THE "IT'S OVER" PARTY

As promised here's the scoop on our "It's Over" party.....and what a party it was. Yesterday marked the end for Tom of his financial obilgation for what the Court ordered about 10 years ago. He's VERY proud of the fact that he made all payments and in fact the State of Maine owes him $127.00 - thanks to a caseworker (one of many over the years taken off his case for errors made) who totalled the amount left to pay incorrectly. How many women/men can say that of their ex-spouses?? According to DHS for Maine not many! I listened to many telephone calls over the past years between Tom and our State Reps - calls made asking them to advocate for him because DHS had made errors. And, calls received back from the DHS Commissioner's office apologizing for those errors. While it's NEVER been about the money it's a huge relief to Tom to really put the past in the past - therefore the title "It's Over". Now....on to the party and our friends ....

The reason for the party was to thank all those who have supported us throughout the years - the ones who listened to our woes, the ones who watched us cry and the ones who helped both Tom and I get through it all with a laugh. There is no medicine equal to laughter. As each one arrived we made sure they were thanked. We supplied everything so they could just come, relax, have a beer or two and laugh and celebrate with us. For those that couldn't come "THANK YOU" for the support and your friendship. It means so much to us both!!!

I made sugar cookies, coated them with white chocolate and piped the words "It's Over" on the bigger ones - stuck them in mums on the food table and the smaller ones in the drink buckets outside! It is to wonderful to have the "S.H.O.P." to put all the food and an outside big enough to accommodate many cars and many people. We let Hannaford do the platters of sandwiches, veggies and shrimp so Tom and I could spend our time entertaining. You don't make and keep friends in life by being a mean person - you make them and you keep them by investing your time in them - relationships are always a give and take.

Our friend Nancy made a huge lemon cake and we found a whoopie pie cake with the words "BIG WHOOP" already written on it in exactly the same colors as my cookies! It was meant to be! The 3rd cake was a cheesecake with strawberries on the top! We had drinks of just about everything imaginable.....also a BIG thank you to everyone who brought us bottles of Champagne to celebrate. Also many thanks to my niece Shelli for the celebration balloons, hip, hip, hooray card and watermelon salsa! She never ceases to amaze us in her creativity!

My sister Donna and her hubby Herb stayed with us for 2 days and helped - thank you to them. My other sister Sherie couldn't make it as her hubby Roger is recouping from double bypass surgery - but today we took them cookies and veggies and told them all about it so they didn't feel left out! My family has taken Tom in and have never hesitated to make him feel a part of the family.

Can you tell how very proud of Tom I am??? Now, it's time for Tom and I to do for ourselves - time to travel, buy that black Corvette, sit and do nothing - whatever is in our plan - this is our life now and we have control of it! Enjoy the pictures!