Weather permitting, and with ample helpings of God’s grace, 16 of Tom’s relatives and friends and I will be on a cruise starting Sunday for a week. I am so looking forward to spending time in a different climate. Even if I spend the week at the Fort Lauderdale airport awaiting my luggage, it’ll be a great change of pace.
Daughter Gigantor has come home to care for the critters, mine and Tom’s brother Jim’s canines. Someone asked if I’d be worried about her being all alone for a week. Well of course, because Moms worry about everything. And well, of course not, because she won’t be alone. Fluffy, Puffy, Shiloh and Melvin the 800-pound cat will follow her from room to room.
I took off my wedding bands Thursday; that was a huge step. What precipitated it was the engagement ring getting hung up on the interior fibers of my glove yet again. I removed the glove with the ring still caught inside and spent a while untangling it — a long while, which gave me time to reflect.
As it has been pointed out to me, the vow was “to death do you part.” We’re parted. The ring seems to have a greater attachment to my glove than it does to me anyway. 
But seriously … this was a small move but emotionally huge. Removing the rings has everything to do with me starting to come to terms with the fact that he’s gone and I need to remake my new life, and nothing to do with wanting to pick up sailors on the cruise. As it has also been pointed out to me — wedding rings never stopped anyone from picking up people, and that’s not my style anyway. Plus, logistically I’m not sure how I’d pick up a sailor, what with sharing a cabin with my son, and my mother-in-law and Tom’s brother in the cabin next door!
So … I’ll blob with y’all in a week or so. Thanks for your continued support.
Charlotte
