Friday February 22: Celebrating 34 Years of a Gift of Love :-)

1st year celebration - Feb. 22, 1986.

Funny how February 22 comes every year. And every year I am again reminded of how fortunate I am to have 4 wonderful brothers.

But especially fortunate that two of them had the necessary blood type to consider giving me one of their kidneys when in 1985 mine were failing.

I'm not sure if they drew straws or played rock, scissors, paper or if winning was donating or losing was donating but both Pat and Tom were there and willing.

Tom and I sitting near Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies.

The rest is history though. Tom (1 1/2 years older than me) ended up giving me a chance to have a normal life - allowing Steve and I to be able to live our nomadic life on the boat that we are enjoying today.














At left is a picture of the 5 of us from several years ago! I know - you're thinking what a motley crew :-)

Well, it was apple butter making at the Loudonville fair after all. But we all clean up quite nicely as can be seen below as we went all out at nephew Pete's (Pat's son) wedding!

We're all cleaned up :-) Pat (the groom's father) was in a tux and cleaned up well also. Just not available for the picture :-)

And so it's now been 34 years ago. Soon I will have lived with Tom's kidney longer than I lived with my own. Thank you Tom for your continuing gift of love :-) - and to Pat for the backup - and to Warren and Dick for being willing but off the hook with the wrong blood type :-)