February 11

Without going into detail, I will just say that today was a day of more signs.  I must mention that Judy is very peaceful and comfortable.  Furthermore, she is receiving wonderful care.  The staff keeps family in the loop and perform their work with compassion and thoughtfulness.

On the weekend, Haley shared a wonderful message with me that she received from an old friend.  Her friend reads this blog daily and, to here, our story is a love story.  Let me tell you how the love story began. 

When I was in second, third, and fourth year of university, I rode the Number 7/Hudson Bay Park/Sutherland bus from Massey Place to the university.  Nearly every day, I saw a pretty little brunette get on the bus at the corner of 33rd and Avenue K.  Sometimes I would see the same little brunette in the cafeteria of the Education Building.  In the fall of 1977, I was driving down 2nd Avenue in Kelvington when I saw the same girl walking down the street leaving the highrises and fancy stores of Kelvington's central business district on her way to her basement suite at Annie Babacey's house.

It wasn't until the spring of 1978, that I was introduced to Judy by a friend of mine at a dine and dance.  Judy and I had a few dances and let me say right now that I have never danced with a better dancer than my dear wife.  She is poetry in motion.  As we danced, I told her I was working at Fort Battleford for the summer of '78 before starting my first teaching job in Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan.  Judy said she would be passing through Battleford with her friend, Gloria, on their way to a west coast holiday.  As promised, Judy stopped to see me on her way through Battleford because she was really interested in history...yeah, right!  We made arrangements to go out for a beverage in Saskatoon when she returned from her holiday.  Before I left for Wood Mountain, I took Judy out for a bevvy at The Pat.  When I went to pick Judy up, her dad took me downstairs to show me his running shoe collection.  Nothing strange about that!  The night ended with a civil handshake, but I was smitten.

During my first week of teaching, I received a letter from Miss Opheim.  I didn't open the letter for a long time.  My reason was: if I didn't open the letter, I could imagine all kinds of wonderful things she would say.  When I finally read the letter, the content was less than gratifying.  The letter was all about how homesick she was in Kelvington.  She craved the nightlife and amenities of the city.  Obviously, she hadn't acquired a taste for Wheat King hockey, the Kelvington Hotel Bar, and Ning's Cafe.

Things ran cool for a while, but then I got a summons from the Queen in early December.  She needed an escort for her school staff party so I drove five measly hours up to Kelvington so Judy would not be a wall flower at the staff party.  The night ended with Judy crying about some family issue that I didn't understand.  The crying things was a little "off putting" for me so I just let the phone go dead in our relationship.  We both moved on to other things.

In the fall of 1980, I moved to Prairie River where I was principal of a three room school.  Judy had moved to Saskatoon and was teaching at South Corman Park School.  She had turned 25 and said, "My goodness, I am 25 and I am not married. I'm going to be an old maid." So she decided to farm some of her former prospects.  I was the second person she called.  In fact, she called me on the first Friday of the school year to tell me she had sent me a letter and she suggested that we get together for a visit the next time I came to Saskatoon.  I said, "I am going to Saskatoon this weekend."  I also told her that I had become a born again Christian so...watch out!  She replied, "Yeah. Yeah. Whatever."

Well, we got together that weekend and we have been together ever since that first weekend of September in 1980.  Judy would travel to Prairie River when the weather was right and I would usually travel to Saskatoon most weekends.  In October of 1980, I broke my leg riding a horse and had to be air ambulanced into Saskatoon.  The upside of the broken leg was having to spend two whole weeks with Judy.  On the first day of Christmas holidays, I told Judy I loved her as we sat in front of her Christmas tree.  How appropriate for Mrs. Christmas.  On New Year's Day, I proposed to Judy and we were married on July 18, 1981.

Together, we have built a house and created a home for two wonderful daughters.  Indeed, the girls are the most wonderful manifestation of the love Judy and I have for each other.  There is so much of Judy in both girls.  They have appropriated all that is best in Judy.  Judy has created a legacy that will live on in her girls.  Judy will always be with us.  So there you have it The Love Story of the King and Queen.