Wednesday was mine and Joe's 40th anniversary. We didn't celebrate at all. He's been ill with a respiratory ailment and I had my second eye surgery that day. But, today two of the kids who don't have to work are taking us out to lunch so that will be our celebration. He is my 4th husband.. yep..there were 3 before him. Number one lasted almost five years, but we married when I was 16 and far too young for such a committment. Number two was killed after only two months and number three, well about a year or so. He was just back from Viet Nam and very abusive.

Not sure how we have managed to hang in there for so long. We have little in common and ours is not a romance filled love affair, but on a practical level we work well together and have raised 4 children who turned out really well. Only one of those is his biological daughter, but he accepted and cared for the other girls as if they were his own.

I certainly never imagined we'd make it this far and now I see it's possible that we just might get to the big 50 if we live long enough. Romance fades, but a good solid friendship can carry you on together for a long time, our marriage is proof of that.