Love + Dating
Published on January 22, 2018
Comments 79

Me Monday: The big reveal, for our one year anniversary

written by
Over 50 new romance blossoming after online dating in Australia

I love this hand drawn image of me after our first date #handdrawn #over50 #comics #backyardcomics #australia #queerlove @boneAndsilver

So, regular folk round here know I’ve been dating ‘H’ for a while, with both of us shuttling back and forth between Melbourne and home (near Byron Bay, Australia) once a month.

We chanced across each other online, then spent three months emailing or texting, plus exchanging stories and hand drawn comics; we never spoke on the phone.

Finally, we met at noon outside Flinders St train station, an iconic Melbourne landmark.

And the rest, as they say, ladies and gentlemen, is Herstory. If you’re really keen, you could revisit or explore these past posts:

Episode 2: ‘Yes Lets’

Episode 4: Multiple choice

Episode 8: Best thirty bucks I ever spent

We’ve just had our one year anniversary, where we recreated our first date exactly, meeting at the train station, going for Japanese lunch, wandering the streets of downtown Melbourne, then returning to the dusty second hand bookshop where we had our first shy kiss.

So cute.

And we agreed it was time for the big reveal, so here we are, standing at Flinders twelve months later, totally in love.

Losing love over 50 is not easy, but I will survive

Privacy and respect are very important #love #lettinggo

Over the course of a year, we’ve managed to see each other 12 times, for about a week each time (thankfully, I travel for work as a performing street theatre and stilts artist, so some of that travel expense has been paid for), or I’ve been able to treat H to a complimentary festival ticket so that we can hang out together when I’m not covered in make up, sweat, and an outrageous costume.

We also text daily, and now talk too, sometimes with dress up Skype dates, or Facetime.

I can honestly say I’ve never met anyone with whom I can be more ‘myself’, and that’s partly simply because of who ‘H’ is, as a sweet, complex, fluid creature whom I have no interest in putting a binary gender to.

We match on a wide variety of levels, and that includes creatively, which got us into this situation in the first place. I love H’s drawings/comics, and H loves my stories; it was an old-fashioned courtship but using the web.

Losing love over 50 is not easy, but I will survive

Privacy and respect are very important #love #lettinggo

We’ve misunderstood each other, sulked, fought, apologised, made up, laughed, longed for, and sat silently together on the end of a phone line, while washing dishes or sunset walking. We’ve had some lovely real life adventures, met each other’s friends, and are now getting close to meeting family members (Xmas didn’t seem like a good time, Grinch that I am).

H made me the most wonderful book for my 51st birthday, remember that HERE, while I flew down for H’s 51st, where we dressed up and went out to dinner with friends.

So we wanted to share this first anniversary with you, as some of you have watched this romance unfold from the beginning, and me getting more serious about this blog was part of the creative inspiration I got from H.

THANK YOU All.

In gratitude for Love, G xO

EPILOGUE: If you’re coming across this post after March 2018, sadly it’s all changed, and you can read this to get updated: The 2nd heavy rock in my heart: no more long distance relationship

 

79 Comments

  1. S_MW says

    I’m so excited to see a photo of you two together. You’re both so beautiful. Congratulations on your Anniversary. I’m so happy for you both xxx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. heartbreathing says

    Congratulations to both of you! A wonderful inspiration. I want to thank you for the way you share this love so openly and to H not only for being H but also for supporting and enriching your life in so many ways.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • bone&silver says

      Thank you A!! I didn’t yet respond to your private email because I knew this post was coming… 🎉😘
      You’re very right: H enriches me deeply, & vice versa, which gives us both courage to create & share ourselves with the world. We are very lucky, & a little bit brave too. Lots of love to you, G 🌈🌈🌈
      ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
    • bone&silver says

      Thanks Julie; I wouldn’t quite say ‘partner’ yet, as it’s only been a year of dating (and we’re both notoriously cautious about that word/concept!), but yes, I’m glad you enjoyed the pics, and I do hope we have more anniversaries… thank you so much for the good wishes xO

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  13. gigglingfattie says

    Oh my goodness, you two are ADORABLE! ❤ Happy anniversary to you and H! And here's to many more *clinks glasses with herself because she's in her room alone but you know what I mean*

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • bone&silver says

      Thanks T! I agree, we are pretty adorable *blushes a little
      *clinks glasses in a cyberspace manner (although it IS 10am here so I really shouldn’t be drinking incredibly expensive champagne with you but what the hell) !! xx

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  17. ForgivingConnects says

    OMG!!! Gabrielle this is really awesome. Thank you for sharing your one-year anniversary with us. LOVE that H stands for Handsome. You are so cool. Sending lots of love and Light to you both. 🙂
    Debbie
    ps – feel free to contribute this to ForgivingFridays if you want to. Such a shining example of the caring, honesty, and acceptance of intimacy. (And I understand if you don’t want to – no worries ❤ )

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  18. floweringink says

    Yours is an old fashioned love story and I am madly happy for you both. Your love bounds off the page, and honestly had me a bit teary. I love love and I love that you are so happy. Happy Anniversary!!!!!!!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • bone&silver says

      Goodness Ink, I’m so happy you’re so happy! You’re quite new round here on my blog, so it’s been unfolding for the last year (not always smoothly), but so far so good. And yes, the love is indeed deep and real, thank you for feeling it, and sharing your reactions. Blessings, G xO

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
    • bone&silver says

      Thank you Widds; yeah, we’re pretty chuffed to be together right now, that’s for sure. It can take a while to find the person whose energetic shape fits yours, and now we’re just enjoying the ride, for however long it may last : ) G xO

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  22. Matt Berger says

    Mazel Tov!! You both radiate joy.

    Every day you teach me to live more in the moment–the single greatest skill required for a long-distance relationship.

    Actually, maybe one of the key life skills, period. (So un-American, though, as we Yanks are bombarded by messages telling us to strive more, never be satisfied, never slow down. To which I say…well, something very rude.)

    Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • bone&silver says

      Hey thanks Manja Mexi- we do feel very lucky to have found ourselves together, and yes, the love is all around. Thank you for reading and commenting, and welcome, G : )

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  35. desertdates says

    I can’t believe I just stumbled across this – so much to catch up on! Also – congrats! This is the place that so many of us hope to reach through our online dating adventures

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s