS WE AGE
Linda Wood Rondeau
1/28/2026
PIEROGIS: CHRISTMAS TRADITION REFLECTIONS
STEVE WYZGA
1/14/2026
WHERE DID PRINCE CHARMING GO
Linda Wood Rondeau
12/10/2025
OLD WOMAN ON A BUS
DEBORAH RUTHERFORD
11/26/2025
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE MOOSE KIND
Linda Wood Rondeau
11/11/2025
Hilltop Reunion
Kathleen D. Bailey
10/29/2025
Dynamic Debbie
Linda Wood Rondeau
10/15/2025
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM
Linda Wood Rondeau
10/1/2025
WHEN WORDS BITE YOU
STEVE WYZGA
9/17/2025
THE WONDER YEARS REVISITED
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
9/3/2025
REPURPOSED NOT RETIRED
PEG ARNOLD
8/21/2025
MOMMY, I CAN'T TAKE A BATH THERE'S A FISH IN THE TUB
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
7/23/2025
MY NEXT GREAT NOVEL ADVENTURE
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
7/9/2025
ADAPT OR DIE
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
6/25/2025
A BETTER VIEW
SALLY JO PITTS
5/27/2025
A CASE OF TOO MUCH CONCENTRATION
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
5/14/2025
A CASE OF TOO MUCH CONCENTRATION
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
5/14/2025
A CASE OF TOO MUCH CONCENTRATION
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
5/14/2025
MY CELL PHONE MY NEMESIS
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
4/16/2025
ARE THERE BENFITS TO TALKING TO ONESELF?
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
4/2/2025
What Would You Pay to Get Your Soul Back Today?
Brian Mayer
3/19/2025
A New Adventure: Therapy Dog Work Anyone?
GAIL SCOATES
3/5/2025
THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN'
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
2/19/2025
STAYING POSITIVE WHEN YOU MOVE TO A SENIOR FACILITY
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
2/5/2025
Seeing the Positives
Claire O'Sullivan
1/22/2025
Up-Country Gecko Tale Jungle Trekking
Brian Maher
1/8/2025
WHAT GRANDPARENTS DO
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
8/21/2024
SATURDAYS AT THE DOLLAR STORE
ANN CAVERA
7/24/2024
SAY WHAT?
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
7/10/2024
WE ARE PROFESSIONALS
ANN CAVERA
6/26/2024
RETIREMENT FIGURED OUT
DALE LANGLOIS
6/12/2024
GREED AND GEESE
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
5/29/2024
Surprise…Surprise…Surprise
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
5/15/2024
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
5/9/2024
MAMA I CAN'T TAKE A BATH THERE'S A FISH IN THE TUB
Linda Wood Rondeau
3/27/2024
WONDER OF LIFE
JOAN C. BENSON & MARJORIE L. WINGERT
3/13/2024
WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW
Linda Wood Rondeau
2/28/2024
THE NOT SO GOOD GOOD OLD DAYS
Linda Wood Rondeau
2/14/2024
Passing the Batan
Linda Wood Rondeau
1/31/2024
SHARING FAMILY MEMORIES
Angela Breidenbach
1/17/2024
LOOKING UP OR LOOKING AWAY
Linda Wood Rondeau
1/3/2024
EVEN WHEN I'M OLD AND GRAY
Linda Wood Rondeau
12/28/2023
PRINCE CHARMING, SPIDERS, AND CHEMO
Linda Wood Rondeau
12/22/2023
MOTHERLY WISDOM
CAROLINE CROCKER
12/6/2023
THE CAT WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS
Linda Wood Rondeau
11/29/2023
NEVER TOO LATE TO START OVER
Linda Wood Rondeau
11/22/2023
Healthy Aging: Tips for Maintaining Wellness in Your Senior Years
Ashley Nielson
11/15/2023
IS YOUR PHONE ASKING YOU, "WHICH DOCTOR ARE WE GOING TO NOW?"
kATHY COLLARD MILLER
11/13/2023
OUR ACT II ADVENTURE
Deb Potts
11/10/2023
Money Matters: Financial Wellness Tips for Seniors
Ashley Nielson
11/9/2023
STAYING POSITIVE
Linda Wood Rondeau
11/8/2023
