Memory Lane

This is one of my favorite pictures of all time.

It was taken when Bob was on Attu in the Coast Guard.

We had only been married a year and two months when he left for a year of isolated duty in Alaska.

This was taken in his room. Don't know who took it but I told him he had to have at least one picture of himself with every set of pictures he sent home.

IT WAS A LONG YEAR !

I was in Aberdeen for the year. We had been living in Seattle where he was stationed when he got his orders. Rather than stay in "the big city" Mom and Dad asked if I wanted to come back to Aberdeen and stay with them while he was gone so we took them up on it. I went back to work at the D & R with our former boss finding me extra work thru the week for more hours. I also worked at a florist shop that was right near the theatre. It was just a little one man shop and he needed some help on days he had big orders so

he trained me as an apprentice. I loved working there... especially the days we got new orders of flowers in. I used to smell the roses when they first came in and he said I would soon get over that but I never did. They were just so pretty I couldn't resist a sniff each time!

We got thru the year but seem like forever. Before we got married we had been separated for three months while he was in boot camp, then for six months while he was in ET school in Groton, Conn. so we were used to separation but that didn't make it any easier.

One reason he didn't re-enlist is we knew as an Electronic Technician it would mean another year of isolated duty if he stayed in. We weren't ready for that again.

So what happened, he got stationed on the Coast Guard Cutter Winona when he got home with only four more months to go. And guess what in November they went to sea for a month.

Oh well, that is history and we got thru it ok... Even tho at the time it seemed like the end of the world every time he had to leave.