This was originally posted by JAF on the community forum.

Well... as smoltzy as it is....

I’m not sure why so many women reacted so oddly to an offer of breakfast in bed, but alas… I had no takers for the week that didn’t cancel on me…. and that includes Susan. She agreed to meet on Sunday morning, then cancelled, saying it was too early in the week and she wanted to get settled in on the cruise first… I never heard back from her.
I went to the Forum Luncheon, she was sitting at another table with a friend. She caught my eye for some reason, and I invited her to join us. I was sitting with a gal I’d met on the cruise last year and her partner. They moved to my table, ordered, ate, then promptly left the gathering…. just about the time I’d gotten back to the table after distributing my purple beads and welcome hugs. We crossed paths two more times during the week, and briefly chatted in passing … I left it at that. My feelings were hurt because she had my interest and I’d tried to connect but she didn’t seem to notice me. She asked me to join her one evening as I was circling the lido deck looking to meet last years cruise buddy… I declined the invite, and never did catch up with my friend. After the cruise, I found myself with time to kill at the airport, so I strolled around a bit to find a comfy spot to hang… I saw Susan, and with no conscious thought my legs just took me in that direction. We exchanged pleasantries and they went off to grab something to eat, but not before she tore her address card off her carryon and gave it to me…. hmm. I went and grabbed a bite too. I ran into her again later, but this time sat with her and chatted. When it was time for us to part for planes, she gave me her card, and a hug that I can still feel today.

She posted that she was going on a cruise in April and was anyone interested in sharing a room. I hinted that maybe I’d be interested and she replied immediately. I thought perhaps we should spend some face time before the cruise. I had an extra ticket to see Suede last Saturday evening in Annapolis, so I invited her to Maryland for the weekend…. and she accepted. It was a cold, windy, rainy weekend….. and yet it couldn’t have been more perfect.

We spent February, March and April getting to know each other by email and phone. I always thought the best I could do would be to find someone with patience who could handle my bigger than life view of the world, living each day with emotion, my insane need for family and friends, and passion to take care of others. I never dreamt that I would ever meet someone who understood what I was about so completely without question… or find someone I can spoil and love completely… with a most unfamiliar twist… that she wants to do those same things for me.

No big exciting story…. but imagine my excitement, at 49 trying to be content with being alone… to have my heart opened so completely, unexpectedly, and without my knowledge by her caring, gentle spirit… and now it overflows with emotion and energy like I’ve never known.

The universe has strange and mysterious ways I could never even begin to comprehend. We were on that boat a whole week… but in the process of returning home, I stumbled across a real gem. Ladies….. the energy of the universe is abundantly alive and well, and here in Maryland….. at peace.

This was originally posted by masues on the community forum.

I think you should be asking JAF this question. She reads all this stuff and is quite aware of the posts. She doesn't have a lot of time on her hands to answer. I do, but, I think coming from this wonderful, smart, beautiful, charming, kind, understanding, generous, thoughtful, caring, one of a kind woman would do the story justice. I think I kinda like her don't you.
besides I can't seem to think straight to put anything into words right now. I'm still in the clouds. I do remember it had something to do with this forum. Maybe about breakfast in bed on the ship. I'm not to clear. I will ask her to post if you really want to know.

This was originally posted by JAF on the community forum.

Hmm.... she is such a tease... :p :p

This was originally posted by Janice & Kathy on the community forum.

yeah! please, pretty please?

This was originally posted by brewmax on the community forum.

Bringing this back up to the top in case Masues wants to add a story here. . . ;)

This was originally posted by Janice & Kathy on the community forum.

This has been and continues to be my favorite thread. I live in a very rural community with few gays or lesbians and it warms my heart to hear all the different ways we have found our loves. some of us have only been together for a few short years and others have been together longer than some of you have been alive! LOL

But it never ceases to amaze me how we find each other at all and yet we seemed destine to.

A friend who is a photojournalist would like to put together a book with pictures of lesbian couples and their "how we met" stories. I told her she only need look as far as this thread to find her inspiration.

She and her partner met in parochial school 20 years ago and only just re-found each other a few years ago!

This was originally posted by Janice & Kathy on the community forum.

oops, there's that double bounce again!

This was originally posted by Barb & Deb on the community forum.

J&K, thank you for your lovely words. Yes, it will be 33 years this year, and it just truly gets better.
I enjoyed reading your story, too. I could almost see it unfold, you were good at telling what happened!
All the posts here are worth reading. It was nice to see so many people willing to share some very personal stories. I have gone back and read some a couple of times! Just like a good book!
Barbie

This was originally posted by JoCindy on the community forum.

What wondeful stories.

Ours (Cindy & me) is way back on one of the beginning pages of this thoughtful, emotional & happy thread.

Congratulations everyone !

This was originally posted by KyraFox on the community forum.

Couldn't resist adding our story to the mix...

JC and I met on the internet five years ago. We hated each other. We circulated in the same chat rooms and most of the time ignored each other. Then one night we were in a chat room with 3 other women and there was some miscommunication. JC was tearing me a new butthole, but I had no idea why! Took a few moments to get it straightened out and when she realized she was mistaken, she apologized. (I still give her grief for this :)

That night, we stayed up talking until the birds started chirping. For a month we were constantly talking, online, on the phone. Then, she broke it off. There was an old girlfriend in the way.

Over the next year, we played cat and mouse. Seemed neither of us could get the other out of our system. Finally, after a bunch of BS and several stories later...we got it right. That was 3 years ago come 3/24 (The cruise is our anniversary celebration.) We've lived together since 9/1/2006. ...The best decision I've ever made.

We recently met some new people. One lady expressed her total disbelief that we'd only been living together so short a time. She said "You two seem like you've been together a very long time." (I realize this could be taken as a bad thing) I took that as the biggest compliment. JC is my exotic flower and the color in my world. Without her all things would pale.

Thanks for letting me share!

This was originally posted by Janice & Kathy on the community forum.

that is so awesome. It took me 40 years to find my love. How wonderful to find the one who makes your heart go pitter pat at such a young age. By my calculations you have been together for 33 years? and they say the gays will hurt the institution of marrage! how many straights can say they met their love at that age and have it last 33 years!!!!

my respect and congratulations go out to you Barb & Deb

This was originally posted by Barb & Deb on the community forum.

Good Day Ladies,
I don't think I can be as clever and witty at writing as most of you gals but here is our story...
When I was 13 (yep, long time ago now...maybe I should have started with, IN THE BEGINING!), I moved on a street that had lots of other kids on it and most of us hung out together, except for this one girl, who I thought was a bit of a snob, and she was only like 10 or 11. She didn't hang with us much and hung around with different friends.

Anyway, not sure when I decided she seemed okay, and then we all hung out together, a group of 5-7 girlfriends.

So, skip ahead to when I started having feelings for her that I could not understand, by now I was all of 15 and, dear God, she was only 12 ( could I say she was mature for her age??)!! I was in Air Cadets and was dating a new guy every week, so what was happening here?! What was "wrong" with me? Why was I having these feelings? I had "heard about lizzies," but that couldn't be me, could it?? My every thought was about her and figuring out how I was going to get to kiss her. Wanting to spend every minute with her...She on the other hand, had no clue of my thoughts and at 12, she wasn't even thinking about boys, let alone girls!!

Skip ahead a few months, New Year's Eve 1974...I was babysitting and the gang was all there, including Debbie; and I, by now, was obsessed with how I was going to get to kiss her...The home where I was babysitting had mistletoe hung up in the doorway to the Living room...hmmmm....this is one way of kissing ANYONE in front of others without anyone thinking "oddly" of it...at midnight (or close to it), I grabbed my chance and my girl...She took my breath away, my knees went weak and my heart skipped more than one beat...and it is still that way today.

Every time she walks in a room she makes me smile and I realize how fortunate I am to have her loving me.

We legally married August 6, 2005.
Barbie

This was originally posted by Janice & Kathy on the community forum.

thanks everyone for sharing your stories. It never ceases to amaze me how we find each other. the odd turns and coincidences that lead us right to the one we were always looking for. THANKS again for sharing and let's keep it going!

This was originally posted by Bev and Susan on the community forum.

Annie,

Check out the thread that is all about Punta Cana. You will find everyone who is going on that thread!

This was originally posted by anicolosi4 on the community forum.

Who is going to Punta Cana next month?

Annie