San Diego, CA, was the scene, or more specifically Marine Corps Recruit Depot, is where it all began in 1959. Ed and I were assigned to the same platoon. Sharing seats on the Greyhound Bus back to the mid-west on leave, we separated in Omaha after being seatmates for 24 hours. During that trip we had time to really get to know each other. Two farm boys, one from IA and the other from SD, found we had much in common. For the next three years we shared living quarters and office space. Out of that, thanks to the Marines, we became life long friends.
In 1980, Joanne and I moved our family to Davenport, IA., 25 miles from Ed's farm. With that proximity to continue our friendship, Joanne and MaryJane, Ed's wife, also bonded into soul-mates. Ed's three children and my two were very close in age. The eight years we lived in geographical proximity added layers of glue to our relationship and provided countless memories of times together.
Many times over the years Joanne and I lived in MN, Ed and MaryJane came to visit. When I retired in 2007 I said to Joanne "Now it's our turn, lets go visit Ed & MaryJane." We did beginning in 07 through 2017. After Joanne died in April 2018, I visited in 2018 and 2019. COVID intervened in 2020 but here I am again in 2021.
Ed and MaryJane are generous to a fault having only one discernable weakness: stubbornness! They will not allow me to pay for anything.😞 As, I was saying, "generous to a fault."
MaryJane is an avid reader so we share books, though she does most of the sharing...generous you know. Her analysis of the books she reads are worthy of being published in The New York Review Of Books. I will leave with a whole shopping bag of books to read! Thanks MJ!
Takk for alt,
Al
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