I married young. While attending college I met, fell in love and married a wonderful man. I left the only home I had ever known and moved half way across country to the place he had grown up. Life was adventurous for me with many new things to learn and see and experience. Tom had graduated, and had a job. I was continuing with my education. One day he came to the college to pick me up. He was driving an old Model T Ford truck. I knew about this old car that he had had since he was fourteen and had seen it in his parents garage but never did I think for a million years that he would take the thing out of his parents garage and actually show up in front of so many people and offer me a ride home. Why did he have to embarrass me this way? Why couldn't he have just come to pick me up as usual in our cute little 1966 Mustang convertible? And so began my introduction to Antique Automobiles.

We moved around quite a bit in the early days. Tom would go back to college, then get a job in another part of the country then go back to college again and get another job in yet another part of the country. When the movers would show up they would look in amazement at this Model T wondering how in the world they were going to estimate it's weight for the move. I was getting good and got to know from the look on their faces what they were thinking-2500 pounds I would rattle off.

For years the Model T was just always there. It collected dust in every garage. Tom would not consider selling it-he wanted to leave it for his children or perhaps someday he might start it up again. There was one brief period when he did purchase a 1929 Dodge but another move was in the cards and there was no way we could transport two antique autos. He kept the "T", clinging to his childhood and I had resigned myself to the "old thing" just always being around.

Years past and the day he sold the Model T was a sad one for both of us but he had a "new love"-a 1921 Dodge Brothers Touring car and I still had no garage space for my car-you know the "modern" car I drove everyday to work and grocery shopping! He had renewed his interest in Antique Autos and worked diligently on the Dodge. It was fun and I was older and not "embarrassed" to be seen in it. Then one day I turned around and he had purchased a 1926 Cadillac and we were now missing two garage spaces! This just could not go on-there was no more room anywhere. So the Dodge was sold to make room for his next car-a 1916 Cadillac. No w we were a two Cadillac family and I thought all was good in the world. My husband had a great hobby he loved, was making new friends in the "antique Cadillac circles", and seemed content and settled.

YEAH RIGHT!! I started hearing "rumblings" about a steam car. I thought he just needed time to come to his senses. I should have known better. The 1926 Cadillac was sold to make room for a Stanley Steamer. It was a quiet winter the winter we bought the Stanley. Since it was too cold to start it the Steamer just sat in the garage and Tom was always reading the steamer manual. He found new friends at the SACA-NE chapter. E-mails and phone calls were many with all the questions he had about this totally "different" car.

The day finally came-the day Tom and Walter Winship "steamed up" our car for the first time. It was an amazing day. The time, the work, and the love that went into that car on that one day set the tone for what was to come. The car hasn't always been easy. It hasn't always been fun. Problems abound-the Stanley is always there wanting and needing just a "tweak" of this or that to make it run but it is always giving back full measure in enjoyment and satisfaction of a beautiful machine from a simpler time.

Looking back I shall always remember cleaning my sink and looking out at that "steam cloud". It was a wonderful thing. Now I'll be all right just as long as Tom doesn't decide to get a steam train!!!!!!!! But who knows what the future holds!