Sunday, April 22, 2018--Dave Arrives for our Lifetime!

I have written much over the last few weeks about all of the different emotions I have felt because of having Dave in my life.

Yesterday, I went to a wonderful retirement breakfast for three incredible Instructional Assistants from Gilbert El.  It was absolutely heartwarming to be with so many people I worked with through the years and who I care for very deeply.  I shed a few tears.

I then picked up my car at Discount Tires--have had a nail in both back tires over the last few weeks--weird.

Went to Frys as I hadn't been to the grocery store in quite some time and needed a few necessary items!!!

When I got home, I actually took a nap.  That doesn't happen very often.  I have been going a little too much lately and it has caught up with me.

After I woke up, I had a few things to do around the house to get everything ready for Dave's arrival today.  

I all of a sudden realized that last night was truly my last night of this very long phase of my life--being single.  My friend, Carol, came to the rescue and we went out for a few drinks and a cheese crisp and some great conversation.

In 10 minutes, I leave for the airport to pick up Dave.  I can hardly wait to see him and know that we aren't going to be doing the back and forth that we have been doing since the first part of March.  I have missed him when we weren't together and the weeks have seemed long, as opposed to the weeks we have spent together.  They have gone way to quickly.

Today, the life that I knew will change forever.  While that scares me a bit, it makes me so happy at the same time!  Thirty-nine years of being single is a very long time.  It will take some adjustments--probably mostly on my part.  But I look forward to it at so many levels.

Today, this wonderful man will be here with me in Gilbert.  I am so blessed to have found a soulmate at this time in our lives.  Today begins a new journey sharing my life with someone that I love so much.  Today is a very good day!!

Finding Dimes

One of my good friends from my time in Douglas (Jasper), sent me a message about finding dimes after a conversation that we had about my feelings about my aunt Teresa having something to do with me meeting Dave.

I rarely have coins anymore as most transactions are with credit or debit cards. Whenever I get coins, I put them in a jar to have in case I ever need them.

I didn't pay a lot of attention to this when she sent it to me, even though I believe in "things" like this.

I looked up some information about this and found:

"Seeing the number 10 (or finding dimes) is often a message of validation that you are receiving guidance and insight from your angels and from the realms of spirit. Release any fear or uncertainty and know that you are loved and supported. Things are working out for you for the highest and greatest good.

The #10 is also a call to pay attention, to trust your instinct and honor your intuition, especially regarding making changes to move forward in your life, and to take action to create positive change as you're inspired. Part of making positive changes is keeping focused on what you want to manifest… Call on your angels to help align your thoughts with what you want to experience in your life."

The other day when I got into my car, I noticed two dimes in the console that I had not seen before nor had I put them there.  I assumed that Kerri had when she used my car, but still.....

Then on Wednesday, I went to Gilbert High for a couple of functions that evening.  As I was walking through the parking lot, I glanced down and saw what looked like a dime. It was really beat up like it had been run over a number of times.  I picked it up and put it in my pocket.  I compared it to the dimes when I got home and sure enough, it is a beat up dime!  This one especially touched me!

Last night, I couldn't get the television in my bedroom to turn on.  I went over to restart the cable and right next to the television--on the side where it wasn't visible was this dime.  I have no idea how it got there or when!

Dave also reminded me that my birthday is the 10th (January).   Hadn't thought about that!!!!!! 

Thank you to my angels: my mom, Teresa, Johnny, and Mary for guiding me.  I absolutely believe they are.  I have no doubts whatsoever about the love that Dave and I have for each other!!  But I believe that they are telling me that I am going in the right way regarding the changes in my life!!!!!!  WOW!!!!!!!!!

 

"A Higher Power--Maybe" But I think it is my aunt Teresa

So many things have happened over the last several months in my life that have been so positive.   And I keep thinking that Teresa (and my mom, too) may have something to do with it.  And Dave feels that his mom might, also.

If Dave had come into my life just a few months before, this would never have happened.  I had too many things going on and would not have had the time to get to know him.

Despite the some times rough go in Douglas, there are very many people down there that I care a lot about and who were very important to me in my role as superintendent and in my life.  I was thinking about a way to do something there so that those people could meet Dave.

Dave and I are going to Bisbee on May 9 and staying until Saturday, May 12.  Our dear friends, Craig and Gloria, offered us their rental which is on Brewery Gulch.  I love Bisbee and I want Dave to spend some time there and see some of the other parts of southeastern Arizona.

Last week I talked to my former secretary and still absolutely dear friend, Carol.  We talked about a reception of some kind.  Knowing that it was going to cost some money, I talked to Dave about it.  That was a first for me as I have always made decisions on my own.  But being the wonderful man that he is and knowing how important it would be to me, he was totally agreeable.  

When we had Teresa's Douglas funeral and burial, we had a reception after at the Gadsden Hotel.  It was perfect and was very reasonably priced.  I called around to a couple of places and determined that the Gadsden would be the best.  Plus they have fixed up their outdoor patio on the second floor and it is beautiful.  We will have it privately.

Yesterday, Judy sent me a text that they had paid Teresa's income tax and there was a little money left over.  I had completely forgotten about that and so it came as a surprise.  She will be bringing me a check later this week and it will more than cover the reception in Douglas. 

To me, this is one more sign that she has her hand in this. When things were not going well down there, she would always tell me that she didn't know what to do other than pray.  And pray she did--a lot!  She always said my mom would have been the one to "take care of things" but that she just didn't know how.  Well, I think she is doing a DAMN FINE JOB!!!!

A Very Emotional Week!

This past week has been a very emotional week for me at so many levels.  I am very happy about how things are going in my life, but there are a lot of changes and there will be a lot of changes in the next few months--good ones!

I ordered pizza on Monday for my Tiger Buddy's class at Gilbert El.  She has been working really hard and earned this for us to be able to have a party with her class.  The young man who answered the phone was darling and I got everything ordered.  When he asked my name, he got excited and said that I was his elementary principal.  I asked his name and he said I probably wouldn't remember him, but I did.  We had a nice chat.  That is what I love about my educational career.

I have been single for 39 years.  I have not had to share my personal life with anyone.  This week I started to clean out drawers and a closet to make room for Dave.  It all of a sudden hit me what was going on in my life.  I am very happy and can hardly wait for us to be together, but this really put everything into perspective.

I also started to make a decision about something for the wedding reception and realized that I needed to ask his opinion since we are in this together and it was something that was going to cost a bit of money.  That was a first for me in a VERY long time. So I called him and as usual, he was wonderful!  

So I have shed a few tears (the good kind) and continue to be amazed at the incredible man who has come into my life.

Tuesday night at our board meeting, I took a lot of "harassment" from Shane and Reed over my screen saver.  I have Dave's and my picture on it and they were both relentless!! I am going to have to change seats and sit between two other people!!!!

Last night GPS had the Educator of the Year Awards.  This year, it included an administrator and support staff in addition to teachers.  It was an incredible ceremony!  

I was able to be on the stage to greet each nominee and to have our picture taken.  I was also asked to say a few  words.  I don't have a problem speaking in public, but I absolutely know that there is no need for a lot of words.  So I spoke about how honored I was to be there.   For me, it was personally even more amazing.  Several of the teachers and support staff had worked for me during my 39 years in the District.  And one teacher was a former student at Patterson and another was the wife of one of my students at Patterson!

I also knew so many people and got so many hugs and thank yous!!  It was a great evening.

I came home and tried to unwind.  I had a small issue with my stomach and didn't feel very well.  I decided with everything going on, I should probably get it checked out with the doctor.  I am glad I did as it is nothing serious, just too much going on in my life right now.  I need to slow down a bit!!

But I did say last night that I now had 47 years in education and wanted to make it to 50. For that to happen, I will have to run for another term.  It is a good thing Dave is so supportive of this.  I am so thankful for this wonderful man!!!

Musings from Montana

What a wonderful week I  had in Montana!!!  It is absolutely beautiful there.  Although it was snowing when I left on Thursday, I truly hated to leave and not be with Dave. He isn't going to be here in Arizona until April 22 and this is the longest we have been apart. But then he will be here for good!!!!!

However, he needs to have a procedure done on his back before he can come to Arizona. The most important thing for me is that he isn't in any pain.  The second most important is that he gets here really soon!  I miss him tons.

The week in Montana flew by fast.  I absolutely love Butte.  It is beautiful and everyone was so friendly and so nice.  It reminds me so much of growing up in Douglas and the influence of the copper mines, etc.

I got to meet a lot of his friends and family.  What touched me the most were the things that were said about Dave to me and how lucky I am to have him in my life.  I knew that, but it was so nice to hear anyway.

We did a couple of tours of the town.  One evening, one of his teacher friends from Idaho and his wife came into town.  We went to dinner with them and had fun.

My dear friend, Patty Montgomery, and her husband, Don, spent Monday night with us.  We did another tour and then went to have a drink at this really cool distillery.  We went to dinner Monday night at Metals Sports Grill, which is an old bank and watched the NCAA basketball game.

Normally when I do a vacation, I try to write each day.  For some reason, that didn't happen.

Tuesday we went to Fairmont Hot Springs to swim.  I was not really thrilled to think of swimming when there is snow on the ground.  They have an outdoor pool and there were actually people swimming in it!  WOW!!

We went to the indoor one and it was amazing.  The water was so warm and it felt so good.

Another cool thing is he went to Butte High and they are the Bulldogs, just like I was a Bulldog from Douglas High.  Here is a picture of their football stadium.

My most favorite thing to do, though, was to sit on the couch and look out the picture window at the beautiful, snow covered Rockies.  It is so peaceful and so incredibly pretty.  There is a statue of Our Lady of the Rockies that you can see from the house.  The snow was so pretty, but it was very hard for me to wrap my Arizona brain around snow in April.

I loved getting to see Dave's roots.  We plan to spend time there in the summers (which I think are about like Arizona winters).  But the rest of the time we are here in Arizona.  He loves to golf and I have my Governing Board commitment that is so important to me and he GETS it.

This is the longest we have been apart.  Fortunately, I am really busy and hope it will make the time go faster.

I love this man so much and I am so thankful he came into my life.  What a gift we have been given!  We will enjoy it as long  as we can, I have no doubt!

What an Incredible Day!

 THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOL'S JOKE!

I got to Butte Thursday early afternoon and Dave was waiting for me as I came off of the airplane.  It is a small airport so there aren't the hassles of trying to pick someone up.  It was so good to see him!  I had really missed him even though it had been just a week since he was in Gilbert.

It was REALLY cold, but we got to his house and I was nice and warm. His house is older, but is very well taken care of and has an incredible view of Butte and the mountains.

Dave told me that he had made a reservation for us to go to dinner at the restaurant at the Copper Kings hotel.  He had told me about it and with so many of the similarities between Butte and my southern Arizona copper roots, I was glad to go there. 

When we got there, our table wasn't quite ready so we sat at the bar and had a drink.  

When we got to the table, we had just started looking at the menu when one of the ladies who worked there, came up with a camera and asked him if he was ready.  I wasn't sure what was going on, but Dave handed me a wrapped package.   I opened it and in it was the most beautiful rose gold Claddaugh ring.   Dave got down on his knee and asked me to marry him.  The ladies took pictures and clapped and I (of course) cried.  

I knew that there was a chance that he was going to ask me, but it truly caught me by surprise.

The ring is absolutely beautiful.  It is rose gold which is made with copper.  And the fact that it is a Claddaugh means more than anything.  It was too big and he wanted me to pick out the stone so on Friday morning we went to the jewelry store.  I picked out an emerald to go on it and I am just hoping that it will be done before I leave on Thursday.

Of course, I called my kids, Cameron, Judy and several other family and friends.  I have asked Patrick and Cameron to give me away and Kerri will be the maid of honor.  Judy wants to be the flower girl so I am thinking Diego and Seamus can be the ring bearers and Judy came bring them on the leash!!!! 

We called Shawn McIntosh and asked him if he would perform the service and then Dave called Shane and asked for my hand.  It was great.  Shane said as long as we didn't move to Montana.

I am still wondering if I am going to wake up and this will have been a dream......

Here is some information on the history of the Claddaugh and why it means so much to me that it was what he picked out.  

The Claddaugh is the traditional Irish ring that represents love, loyalty and friendship.  The hand represents friendship, the heart represents love and the crown represents loyalty.  They are most commonly used as engagement and wedding rings.  

The ring is worn with the intention of conveying the wearer's status.  It is worn on the left hand with the heart pointing towards the finger tips when the wearer is engaged and then is changed to the heart pointing towards the wrist when the wearer is married.

I love that Dave did what he did and was so romantic and continues to be one of the most thoughtful people I have ever met.


We have tentatively set May 5 as the wedding day.  We are hoping to have everything at our house in Gilbert.  Will do more planning as soon as I get back. 

Dave has to get his marriage annulled through the church which is very important to him.  He has already talked to the priest and set the wheels in motion.  I had mine annulled years ago and I am good to go.  Our plans are now to get the marriage blessed here in Butte as soon he gets it annulled.

I love this wonderful man with all of my heart.  I never expected to feel this way and never dreamed that it would happen to me.   We have so much in common and I absolutely love being with him.   

We will keep his house here and spend time here in the summer.  But the majority of the year will be in Gilbert.  He wants to be able to golf as much as possible and the cold in Butte is bad for his back.

I absolutely believe that this was not a coincidence and I believe that my dear Aunt Teresa may have had something to do with it!!

What a gift I have been given!  I love you, Dave Uggetti, with my whole heart and soul and I am so thankful that you have come into my life!!!!!!