Almost 10,950 days........day 76 of 100 day writing challenge.

I was blogging before I took this writing challenge. I have many posts before these 76 posts. I've had many of you message, text, or put it our there on facebook that you do NOT want to me to stop writing after the 100 days is up. You might find it funny to go back and read my stuff from previous posts. I had a girlfriend who was visiting from Alabama, now Florida, tell me it took her from Maine to Mass to read the whole blog. (that was approx 2 years ago). She told me she enjoyed it because I gave her some new perspectives, and she got to know me better through my writings. I was honored that she took the time to read it from start to finish. I thanked her. Soooo, there's plenty more material where this all came from...LOL.

10,950 days is how long I have been with one person named Carl Robbins.
Ten Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty DAYS.....
We have been Carl & Julie. C & J. Carlos & Jewels.
Ken & Brunette Barbie (yes, people called us that.) Dear & Babe. Wifey & Hubster. Mom & Dad.

We have, I am hoping, at least another 10,950 days together.

I'm thinking 79 & 81 is pretty doable.

We just watched a couple on tv tonight who have been together for 8 decades!!! They asked the wife what kept them together all that time?  Good Sex. Yes, Good Sex. She looks over at her husband, he nary cracks a smile, and says, Nope, Nevah been a problem, Mother...
We burst out laughing...then we are like, wellllll, say it like you mean it. A true Mainer.
And then they sang, "Let me call you Sweetheart, I'm in love with you..." to each other. OH, they added to the "Good Sex" comment, we sing together in the car on trips. So there you have it folks,
Good Sex and Singing....
I'd say that makes life pretty simple.
and Do..able....did you catch that?

I was reading a post I made in 2013 about my Valentines Day, it was full of praiseworthy stuff, all true. Good memories, all true. Happy things, all true. As I read that post, I thought of the people who saw us when things were tanking, listening to the heartbreak of Ken and Brunette Barbie. I had one friend tell me at a difficult moment, I really don't think you guys are going to make it, you are just not cut out for this marriage thing. On one day, within the first year or so of our dating, some unfortunate events occurred, and I was left with a decision. I remember Greg Potter, who was Carl's best man in our wedding, taking me for a drive and saying, Julie, you are the first person who ever loved Carl unconditionally. Give him another chance, please? He needs you. I believe this. Please?? Of course, I did. I walked through some dark waters. When you are with someone who has had a difficult childhood, with some abuse, it doesn't mean they are a bad person, it just means they have more to heal from  than someone who did not suffer abuses. Abuse affects how you behave, what you believe you are worthy of, how you view yourself, how you allow yourself to be loved, how you love others. It affects everything and takes a long time to heal from. But when you have that one person, and in our case, me, who decided to dig in my heels, stick it out, pray, trust, love, support, I can know tell you 30 years later I do not regret a moment of those early years. While living those early years? I don't know why it took me until the girls were teenagers for me to start swearing, actually....LOL...I had a better filter back then...NOW? No filter. I would probably not put up with any shit now, and would probably say "F Off." but....back then, my youth worked in the favor of my dear Carlos, and Jewels, simply was in it to win it...so, that is all.

Valentines Day is lovely. Its another day, though. Its a day to celebrate you and your significant other. Sometimes we just want to go out and get dressed up and go to the theatre and eat out and be all pretty and handsome and get flowers and eat chocolate and brag about the jewelry that Prince Charming got us.

But to get to my 10,950 days required a hell of a lot more that a box of chocolates. Or jewelry. Or "date nights."  Some days it was,
"If you put up with my shit, I shall put up with your shit. Deal? Prince? Deal. Princess."
And a good roll in the full motion water bed covered in blue silk sheets in the Love Nest on
818 Ohio Street Bangor, Maine, never hurt a sealed deal ever...

As we celebrated another snow day off, and it being Valentines day, we have Daniel with us.
We had breakfast together. Before I got out of bed Carl gave me a card with many nice words written in it.  I gave him some little gifts I had collected, with a card. Daniel got to tear up the paper.
We went to Subway and had footlong subs, while Daniel had his kid meal.
We went to Union Street sliding.
We came home, ate some more food, watched the news.
We all laid together in Daniel's bed, me reading him to sleep with "Farmer Boy."
Carl said to me..."This had been a great day. So peaceful. I'm glad we were together all day, and I'm also glad we had fun with Daniel. Perfect really."  I agreed.

Relationships have seasons. We have moved through so many in the past 30 years. This season?
Probably my favorite. It took a while.
But its calm. Its serene. Mellow...hahaha, NEVER Thought I'd use that word to describe either of us.
And We still got that Luv Thang, we enjoy each other immensely.

I'm grateful this day.
I'm actually hoping for at least 15, 850 more days.

I love you.
All.

Julie Erb Robbins