I found this picture in a box in the garage. I haven't seen it in a lot of years. I was in the garage doing major rearranging because one of my boys and his family is moving in next month. By mutual agreement, this is a good move for all of us; never mind the details, just suffice it to say that working my butt off to get ready for them is a labor of love.

Anyway, this box has been under some other crap for ten or twelve years. I opened it and found some of my favorite comic strips, (saved from Stars & Stripes, the military newspaper for overseas troops), and a few other treasures. When I found the picture, I just looked at it for a few minutes and got lost in the image. Gad she was pretty...and she was sweet...and for some inexplicable reason...she loved me. The picture was taken in her Aunt's driveway in Phoenix, probably June of '67.

It seemed like '67 was the longest summer on record. All the things that happened couldn't have fit into so short a time. We met in early April. In July I got out of the Army and went back to California. So all the dating and cruising (don't get excited boys...cruising in MY day meant driving around town in a cool car checking out what was going on) and lying around in Randolph Park took place in just a few weeks. How could that be? It seems like we amassed years worth of memories in that short period of time.

Drive-in movies, Taco Bell, Randolph Park, the drive in front of Arizona Hall, Johnnie's, and various different spots. We were both broke all the time but we didn't need fancy "dates", we just needed to be together.

I went back to California and tried to find my niche. It wasn't there. Long story short, nothing was right until October when we got married. What the heck took so long? We should have gotten married after the first date...things would have been just fine.

Anyway...I looked at the picture...my very favorite girl in my very favorite outfit in front of my very favorite car all in my very favorite summer. What a prize...what a find...what a girl. Just wanted to tell the world that forty- four years later...she's still my favorite girl.