Dear Dazzy,

Nine years ago tonight, NOVEMBER 3,1999-at about this very time, 10:45 Central/USA-you and I said, "Hi/G'Day!" for the very first time via ICQ.

I had come home from a movie with KathUSA, but I wasn't tired. I had ICQ newly installed on my computer. I fooled around with the chat feature and found a few things to check out-I picked Australia because I figured the people there spoke English.

Little did I know! LOL

Then I narrowed it down to people in their 30's...didn't need to be chatting to some snot-nosed teenybopper type. I found your screen name-Blackhawk- in a list of people that were online at the same time as moi.

Next thing I know is I am reading a profile of a person who says they are into "Low-fat cooking, 18th century art, and who works at home as a Graphic Artist in Computers."

After I sent you a hesitant "Hi", you took over the conversation and had me add you to my friends list. Of course you added me to yours and we were off and running!

In all our time together, we never stopped talking. :P

Even now, I keep talking to you in this blog, out loud at home like a crazy woman, and in my head when something serendipitous happens since you have gone on.

Sometimes I feel like you are not that far away.

I get this calm, peaceful feeling like all is right with the world, and I know I'll come out of this sadness one day.

Other days?Well, lets just say those days are still rough to navigate.

We were a couple right away. We really fell in love in a very old fashioned courtship kind of way-talking about what was in our hearts, meaning what we said, being direct in our discussions and getting to the point!

We loved a good chin-wag on any topic. We were always on that same wavelength, weren't we honey? It was nothing short of magical. Even when we disagreed, LOL we would spit words at each other that were biting, but we would wind up laughing not too far into it-none of our fights ever lasted a long time and grudges were never held.

I miss our conversations , babe. Almost as much as I miss the essence of you, and you know how I still miss you heaps...

How lucky we were on that fateful night nine years ago-I found my prince, you found your princess, and we did indeed live happily ever after, even if it was far too short a time.

Tonight, Jupiter is all peachy-pink in the night sky, just to the east of the crescent moon.

I stood and looked at the two of them when I went out to throw the rubbish in the bin and take Boomer for his walk. It's a crisp night, not unlike that one nine years ago.

Life, however , has changed so much that sometimes I feel like its not even mine any more.

It is mine, though, so now what? Hmmmmmmm....

Love you, Dazzy. Always.

Kisses, Wifey.