The summer of 1966, Joe decided to go to summer school at Eastern, so after much discussion and fretting about what my family would think, we decided he would live with me and the kids for the summer. Before him, even though I had had a couple fairly serious relationships, I never allowed a man to stay over night nor get too close to my kids. It wasn't so much that I was prudish as that I didn't want Tammy and Buddy to get hurt by coming to care too much for the guy. My history wasn't good as to long-term relationships. I tended to fall "in love" easily and three months or so later, couldn't see what I had ever saw in the guy in the first place.
Joe and I both believed our relationship was for life...and planned to get married after he graduated and had a regular job. Before he moved in, I told both my parents and Granny what we planned. They weren't happy about it..but ..hey! I was 28 years old!
Actually, this worked out good financially. Joe baby-sat for the kids and dropped them off at Granny's when he had to go to class, saving me $15.00 a week. And he and the kids adored each other! I sometimes think he ended up marrying me just to get Tammy and Buddy.
After Joe's accident during an epileptic seizure, he lost his driver's license for six months...so that summer, he stayed with us during the week and I'd take him home to Highland Park on Friday night so he could work at his family's bar. On Sunday night, somebody would drive him back to Ypsi. Most Saturday nights I got a baby-sitter and went to his bar to be with him.
The four of us were usually content to stay home and just be together, but we spent many evenings with Avanelle, Phyllis or at Aunt Susie's. That summer, too, Granny moved in with Aunt Susie and Uncle Troy because the house she and Aunt Dora lived in was sold. It was heart-breaking when she and Aunt Dora had to split up, with Aunt Dora going to Pontiac to live with her son. They never saw each other again. Granny loved Joe..but everytime we saw her, she had to get a dig in about us "living in sin."
On Saturdays and Sundays, the kids and I often went out to a lake in the Irish Hills where some friends had a summer cottage. They had two boys the same age as Tammy and Buddy so the kids loved going there. I learned to water-ski that summer. We kept life-jackets on the kids all day long and they practically lived in the water. When it came time for them to go to Mom and Dad's for their annual six weeks, for the first time they didn't want to go...they didn't want to leave Joe. But they did go...and Joe missed them as much as I did. When I made a trip down to see them after three weeks, Joe took off work and went along. Then three weeks later, when I went to get them, he was waiting at the apartment when we got home....and had decorated it with balloons and welcome home banners....as well as gifts for them...a ball and bat for Buddy...a doll and buggy for Tammy.
Since the living arrangements had worked out so good over the summer, Joe stayed on with us for his last year at Eastern.
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