Abbie and Andrew prom 09, MS Walk ,May 2nd 2009 over 50 walked for Rita, go to site to see video, Rita and Family at Lake in Nebraskahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm2KJdWRqf4
Wow its hard without My Rita, I've been just listening to her sweet voice, watching home movies and reading our old letters. It sucks because I know she not here, but relaxing in Heaven, No Pain, No worries, and lots of energy, especially talking. That doesn't seem to help me though, Only Time will Heal My Broken Heart, I'm Lost without her, Rita was my Everything! Words of Advice, If anything is upsetting you about Your Spouse, Just try and Live without them for 1 Day and you'll never stay Mad again, because it’s not worth the pain of Losing Someone as Special as Rita. I just Hope I lived up to Her Expectations of me. Rita kept saying to everyone No Regrets, Well I have Plenty, because If I Knew I was going to Lose Rita I would of Done Allot More for Her. So if you’re reading this, Just live Each Day with Each Other as if it were Your Last and it will Change Everything.
OK where was I? So we get on I-40 out of North Carolina and head straight for South Dakota with Rita, 9 month old Alicia and a 24 ft extremely full U-HAUL, car in tow with 2 dogs in it that like to stand on the steering wheel and honk the horn, we got some pretty good laughs with them, as people passed us. We had one pit stop in Onawa Iowa, Rita’s stomping grounds with all the cousins as she was growing up. We visited with her Grandma Delashmutt and her Favorite Aunt Claire. As we were leaving Claire’s husband Jim notice our trailer hitch holding the car was loose so I went to fixing it when the Schwan’s Man drove up. I can still hear Claire asking him if they were hiring and he said they are always looking for good people to hiring. I didn’t think much of it since I hated door to door salesman, because they were very pushy in NC and when you only make $500 a month, when we 1st got married and when I left the Marines was making $1250, that doesn’t leave much for extras. Rita did say we always had enough for a 12 pack each payday as long as I bought her a 6 pack of Coke. We moved in with her parents, which lasted about a month and then we moved in with her sister Rhonda and Eric. I applied everywhere they had openings for Police officers and didn’t get 1 bite, so I started at a farm outside of Sioux Falls making $8 an hour, it helped but I was going nowhere fast, so we decided I would go to the oil fields out West if I couldn’t get a real job soon. As I was looking at my resume and I notice the Schwan’s Flyer and decided to check them out. I interviewed with the 1 and only Al Bussman , Juanita’s husband. I felt the interview went well, but Al wanted me to go to Faulkton SD to ride on 2 different route systems, Schwan’s and Tony’s Pizza. Only 1 problem we were out of money from Rita and Alicia getting sick and going to the doctor. Which back then, they wanted cash before they would see you if you didn’t have insurance. So I headed to Faulkton with enough cash for gas, but had to eat MRE’s (meals ready to eat, from Marine Corp) and it was an overnight so I brought a blanket and was going to sleep in the car till the driver offered to pay for my room. Well I really like the retail side of Schwan’s as all the customers treated you like family and everyone was so excited when you showed up. It was long hours, but the pay and the benefits made it a Fantastic Career. When I check back in with Al he wanted to meet Rita and I together. Rita asked why do they want to interview me, I don’t know but you better look good so Al doesn’t see all my faults. Just kidding. Rita was the perfect Schwan’s Wife as she was Very Supportive, independent, Loving, Caring and would always put others 1st, especially me. I think we got hired after he met Rita and we went out for a beer afterwards to celebrate, I just remember how good she looked and how she talked me up in front of Al and that made me Very Proud to be Her Husband. That’s all for now, I’ve had a tough go since May 6th and this Saturday would have been 29 years. Love Ya All Mike Rita and Family OH Abbie had Prom and Graduates May 30th and its her 18th Birthday Too
OK where was I? So we get on I-40 out of North Carolina and head straight for South Dakota with Rita, 9 month old Alicia and a 24 ft extremely full U-HAUL, car in tow with 2 dogs in it that like to stand on the steering wheel and honk the horn, we got some pretty good laughs with them, as people passed us. We had one pit stop in Onawa Iowa, Rita’s stomping grounds with all the cousins as she was growing up. We visited with her Grandma Delashmutt and her Favorite Aunt Claire. As we were leaving Claire’s husband Jim notice our trailer hitch holding the car was loose so I went to fixing it when the Schwan’s Man drove up. I can still hear Claire asking him if they were hiring and he said they are always looking for good people to hiring. I didn’t think much of it since I hated door to door salesman, because they were very pushy in NC and when you only make $500 a month, when we 1st got married and when I left the Marines was making $1250, that doesn’t leave much for extras. Rita did say we always had enough for a 12 pack each payday as long as I bought her a 6 pack of Coke. We moved in with her parents, which lasted about a month and then we moved in with her sister Rhonda and Eric. I applied everywhere they had openings for Police officers and didn’t get 1 bite, so I started at a farm outside of Sioux Falls making $8 an hour, it helped but I was going nowhere fast, so we decided I would go to the oil fields out West if I couldn’t get a real job soon. As I was looking at my resume and I notice the Schwan’s Flyer and decided to check them out. I interviewed with the 1 and only Al Bussman , Juanita’s husband. I felt the interview went well, but Al wanted me to go to Faulkton SD to ride on 2 different route systems, Schwan’s and Tony’s Pizza. Only 1 problem we were out of money from Rita and Alicia getting sick and going to the doctor. Which back then, they wanted cash before they would see you if you didn’t have insurance. So I headed to Faulkton with enough cash for gas, but had to eat MRE’s (meals ready to eat, from Marine Corp) and it was an overnight so I brought a blanket and was going to sleep in the car till the driver offered to pay for my room. Well I really like the retail side of Schwan’s as all the customers treated you like family and everyone was so excited when you showed up. It was long hours, but the pay and the benefits made it a Fantastic Career. When I check back in with Al he wanted to meet Rita and I together. Rita asked why do they want to interview me, I don’t know but you better look good so Al doesn’t see all my faults. Just kidding. Rita was the perfect Schwan’s Wife as she was Very Supportive, independent, Loving, Caring and would always put others 1st, especially me. I think we got hired after he met Rita and we went out for a beer afterwards to celebrate, I just remember how good she looked and how she talked me up in front of Al and that made me Very Proud to be Her Husband. That’s all for now, I’ve had a tough go since May 6th and this Saturday would have been 29 years. Love Ya All Mike Rita and Family OH Abbie had Prom and Graduates May 30th and its her 18th Birthday Too
4 comments:
Hi Mike,
You can tell you loved Rita so very much. She loved you too.
Thanks for showing more pictures. Rita is always smiling!
We will be thinking of you this weekend and also Abbie as she graduates soon and turns 18.
You are in our prayers daily.
All my love, Ronda W.
Hi Mike,
Tim and I just read your last post together. Well, I want you to know that we do hold each other tighter, cherish each other more, love each other just the way we are, so thank you for that. We pray for you and are thinking about you especially today. We love and miss you. Margaret
Happy Anniversary Mike,
We love your stories!!!!! I hope you just keep right on writing 29 years worth of memories. You are a good writer and your memories are precious. You touch my heart with how humble your beginnings were. Al and I had some very humble beginnings too, and I have to say that our BEST memories and our funniest memories come from the days when we had very little. Life is such an adventure when one is young. I guess we were all just so naive about how things were going to turn out. We just assumed everything would be o.k., and miraculously, most times, they were.
We think the world of you, Mike. We have always seen your value to this world as an upstanding human being of great character. We continue to see this wonderful trait even now as we read what is on your heart. Not only can you BE a character in your fun loving ways.....you also HAVE great character in how you live your life. We are sure that in these very early days without Rita, you must feel like a boat without an anchor in the middle of a tumultuous ocean, just being tossed about in the waves of your emotions. It must feel like a lot of bobbing about and no land in sight. But, hang in there.....life has a way of working things out.... maybe not exactly as we would have liked them to be, but in a way that helps us to eventually move forward. In the meantime, this reminiscing is going to be enormously healing for you. We encourage you to write, write, and write some more. You have many people out here who love your stories and love to hear them. It makes us feel close to both you and Rita.
I will sign off by repeating that old saying..... "it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all". Just think of all you would have missed in life had you never met Rita. You have many, many wonderful memories, and I encourage you to keep this blog so that someday you can go back and read what you have written. It will be a real gift to yourself and also to your children as you recant stories of your life with Rita.
You are a good man. We are SO sorry you don't have Rita at your side anymore, in the way you had become accustomed to in the 29 years you were married. We are also sure that you miss her tremendously. Our feeling is that while she is not there with you in the physical sense, she IS there with you in the spiritual sense, and she would be SO proud of you right now in how you are helping your children adjust through this tough time. We are also certain that she can feel your love and is drawn to it.
Thanks so much for sharing the photos with us. They are just beautiful. You must be so proud of your children. Abby is adorable.
Off to bed now.....tomorrow will be here before I know it.
Love and hugs,
Juanita and Big Al
Hey Mike,
It was WONDERFUL to talk to you last night. You are such an awesome person, and to repeat what we told you last night, we see your daily actions as a gift to your children as you unknowingly demonstrate to them the tremendous love you feel for their mother. It has been said that the best thing one can do for ones children is to have deep love and affection for their Mother (or Father). Your children are so fortunate to have you as an example of what genuine love really looks like.
We know you are leaving for the cabin tomorrow and we send along with you our love and prayers. Say hello to Rita from us. How nice that you can spend some time alone there in the cabin that you and Rita always dreamed about, and to be surrounded by the many memories you created there together. Take the time to remember how you planned for and created this very special mountain space. We are sure Rita would be happy to know that you continue to love this place as much as you do.
We continue to pray for you.
Love, Al and Juanita
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