A Marble and Glass Rose

I was a single mom raising my son Steven who was a wonderful young person that became a fantastically successful man. Proud momma here :-) I was the difficult one to raise ~ Steven would tell me what music would rot my brain and when to turn off the computer and go to bed. He also would tell me ~ in an affectionate way ~ I needed to get a life. It’s a good thing I met Bill shortly before Steven moved out to attend college in Portland Oregon ~ the empty nest syndrome sucks when you are the only bird in the house. I met Bill in 2002 ~ he showed up on my doorstep and instead of a box of candy and flowers he gave me a marble and glass rose. That was it ~ he won me over on the first date. I lived 250 miles away from Bill but would drive to see him on the weekends. In the summer he would sell his beads and marbles at the “Missoula Saturday Market” in Missoula Montana ~ I loved working the booth with him and getting to know all the wonderful people. The place was like a carnival and we were the Carnies. In April of 2003 I gave up the weekly 250-mile drive and moved to the Bitterroot Mountains to be with Bill and his daughter. Bill and I still attend the Missoula Saturday Market together and have a permanent booth location. This open-air, artist only market runs from May through October and people come from all over the United States either vacationing in Montana or they have children attending the University of Missoula. Bill and I will be starting our market season soon and I am so excited about seeing old friends ~ the first day is always like a family reunion with my Carnie friends :-).