It has been such a good process for me to put together these blogs. I have been able to think back on not only Ken's life, but my own life for the last 48 years. I decided to post a bit of those years "by the numbers"
First of all.... Cars. Something that is important to most men. As far as I could count (and I confess that I might have missed a couple along the way) Ken has had at least 32 cars since he started driving at 16 years old. When I first met Ken he was riding a bicycle and did not have a car! That changed when he got hit by a car while riding his bike home one night. My dad insisted that we help Ken buy a car. Which we did. It was a $100 car that we had to finance! I can't remember what kind of car it was, but you needed to add oil every time you went anywhere. But it was a car! After Ken got a more steady job he was able to buy a better car - a Ford Torino which we actually had for around 3 years. It was a manual transmission with the stick on the column. I learned to drive a stick in this car. 
Here we are, on our wedding day, leaving for our honeymoon in that car. We owned so many "beaters" that I am sure that I have missed a few in my count. A couple of memorable ones include another $100 car we bought that was more rust than car. But Ken was able to drive that car with few problems over an entire winter. We also once owned a Volkswagen Rabbit that had no floor under the drivers feet. We had covered it with cardboard, but you would have to raise your feet when driving through water. It was interesting to say the least. We had both kids at the time also. We bought several brand new cars including three Ford Pintos and a Ford Maverick and then our Ford Escort. 
This Escort was a car that we bought when we really couldn't afford a new car. Ken went to the dealer and asked for the "cheapest car on the lot". They had this car to show how stripped down you could get an Escort. It did not have carpet. It was a stick shift. Basic about describes this car. You can see how young the kids were, yet both of them drove this car. As a matter of fact, we gave this car to Gwen and Tim after they got married. Tim drove that car and even today will tell you that he regrets trading it on a new car. Ken's favorite car of all time was this one.
Like so many men, he always wanted a sports car - especially a convertible. We bought this Miata used and had to have the top replaced immediately. Ken had just made the really difficult decision to give up his motorcycle because he felt his reflexes where not as sharp as they had been. He was riding to work, in traffic and I felt this was a good decision. So I agreed that he could get this car which would be safer. We had three cars for a number of years, but it was getting harder and harder for Ken to get in and out of this very small, very low little car. He very reluctantly agreed to sell it.
In the last weeks of his life, Ken was talking about buying a sports car. He even went and looked at a few for sale. I of course, was saying that we did not need another car. He was also talking of wanting to buy another motorcycle. Clearly cars and motorcycles were important to him. I am thankful for the last car that Ken actually bought. It was the first time that we owned an SUV - a bigger car that we could actually carry things in. That is the car that I am currently driving and it is a great car. I don't think I would have picked it, but Ken was clear that he wanted this particular vehicle. It has been a good choice for us since it was easy for him to get in and out of in the last months of his life.
As I was writing this blog, I began to see just how faithful God was to provide reliable transportation for us throughout the years. Without these cars, we would not have been able to get to work. And this is just a picture of all of the provision we had during some very lean years. I continue to be so thankful for all of the years that Ken and I had together. Of course I am sad that our time in retirement was so short. But I know that Ken chose to live his life exactly as he wanted. And it was some of his lifestyle choices that led to his earlier than necessary death.
This is a great time of year for everyone to stop and look back at the path they have walked. It is good to write down some of these facts, like how many cars you have owned, so that it is not lost for the future. If there is one thing that COVID has done, it is that families are together and have time to talk and share. Make good use of this time to tell these stories, to write them down. You will be so glad that you did. .
Jesus, thank you for always providing for our family. Holy Spirit, thank you for reminding me of these very important memories. Jesus help me to see your care and provision as I go forward without Ken. I am so grateful for this Advent season to think about and prepare for your coming to us.
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