the noise in my head: Roll The Dice

KISMET (an extraordinary or unusual thing)
SERENDIPITY (good fortune; luck)
KARMA (fate; destiny)

I've been thinking a lot about marriage these past few weeks. About what a gamble it is. You know the person, you respect and love them and, hopefully, lust after them. Do you ever really know them, I mean really really know them? Does anyone ever really know anyone?

In the press you hear all the time about couples who were seemingly happily married and then the guy ends up killing the wife and burning up the children. Or, oh gee, she drowned while scuba diving even though I was supposed to be her buddy.....not to mention PARTNER FOR LIFE! Or how about, I don't know what happened on our honeymoon, he just fell overboard I guess? I'd say those people all rolled the dice and, well, lost. As they walked down the aisle I'm sure they didn't think that. So really, aren't all marriages inherently a gamble?

Gordon and I laid our hearts on the line 25 years ago. It was a gamble for sure. He hadn't even been in the country 24 months and 24 months prior to my meeting and marrying him, I was married to a different person! Our story involves kismet, serendipity, karma and just plain old "lady luck"! After all Gordon moved to the States and happened to move to California and end up working in the same little town as me working in the same real estate office. I moved from Virginia 7 years prior and moved to that same little town and real estate office after Gordon started working there. Isn't that a long way and a lot of life in between for us to meet? Is that karma or what?

When we married 25 years ago I was 5 months pregnant with Jillian and we had only been together slightly longer than a year. We gambled our lives to be together and to raise the child together. The odds were two hearts for one. It paid well!

I woke at 5:25 a.m. this past Friday to prepare and leave the house at 6:15 to fly to Hawaii with Gordon to celebrate our lives together. A quick trip to the airport, courtesy of our friends Ken and Tom, and we were awaiting our flight within 30 minutes of our arrival. A good yet uneventful flight with an extra seat to boot found us landing safely in beautiful Maui just a short 5 hours later. And, midsize rental in Gordon's hand, we made our way around Iao the Needle through the valley and out to the west coast of Maui on our way to Ka'anapali.

We stopped in La Haina for a bite to eat at Cheeseburger in Paradise. We were seated at an open window overhanging the water with a spectacular view of Lanai. Little Hermit Crabs were running quick-as-a-rabbit from the surf and diving into their little holes. Humpback whales were frolicking in the narrow and shallow channel between the two islands and a gentle breeze lifted our hair ever so slightly as we sat and pondered the week ahead. Mahi-Mahi fish and chips and iced tea refreshed us and we moved on to a bit of grocery shopping and check-in at the Maui Ocean Club.

Gosh it's beautiful here. The grounds and plantings are so well cared for. The staff is very professional and wanting and willing to help in any way. The Villa's were recently re-carpeted and decorated with new furnishings and the bed is SO DAMN COMFORTABLE! And of course the Chi-Chi's and view are to die for!!!!

So what is there to do other than unpack and head to the beach? Which is what we did. I love watching the sun set behind Lanai. The grey's and pinks are lovely with the lighted evening cruise boats sliding by in the foreground. It's hard to tear your eyes away.

We made a quick meal out of a bit of rotisserie chicken and organic field greens purchased earlier with a glass of chardonnay and had a short evening. That two hour time difference gets you that first night and it was early to bed for us.

Saturday, our anniversary, we were up early, coffee (Pete's) and breakfast in our rooms and off for a 5 mile walk along the beach path to the Embassy Suites and back. It's such a great flat walk and Gordon's new sport brace is definitely better than his first ACL brace so we actually kept up a good pace. As we started out it was just a tiny bit sprinkling rain and we noticed that all the grounds and pavement were wet from an apparent shower earlier. But as we walked the clouds spaced out and the sun broke through on what was a beautiful day.....another day in paradise!

We spent the day on lounge chairs soaking up the sun, chatting about our lives together and listening to music on our Ipods. Gordon made sandwiches from our room and brought them down to where I rotissered on my lounge chair. He went to the gym and rode a stationary bike and lifted weights - all part of his knee rehab and I managed to mosey over to a hammock and lounge some more before going up to prepare for our dinner.

Gordon had made reservations at Roy's which, by the way for all you fans of Roy's in Maui, has moved to the Ka'anapali Golf Club building in place of the old Rusty Harpoon right at the entry into Ka'anapali. So for us it was walkable. After showers and cocktails in our room we walked over and had a fabulous meal or Swordfish encrusted in macadamia nuts for me and lemongrass Mahi-Mahi for Gordon. We shared many toasts, reminisced and even had a few tears glisten in our eyes. For our "silver" anniversary Gordon gave me a fabulous Lois Hill bangle bracelet.....my gift to him was a bit more intimate and we won't speak of it! Suffice it to say, after all these years, I still know what he likes!

We have had such an enjoyable first 2 days here. We are up early this morning and heading out for our 5 miles. It's supposed to be clear and sunny today.....again, oh darn! Today I think we'll "gamble" on the beach!