Another Month Gone, Another UBC Completed

Today is the 31st, the last day of October, it’s also the last day of the October Ultimate Blog Challenge. But the last day of every month will always be the hardest for me. It means another month has gone by without having Rich by my side. He was and still is my everything and 59 years is a long time being together and then just like that he’s gone.

Today is 7 months since my first and only love was called home on Easter morning, March 31st. I can still hear his last words as I came downstairs. It replays in my head over and over. We gave each other a good morning hug and kiss, said I love you to each other and Happy Easter but then Rich told me he didn’t have time to make my Easter card.

Every holiday he would make me a card, nothing fancy but they were from his heart, not Hallmark. Other days he would scratch a message on a piece of paper, a napkin or paper towel and add a rose to it. This was a note he wrote on Easter 2021 with the first rose of the season with it.

This is the year I’m missing everything we have done together, it’s a year of firsts without Rich on holidays, birthdays, going to church or just going to the store, we were together 24/7. Now it’s no more pictures together, no more spontaneous trips to the mountains in the middle of the night, no more I love you hugs and kisses for no reason. We would love to go to the ocean very early morning and what the sunrise. It was so peaceful at the very end of the beach were we walked down a little dimly lite path to get the our special spot. Now all I have are the beautiful memories we made together for 59 years.

Last night was a happy time and I know Rich is celebrating in heaven. He has been a Dodger fan since they were in Brooklyn and last night they won another World Series Championship. He always said, “Win or lose, I’m Dodger blue.” Well Babe this year they won for you!

As the October Ultimate Blog Challenge comes to an end I am so thankful for all my blogger friends that have shown so much love and compassion which has helped me and Lia get through this nightmare. Blogging is the one thing I love and Rich was the one who always reminded me when the UBC was about to start and I need to keep going for my sanity. The memories that I share on my blogs are keeping Rich’s memory alive.

I started this challenge on January 2016 and this October 2024 UBC is the 36th consecutive blog challenge I’ve completed. I have met so many wonderful blogger friends from not just the United States but all around the world! I call them all my extended family. I never tracked the number of blogs I’ve written until my blogger friend Tamara had a post about her numbers. I just checked and I have published 2322 blogs of mine and between mine and Lia’s we have posted a total of 2508 blogs. That’s a lot of blogs and I have enjoyed writing mine and helping Lia with hers.

My great-granddaughter and I have enjoyed reading and sharing your blogs and getting to know you more through them. We both want to send you a big thank you for helping us get to where we are. We love you all and see you back in January!

This is a poem I wrote a few years back for the ending of this great challenge and I want to thank Paul T. for keeping this challenge running so smoothly. At the beginning of this month I was scratching my head a bit trying to figure out the new set up but after a few days, I got it and it’s not as hard as I was making it out to be. I like the new concept and Lia and I will see you back in January for another UBC!!