Early into the year of 2003, June was entering the 6^th year since she was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in January 1998. This was a year in which June’s condition deteriorated rapidly as Alzheimer’s began to take more and more control of her life.

 In March of 2003, June purchased a little booklet for me as a gift. June frequently would buy me little gifts from time to time with out any special occasion prompting such gift. I looked at them all as love gifts.

The little booklet that she bought for me was titled “To My Very Special Husband.”  “To Give and To Keep.” On the back cover the contents are described as: “a collection of some of the kindest and warmest things that have been written about men.” The title page states: “Keep this little book somewhere ordinary, where your eyes may fall on it a dozen times a day. So that, wherever I am, you will be reminded of me – and of how much I love you.”

 Inside the cover was a place to enter the name of the person receiving the gift, the name of the person giving the gift and the date of the gift. When I received this gift from June on March 15^th, 2003 she had not filled in this gift information in the spaces provided. Because of the significance of this gift and of the timing of the gift, I requested that she complete the filling in of the gift information. She did so very carefully and slowly because of her Alzheimer’s handicap. Even so, we had to white out an error she had made in the year of the gift.  June was then able to correctly enter the proper year. It was only two years later, almost to the day, that June was placed in the care of an Alzheimer's facility. (March 16th, 2005.)

Almost immediately after giving me the little booklet, June presented me with a cute little "I Love You" frog, book page marker.

This little booklet gift remains on the night stand next to our bed. I see it at least a few times every day and read it often. .As this is my last gift from June, it is one of my most treasured and valued possessions. The little frog book marker is kept by the little booklet, also as a treasured possession.

(Below is a photo of the cover of this little book and also of the inside page that shows the gift details and the date in June’s handwriting.)

                                                 (Below is the "I Love You" Frog book page marker.) 

                                                                                     (Photo by Bill Peterson.)