I was fourteen, a freshman , he was sixteen and a junior. We were in the lunch line in the  school cafeteria.

I thought this redheaded dude was in my studyhall class and I had my eye on him, so I decided to strike up a conversation. He told me he had gotten a new a Hodaka motorcycle. I didn't have a clue.

We exchanged phone numbers, then he dangled his keys in my face. I snatched them from him and took off like a banshee.

I figured I would see him in study hall and give them back.

Study hall came and went and I did not see him.

I watched for him in the halls and never saw him the rest of the day.

I had no idea how he would get home, but knew he had my phone number.

Sure enough that afternoon I got a phone call. He wanted my address so someone could bring him to my house, to get his motorcycle keys.

He wasn't mad or upset with me, I learned early on that he was a very mellow fellow.

I also found out why he wasn't in study hall. His identical and  I mean "identical" twin was the one in my studyhall class. and was absent that day.

Well, this day was the first day of the rest of my life and the day we both knew  we were soul mates.

We couldn't actually date until I was sixteen. Parents Rule.

So he was a regular at my house for two years before we could go out.

We had our first actual date, on my sixteenth birthday.

We married in May 1970, one month before I graduated high school and "I did graduate".

Three weeks later the Air Force sent him overseas for eighteen months.

This past May ,thirty-nine years, five kids, twenty-seven years of the military, with numerous separations and six grandkids later, we are still as happy as we were that October day in 1966 .

We are still soul mates and best friends.

Photo 1   1968 high school Carnival Dance

Photo 2   1968  his senior prom

Photo 3   1970 my senior prom

Photo 4   1970  leaving for honeymoon

Photo 5   1972 first child NCO Leadership School Graduation

Photo 6   1980  five kids Yes I said 5!

Photo 7   1996  Military Retirement

Photo 8   2007 Grandchildren