"25th Anniversary Roses"
© Nora Kasten
Oil painting on canvas (40" x 30")
"Karl and I met 28 years ago tonight and it was a Friday, the same as today. December 3, 1982 is a most important and memorable date to me, even more than our wedding anniversary. I was so thankful for the GOOD man God brought into my life. I had prayed for many months before asking God for this Good man. Stars and rockets didn't explode, I was 45 and Karl was 51, but it was like an invisible magnet that just drew us to one another. If there are soul mates, Karl and I were that and happy for all the years we had together.
Karl ordered the huge bouquet of 25 roses, that I painted above, for me last year for our 25th wedding anniversary, October 13, 2009. It was a wonderful surprise! Because it was so hard for Karl to even speak a sentence then, I had no idea he had managed to call a local florist and to let them know his wishes. Our good friends, Web and Troy Gaskin brought champagne over to celebrate with us and Karl even took a sip or two. He had not been able to drink since July, 2002 when he'd had heart surgery.
Tonight, it feels good to think and write about my beloved. I am so filled with gratitude and thankfulness.
7 comments:
There are many stories of God bringing two people together. He just seems to know what's best. This is a sad, yet wonderful post Nora.
I've always knowen God gave me Renee. I just can't undersatnd why he took her away from me.
I'm broken
Ce bonheur mêlé à cette grande tristesse... Quel est le mot pour nommer ce sentiment? Il n'y en a pas...
Je vous embrasse fort en ce jour particulier pour vous...
Ce bouquet est éclatant, somptueux, flamboyant, à la hauteur de votre amour.
Ma chère Nora, ouvrez une bouteille de champagne et buvez une coupe comme si votre grand amour était là. Il aimerait ça...
Bisous
You truly had something amazing and special. No doubt, God had something to do with it...
I remember seeing this painting in your home. What a nice story to recall when you see it. Aren't you glad you painted it and kept it?
Nora, this is a beautiful! I can only imagine how striking it must be in person. I've been sporadic about reading blogs this year, so hadn't read about your loss. Please accept my deepest sympathy. Your time with your husband truly was a gift from God.
I, too, met my dear husband at the age of 45, married a year later, and just celebrated our 6th anniversary. Every day I thank God for him in my life.
A few posts back you said something like, will this blog ever get back to just the arts? Well, I think that even as artists, it's important to share what's going on in our lives as an encouragement to others. Our art doesn't exist in a vacuum, as you so well have demonstrated, but flows out of our living our lives well. Thank you for sharing your experiences, both art-related and not!
Such a beautiful painting and story of your love for Karl and his for you. Dec. 7th will be my 14th anniversary with Mike. 2nd marriages for both of us (we call the first ones "first mistakes" not marriages). I totally understand the no "fireworks" but a total peace of finding this other person who completes you and does not take anything away from you or diminish you and together you are stronger and the love for each other is so pure it makes you want to cry with joy. After spending 23 yrs. with the wrong man it was a gift from God to meet my Michael. If anything happened to him, I would never try to replace him. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.
What a beautiful painting, and how wonderful that it evokes such wonderful memories-even during your time of sadness.
I believe that there are even greater things to look forward to in the next stage of our souls journey's. Certainly you and Carl will have time together again-somewhere and someday, only without these encumbrances we call our bodies.
Thank-you for sharing this with your readers!
What an exciting experience!/Hilarious! Delightful! True!/wonderful stuff! thank you!
oil painting on canvas
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