In July of 1994, Chuck ended an off and on twelve year relationship. Shortly after that he discovered a wonderful place on the Net, the Penpal list. It was full of mature people his own age, mostly teachers, and many of them were witty, flirty, self confident women.

Chuck began to participate in the list and write several of the women directly. One in particular, named Linda, caught his eye. In truth, she wrote him directly first, to comment on an e mail he had sent to the list. Soon they were exchanging frequent e mails, then phone calls that got longer and longer.

Chuck and Linda exchanged video tapes showing their current lives, his in tiny Alfred, NY, and hers in College Station, TX. Chuck was invited to visit and he flew down to see Linda in November 1994, three months after they first had written each other e mail.

Chuck discovered a beautiful, well built, intelligent, self assured red head, and he knew that after 40 years of living he had found his mate for life. Two days into the visit he proposed and she accepted immediately.

Texas and Alfred, NY are 1700 miles apart. The next few months were filled with multiple emails daily, long telephone calls at night, and tons of Hallmark greeting cards.

Linda came up to visit at Christmas of that year, and again in March of 1995. In July of 1995, she came up again. They went to Chuck’s brother’s wedding on 7/14, and were married in the Alfred village park on July 16.

It was a small ceremony, all volunteer firefighters, and the reception was at the The Alfred Station Volunteer Fire Department. Linda never could have imagined being driven around the town in a parade of fire vehicles with lights on and sirens and horns sounding.

Linda flew back to Texas the next day, to sell her house and finish packing. At the end of July, 1995, in a big U Haul, they moved to New York State.