and the next eight...

Here are my next eight reasons (of 40!) that set out why I love, treasure and cherish My Sweet Hubby (aka MSH):

[FYI: Because he is sooo interesting, I put things in my cellphone notes that he says or does! To help me remember. Mostly, though, to share with TLC. He’d probably be miffed at me for sharing some of these. Or embarrassed. Or both. He’ll get over it. Winky. Wink.]

9. After two heart attacks in two years (his last one was in March of 2015), he is determined to stay healthy. Strong. To eat right. To exercise. To be here. For me. For his children and his grandchildren. Many of his friends have had heart attacks and have fallen back into bad habits. Not MSH. I’m so proud of him.

10. He’s dadgum funny. As I’ve mentioned in the past, he doesn’t really mean to be. At least not 85% of the time. (The other 15%? He does intend to be funny. Trust me. He does. He often, unfortunately, misses the mark. That, though, can also be quite hilarious.) When he was given some different meds and/or pre-anesthesia during his second heart attack hospitalization, TLC and I got tickled at some of the things he said before, during and after it was all taking effect or wearing off:

            “I’m floating. Are y’all floating? This stuff is bad. This is what all the kids want!”

            In reference to one of his nurses: “Boy—she’s smart. She gave me a slowdown pill. Everything floats to the surface.”

            “Don't worry. I won’t be operating any heavy machinery!”

            And the best—although, actually, the saddest, was when he was grabbing at the air and telling us: “There are sticks out there! Can you get them?”

God love his sweet but damaged heart.

11. I’ve shared that he has a pretty severe hearing loss in both of his ears. Dr. ELC believes it's from the many years of being a hunter. Driving loud boats. Doing all of our yardwork by himself and being on a LOUD tractor for the past 18 years. He wears hearing aides. They help some. He continues to struggle on a daily basis with what people are saying to him. (Since I went suddenly deaf in my left ear eleven years ago, and can’t wear a hearing aide, I do my utmost best to be sympathetic and supportive of his handicap. I do, TLC. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.) Not too long ago I said to him: I’m going to go plug my phone in. He replied: “Shave your toenail?” (I cannot make this stuff up.) It is always at this point, when he says weird things like this, that I look at him and say: “Before you said that to me, did you really think that was what I was telling you? Seriously? You didn’t say to yourself: ‘Self, that could NOT be what she said.’ So I’ll simply inform her I didn’t hear her.” Sheesh. DOUBLE SHEESH. (And yet, I cannot live without him…)

12. He makes me feel safe. He’s afraid of nothing. Of no one. Well, I should, perhaps, be honest and clarify this: He does have a HUGE fear of centipedes. And copperheads. And rattlesnakes. Although he’ll bravely kill all of them before they bite him or me or anyone else out here in the sticks. He still kinda shivers when he talks about them. Sees them. Encounters them. That can make me a tidbit anxious. 

13. He’s strong.  (Pairs nicely with not being afraid of anything or anyone, wouldn’t you say?) Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. I like that attribute. Don’t you? Especially since I'm not strong in any of those areas. Maybe I am somewhat strong spiritually. Sometimes strong emotionally. Never physically.

14. We’d recently gotten out of his truck at the grocery store when I said: “Would you get some cantaloupes? You have a talent for picking the sweetest, yummiest ones!” He replied: “Sure. I think they’re called Honey-in-your-Eyes.” I looked at him and, as patient as I could be, stated: “That cannot be right.” When we got inside the store? Yep. Not their name. (I think it was Sugar Kiss. Possibly. Sugar something. Okay, okay. I'm not much better than him.). Lawdy LAWDY. He is a hoot, right?

15. He worships our Brown Lab, Buddy Boo Bear.  (Well, worship may not be the exact right word. I needed something stronger than cherishes or treasures.) Buddy Bear tolerates me. If BBB could talk? He’d tell you he’s MSH’s dog. Not mine. I'm fine with that. We adopted Buddy eight years ago. He is the BEST DOG ON THIS EARTH. Everyone that knows him can verify this. It’s fact. THE BEST. (TLC is constantly trying to trade us Henry for Buddy Bear. Please don't tell Her Hubby.) The other day I said goodbye to MSH as I was about to leave our casa for town. To do several errands. MSH responded: “B. Y. E.” He spelled the word "bye." I looked at him and asked: “Why did you just spell ‘bye” to me?” He replied: “I didn’t want Buddy to think I was leaving, too. He gets super upset because he knows what ‘bye’ means.” Oh, MSH. How did I live 23 years without you?

16. My Sweet Hubby has become, in the past ten years, The Best Flower Pot Potter in a 40-miles radius. Maybe 80! I mean it, Y’all. He could hire out. I could hire him out! (I threaten to do this every time he pots new flowers, plants, shrubs for moi. He is that gifted. He does refuse to agree to do this as a part-time job.)

MSH? I think I’ll keep him. Even when he's not sure he wants to keep me.

Look for my next post on Sunday (long story...) and Y’all have a WONDERFUL WEEK—Wherever in this World Y’all are!”

smooch,

ELC