Tragedy and Triumph
The reason this blog is called "Tragedy and Triumph" is that when I first founded the blog in 2005, my husband, Dan, had been in a horrible accident, and he recovered. His recovery was a miracle! When I reflect on the past 32 years, I can't help but realize how much Dan and I have been through.
Now, I will share little memories and tidbits of our adventure in life together.
For starters, let me share how we met:
I was living with my grandmother in Belmont Shore in Long Beach, California. Calvary Chapel of Long Beach announced a youth camping trip to Catalina Island over Labor Day Weekend 1978. We traveled to Catalina on a huge boat and Dan was the only college graduate in our group. Everyone else was in high school or still in college, so I enjoyed talking about a variety of subjects with Dan. He knew so much. We talked and talked the entire weekend as we walked around beautiful Catalina. At the end of the weekend, I gave Dan my phone number and he asked me out a view days later!
Our First Date
I think our first date was the Thursday after Labor Day, 1978.Dan took me to Marie Callendars in Lakewood. He ordered a cheap hamstack sandwich, so I had to order something cheap.
It was not all that romantic really.
He had this old Ford Falcon station wagon. When he dropped me off at Grandma's (home), I asked him to wait until I got in safely, but he drove away anyway.
After that first date, he kept asking me out all the time. It seemed like we saw each other every day. We spent most of the time taking walks in the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach talking about our families.
Engaged - November 1978
We had a very quick courtship.After 32 years of marriage, I think it's amazing we got engaged so fast. We hardly knew one another!
This is what happened:
Dan picked me up one Saturday and we started talking about marriage. We were sitting in front of Grandma's house in Dan's old Ford Falcon during the conversation, I recall.
I blurted out something like, "Dan, I think I'd like to marry you someday."
Dan replied, "Is that a deal?"
We shook hands.
We then went in the house and told Grandma our news. We then took Grandma and her sister out to dinner to the Katella Deli to celebrate.
We settled into a beautiful 2 bedroom apartment with two bathrooms and a fireplace in Downey, California. Dan drove to work in Long Beach and I worked at the private school in Downey. Things seemed perfect.
Then, the surprise came: the school was not going to renew my contract. I was suddnely without a job.
We took drastic measures. We decided to save money and move back to Long Beach and to share a house with a bunch of people to cut costs. I went back to school for graduate work and worked part time.
Eventually, someone named the house The Atherton House.
So many different people lived there! There were times that I'd come home and see a stranger cooking food in our kitchen. I'd see a strange body sleeping on one of our couches. It seemed like if someone mentioned FOOD, and instant party occurred.
My closest friend Marion visited me at the Atherton House and eventually moved to Long Beach.
Looking back, I'd must say that the three years at the Atherton House were some of the most fun years of our marriage!
Thirty-two years of marriage also means we've been through many different cars.
When I married Dan I had a cute bright green Gremlin. Dan had a huge Ford Falcon station wagon.
One day, Dan decided that we didn't need two cars, since his back window didn't work on the Ford Falcon, so he sold it. He rode his bike to work and we paid for insurance on only one car.
We were fine with that little Green Gremlin, but it was totalled when were were in a horrible car accident and the car was rear ended something in 1979 or 1980.
We bought a huge Ford Torino with the insurance money. We drove that until the transmission went out. I loved that Ford Torino, but was it hard to park that "thing!"
Then Dan bought a new light blue Ford Escort.
That car went to San Francisco with us.
In San Francisco we needed two cars, so we bought Susan Rothbard's Toyota Tercel when she moved to Israel.
Then I don't remember why, but my parents gave us the Chervrolet Cavalier to replace the Ford Escort.
We drove the Chevrolet Cavalier and the Toyota Tercel to Colorado.
I don't remember which car broke down first, but eventually, both were towed away.
The replacements was one black Ford Escort, which we called "The Black Car" which we bought used and a white Ford Escort that we called "The White Car." My parents gave us "The White Car." "The white car or the black car was replaced with a green Suburu that my parents gave us on January 1, 2001.
I think the black car was towed away first. We decided to get along with only one car and Dan began taking a bus to work.
After Dan's accident in 2005, my parents gave as their black VW. That car was towed away during Christmas vacation 2007 and replaced with a white VW that Dan bought from our mechanic named Donny for $500.
Recently, the green Suburu came to the end of it's life and has now been replaced with a car given to us by Dan's parents: a white Nisson.
I blurted out something like, "Dan, I think I'd like to marry you someday."
Dan replied, "Is that a deal?"
We shook hands.
We then went in the house and told Grandma our news. We then took Grandma and her sister out to dinner to the Katella Deli to celebrate.
Rings:
We lucked out getting rings. Since my late grandfather, Max Schneider, was a jeweler, his younger brother David Schneider, had a manufacturing jewelery office in Long Beach. We arrived at Dave Schneider's store to put down a deposit for rings. Instead, we ended up with gorgeous rings for both of us for only $300 since he sold the rings to us WHOLESALE! We were amazed at all the diamonds on my ring!Three Years at the Atherton House
We settled into a beautiful 2 bedroom apartment with two bathrooms and a fireplace in Downey, California. Dan drove to work in Long Beach and I worked at the private school in Downey. Things seemed perfect.
Then, the surprise came: the school was not going to renew my contract. I was suddnely without a job.
We took drastic measures. We decided to save money and move back to Long Beach and to share a house with a bunch of people to cut costs. I went back to school for graduate work and worked part time.
Eventually, someone named the house The Atherton House.
So many different people lived there! There were times that I'd come home and see a stranger cooking food in our kitchen. I'd see a strange body sleeping on one of our couches. It seemed like if someone mentioned FOOD, and instant party occurred.
My closest friend Marion visited me at the Atherton House and eventually moved to Long Beach.
Looking back, I'd must say that the three years at the Atherton House were some of the most fun years of our marriage!
32 Years of Cars Falling Apart
Thirty-two years of marriage also means we've been through many different cars.
When I married Dan I had a cute bright green Gremlin. Dan had a huge Ford Falcon station wagon.
One day, Dan decided that we didn't need two cars, since his back window didn't work on the Ford Falcon, so he sold it. He rode his bike to work and we paid for insurance on only one car.
We were fine with that little Green Gremlin, but it was totalled when were were in a horrible car accident and the car was rear ended something in 1979 or 1980.
We bought a huge Ford Torino with the insurance money. We drove that until the transmission went out. I loved that Ford Torino, but was it hard to park that "thing!"
Then Dan bought a new light blue Ford Escort.
That car went to San Francisco with us.
In San Francisco we needed two cars, so we bought Susan Rothbard's Toyota Tercel when she moved to Israel.
Then I don't remember why, but my parents gave us the Chervrolet Cavalier to replace the Ford Escort.
We drove the Chevrolet Cavalier and the Toyota Tercel to Colorado.
I don't remember which car broke down first, but eventually, both were towed away.
The replacements was one black Ford Escort, which we called "The Black Car" which we bought used and a white Ford Escort that we called "The White Car." My parents gave us "The White Car." "The white car or the black car was replaced with a green Suburu that my parents gave us on January 1, 2001.
I think the black car was towed away first. We decided to get along with only one car and Dan began taking a bus to work.
After Dan's accident in 2005, my parents gave as their black VW. That car was towed away during Christmas vacation 2007 and replaced with a white VW that Dan bought from our mechanic named Donny for $500.
Recently, the green Suburu came to the end of it's life and has now been replaced with a car given to us by Dan's parents: a white Nisson.
Our Three Wonderful Kids: Joel, Rebekah, and Annabelle
I don't talk about it much, but for many years, it seemed like we would never be blessed with children. Then, all of a sudden, we were blessed at once! Once Joel, Rebekah, and Annabelle came into our lives, life changed dramatically for us, but for the better of course!Our three children have taken up most of our time and energy during our years in Colorado.
They are the love of our life!
I put together a bunch of photos of the kids from different times. Most of these photos are recent photos, but some show the children from "just a little ways back."
Enjoy!
They are the love of our life!
I put together a bunch of photos of the kids from different times. Most of these photos are recent photos, but some show the children from "just a little ways back."
Enjoy!
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