We Are Not Letting Go . . . Ever!

We Are Not Letting Go…

EVER!

JAMES E. WOOLAM

Artworks by Joan Woolam

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© 2017 James E. Woolam. All rights reserved.

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Published by AuthorHouse 11/20/2017

ISBN: 978-1-5462-1712-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-1711-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-1710-7 (e)

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CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE…

OUR YEAR IN REVIEW

CHAPTER TWO…

MY RUNNING JOURNAL

CHAPTER THREE…

HOLLAND AMERICA CRUISE

CHAPTER FOUR…

PONTE VEDRA TRIP

CHAPTER FIVE…

OUR DAYS IN STUART, FLORIDA

CHAPTER SIX

NEW ENGLAND … THE BERKSHIRES

CHAPTER SEVEN….

THE MASTERS GOLF TOURNAMENT

Dedicated to

Our Parents

Ralph and Marion Wilkinson

James and Anna Woolam

A special Thank You to my sister, Jean, for making

the publication of this book possible.

A special Thank You to my wife, Joan, for the

front and back cover art work.

Also by the Author…

BLESS ME FATHER…For I have sinned

WHEN THE HEATHER IS KNEE HIGH

ONE SQUARE MILE OF MEMORIES

THE SKY IS NOT THE LIMIT

A THANK YOU NOTE TO GOD…From a Grateful Heart

Jim & Joan Fourth of July- Sanibel, FL

Our Priest and Life Long Friend

Sunrise on our Anniversary Week

50th Anniversary Mass at Our Lady Star of The Sea CC

Anniversary Mass

PROLOGUE

April 3, 1965 - Saturday 4:00 P.M. our wedding day. The marriage took place at the home of our friends, Joan and Dennis Hummel, 1823 Delancey, Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. The ceremony was performed by Judge James Bennett, Justice of the Peace, Millburne, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania In attendance were a few friends (mostly drinking buddies), including life long friend Anne Marie and Gerry Harrington.

My mother and sister, Jean, and her husband Tommy. I think it would be safe to say most, if indeed not all, people would say that this was not a marriage made in heaven

April 8, 1995- Saturday 3:00 p.m. we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. The invitation - Jim and Joan Woolam Invite you to celebrate their 30th anniversary and witness their marriage in the Roman Catholic Church on April 3, 1995 at 3:00 p.m.

The ceremony will be officiated by

Father Frank O’Rourke at St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Charlotte, North Carolina

Join us afterward for fellowship and music at the

Dilworth Inn East Boulevard Charlotte, North Carolina

We were surrounded by many friends and family, including Therese and Bill. They made the trip from Philadelphia. The occasion and atmosphere was dramatically different from our April 3 date. Joan always wanted to recognize this date as our official date. I understand her logic; however our long journey with all of its ups and downs began - April 3. Maybe, just maybe, the marriage was made in heaven.

APRIL 8, 2015 - We left from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on our 50th anniversary cruise. A 31 day cruise/motor trip. There is Joan’s April 8 date. Whichever date we use - both are powerful and important dates in our long journey together as soulmates.

APRIL 8, 2016 - One year, exactly, from our anniversary the closing chapter on our celebration took place over three days. Scott entered in the lottery to win tickets to The Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta Georgia. Guess what - he won !!! He asked me to go with him. Fantastic. Incredible. What were the odds. This event and the days involved deserve and require a chapter of its own. So it does- Chapter Seven covers the trip in detail.

INTRODUCTION

April 3, 2015

Friday - Fifty years ago today on a Saturday afternoon we began our married life journey that has led to this day. A long journey that has seen many ups, downs, twists and turns. There is a line in a Jimmy Buffet song that describes life perfectly. In the song an old man his telling a young man how life goes - some of it’s magic and some of it’s tragic but I’ve had a great life all the way. This line describes our marriage and life together beautifully.

A quiet day. Amy called and we had a pleasant conversation, Francisco and Landes got on the phone for a minute -and I mean a minute. Kids in general don’t like to be on the phone. Scott, Kristin, and the kids were in Seattle on vacation. So it was just the two of us. Indeed, a quiet day. We seem to do great when it is the two of us. We were not disappointed. Joan has made plans for a big celebration in July. A week for the whole family in a beach house in Ponte Verde, near St Augustine. You will hear more about that fabulous week a bit later in this book.

The day started as I start every day. A time of prayer and meditation on the lanai. A special part of my day. A prayer of thanks for another day and for another day of sobriety and thanks for yesterday’s sobriety. I offer prayers for my family and a number of other people. I do several readings from several books. Followed by a 3 ½ mile downtown and back home.

Some breakfast (oatmeal of course) shower and off to an AA meeting to share and give thanks. I talked about our anniversary and how grateful I am for 42 years of sobriety. None of the last 50 years would have happened without God and AA.

Later in the day we went to dinner at Bruno’s of Brooklyn located downtown on Second Street. Thanks to Roxie Lugo, a sweetheart of a friend, that we volunteer with in the cafeteria at St. Francis School. She gave us two gift certificates - one for the restaurant and the other to the Bagel Factory. She remembered that we went there when Olivia and Claire served mass. Roxie treats us both very lovingly. Following a nice dinner we walked over to Artwalk. A great deal of energy downtown. Artwalk has been going on now for a few years and is a big success. The Art League, Joan is a part of, plays a part in the event.

Back home we went down to the pool and enjoyed the sunset over the river. A tranquil setting, perfect for offering up thanks and gratitude. As the sun disappeared we hugged and went inside. Me to work on my hook rug (when finished we will take over to Stuart) and Joan to work on the computer.

Time to head into bed and watch a gray movie on the computer, fell asleep in each other’s arms. The close of a wonderful day.

CHAPTER ONE…

OUR YEAR IN REVIEW

I started this idea of reflecting on the year as it draws to a close. Of course, this year is special - 50 years. I t seems to me that the pace of life these days is so fast - we rush through the year and rarely pause and smell the roses as the expression goes. This little journal gives us the opportunity to reflect- reflect on the events that touched our lives during the past 12 months. Some good, some not so good, but it is our life and the lives of the important people in our life - family and friends

So here goes :)

2015

JANUARY - We bought our condo in Stuart on December 12, 2014. I guess a Christmas present. What a Christmas present :) We spent several days over there enjoying the beaches, the ocean, and the area in general. I bought a brand new bicycle! The first one in many, many years. A short bike ride to the beach and downtown to my AA meetings. We made a trip to Silver Spring for two weeks while Amy went out of the country for work. This is turning out to be an annual event. This is definitely a good thing. We get the kids off to school, soccer,etc. Just like when we were raising Scott and Amy. Feels good to be able to handle it. They are great kids and a pleasure to be with. We spent some time with Amy’s neighbors - Melanie and Harold. Nice people. They are a bit older. Not as old as us, but older than Amy. We went to breakfast at a local diner one day. Easy to be with. I began my running streak of trying to run every day during the year. A tribute of thanks and commitment to God for good health and countless blessings

FEBRUARY - Joan took a trip to Charlotte and visited her (ours) good friend TJ. She flew up and I stayed behind. It is nice that we can do things like that. We don’t have to do everything together. We visited Stuart for a few days. Our game plan is to get over - there at least once a month.

MARCH - Our good friend, Bo, had his Aortic valve replaced. That was very scary. He was hospitalized for two months. In an induced coma for several weeks. By God’s grace he came through, but spent most of the year under watchful eyes. Bev and Bo have been close friends for more than 40 years. Amy’s divorce was final. Jim was rear ended while stopped at a red light in Joan’s car. No injuries other than the car. These three events illustrate that bumps in the road do come. But clearly, God has blessed us with more than our fair share of great events. Our strong marriage guides us through the more difficult ones. We met with Mark Loren, jeweler, and had her 50 year anniversary designed- that was really special :) As the saying goes You have come a long way baby. Towards the end of month we went back to see the prototype. She was pleased. Our monthly trip to Stuart.

APRIL - As promised Mark had the final ring prepared for our anniversary and big cruise. We went on our big cruise. Sailed out of Ft. Lauderdale on April 8 and did not get back to the US until May 4. I covered the trip in great detail in another section of the book.

MAY - We took a driving trip to Charlotte and visited all of family members and long time friends. We spent time with old and dear friends Be and Bo Rochester and stayed with them for two days. Then TJ who feels like a relative. She is not in the best of health. Always good to see her and spend time together. Next a visit to Brent and his Wife Juli in their home. Barb was there and Brooke and James joined us. Of course we got to see the new babies - Brooke and James daughter, Kylie and Brent and Juli daughter, McKenzie. It was fantastic to see them. We receive almost daily pictures of these little babies. Adorable. We also spent time in Stuart. We actually began the drive up to Charlotte from Stuart. It is a much easier drive. We are only minutes from I 95. Leave at breakfast up there by dinner :)

JUNE - Claire graduated from St. Francis and now off to Bishop Verot to join her big sister, Olivia. She graduated with honors. A great kid. Another stop at Stuart driving back from Charlotte. We have been trying to get there at least once a month. A few days to recover and home to Ft. Myers.

JULY - We drove to Stuart with Amy, Francisco, and Landes. Spent two days and then off to St. Augustine for our 50th anniversary together for a week. What a fantastic week together with our kids and grandkids. One of the biggest events was the celebration,and renewal of vows, of our anniversary at mass, Our Lady of the Star Sea, that was arranged by Kristin. Dawn turned 60 on July 9. Hard to believe I have a kid in her 60’s. One of the few regrets in my life. Not being able to develop a relationship with my three girls and eight grandchildren.

AUGUST - A visit with Amy and the kids in Silver Spring and then up to the Poconos.

SEPTEMBER -