A LUCKY DAY

When Michael and I got married, we had two children under five (from previous), and I was off work with our brand new baby --we had about $37 to spare. We bought our wedding rings (not even a matched set -- his is a plain gold band and mine is etched white gold) at a pawn shop for $60 total. (We were told, more than once, that this would bring us bad luck -- we're still laughing about that 32 years later).

So it wasn't until our 10th wedding anniversary that I got my diamond 'engagement' ring. It's a tiny solitaire diamond, very simple and it wasn't particularly pricey, but it matched my wedding ring, somewhat, and I loved it. I specially loved that Michael thought of buying it at all! But about two years ago, I started a battle with eczema on my hands, and couldn't wear my rings anymore, so I tucked them away.

About 6 months ago I was able to start wearing my rings again ... and one day a few months ago, when I looked at my ring finger, that diamond ring was gone. We searched ... we took apart our bed, Michael took the sink drains apart, etc., but we couldn't find my ring. At the time I remember having a very strong 'conviction' that I would find that ring, because things like that don't happen to me.

So yesterday, after weeks of procrastinating, I finally got out a stepstool to clean out the top shelf in my galley (that's 'kitchen' for all you landlubbers) cupboard. You know, the cupboard that has 13 old ketchup packages, a half-used bottle of St. John's Wort, three little plastic bottles of food coloring from 1977, and a 6-ounce package of cumin you'll never live long enough to use? THAT cupboard needed cleaning, so I climbed up there, got everything out onto the counter, got some hot soapy water in the sink, and proceeded to wash the shelf. Something caught my eye ... and guess what?
There was my ring. I smiled, said, "Thank-you, universe" and put it back on.

Today's PHOTO OF THE DAY:
The poplar grove on the shore of Tumbo Island in the Cabbage and Tumbo Island Marine Park .... one of our all-time favorite anchorages here in the Gulf Islands.