Instead of SADNESS, I want to reflect on some of our

Al & I met a few weeks before I turned 16. We both grew up in apartment buildings in Brooklyn. We lived around the corner from each other. Al was 9 months older than me.
We started going steady on the night of my Sweet 16. We were together 39 1/2 years.

On our first date, which I insisted be Dutch Treat, we went to the Movies to see Red Nickels & the 5 Pennies.
Our first real date was to Steeplechase Park in Coney Island.

Al was 1 year ahead of me in school. I was a Sophomore & he was a Junior. We went to the same school.
We would take the bus to school each morning. I was always late, so we arrived at school late. Al always got Detention for it. I never did & I never found out why?
We would meet in the staircases to share some sweet kisses. Everyone knew we were a couple.
I was in the Band & never went to the Cafeteria for lunch. Al would buy for me a certain Chocolate Chip cookie I loved & then later come to one of my classes. When the teacher was writing on the Blackboard & his back was to the class, Al would throw the cookies across the room to me! Most of the time I ate them in crumbs.
One of the best stories was, he & I had the same class, only he had it one period before me. As he was coming out of the class, I was going in. For quite a long time the teacher was amazed at how I knew practically everything that was coming out of her mouth before she even said it. ( I had all of Al's notes ). It was a long time before she knew we were boyfriend & girlfriend. But she was a very nice & also a young teacher. When she finally learned my secret all she did was laugh really hard. Our High School Romance was truly a Cinderella Story.

Al & I were together 4 years before we got married. Being that Al had just turned 20 & was not of legal age to be married, his mother had to go to Court to give permission for him to get married. We were never apart one day while going steady.

Each month for the first year of our Marriage Al would buy me a Red Rose.
1 for the first month, 2 for the second month, up until the 1st yr. Anniversary when he brought home the Full dozen Roses. He would buy them in NYC & bring them home on the Subway all the way to Brooklyn.

Getting our first car when we were 21 was such a THRILL for us. We paid $91.00 for a 1956 Green Plymouth. It truly was a Fred Flintstone car! A BIG HOLE in the floor & it would have gone faster if we used our feet, but we loved our car.

From the very first moment I met Al, he was always so FUNNY & always a CLOWN. He was the life of the PARTY. He was the outgoing one & I was the shy one!

Now if Al were to see that I put these photos on the Internet,

Through the years, however we did a role reversal. I became the outgoing one & Al became more reserved.

In 1967 we had our first son Keith, in 1970 we had our daughter Aileen & in 1974 our son Robbie was born. All very JOYOUS occasions for us.

Al was a WONDERFUL father & the very BEST husband. There was nothing in this world that he would not do for me.
This was NOT good for me because we were so CO-DEPENDENT on each other that I do not know how to live my life without him. We were known as Bread & Butter, Ham & Cheese etc. We were so intertwined, like a bowl of spaghetti. Now, the left side of me has been amputated & I cannot come to terms with it!!!

I would prepare Al's lunch for him. It was his Birthday & inside his sandwich I put a note wishing him a Happy Birthday. When I spoke to him on the phone, I asked how his lunch was, he said "very good". He ate the paper, thinking it was a piece of lettuce.

Al had a PASSION for Softball. He managed Little League & played on a men's softball team. The season was over, but the guys continued to play. I got a knock on the door. Al was in the Hospital. He had shattered his ankel & needed surgery. He had pins & screws in his ankle permanently. He didn't care because when he slid into Home he got the WINNING run for the team.

He also enjoyed Bowling! Of course, he shared my LOVE of Atlantic City & he was also a Webbie! We both had our own Webs. The laughter I would hear from the jokes made me feel really good. He loved the Little Johnny jokes the best.





Of course our life together was NOT a bowl of cherries. One BANG over our heads after another! If I had writen about all our troubles, you would have gone through a ton of Kleenex by now. So I chose to take this route instead.

I use this symbol to represent, infinity between Al & me. Never to be seperated. Al & I did everything together. We even worked together in the evenings. During the last 2 years of Al's life, I went on a 4 day get away with my daughter & granddaughter but up until that time, we were only seperated by Hospital stays, & a one time overnight business trip. Other than that, we were always side by side.

Al just WORSHIPPED & ADORDED our DELICIOUS Granddaughter Karly. He LOVED her so much! She brought him so much pleasure & happiness. She was truly the apple of his eye. We are so THANKFUL that Al had 5 years in which he had all this unconditional Love. We also know Karly will never forget her Papa.