Julie Rogers: 0:06

No one ever said life is easy, but I believe by giving yourself permission, you will find you have more control over your life than you realize. I'm Julie. I hope you will join me by taking responsibility for yourself, by only controlling the things you can and letting go of the things that you can't. By doing this, you will have discovered the secret to having happy, healthy and more fulfilling relationships. This is Nearest And Dearest Podcast. I'm Julie Rogers and you are listening to Season 3, episode 5, See You Again.

Julie Rogers: 0:47

I am back home at my all-time favorite place in the world, the mighty St Lawrence River in Northern New York. I have been enjoying getting reacquainted with the blue water, blue skies, fluffy white clouds that are so big that you feel you can reach out and touch them, green grass, the trees that have bloomed with their various shades and the springtime flowers that welcomed Woody and I back home. I love watching the hens with their ducklings on their backs floating around the river, their mother protecting them until they quickly zoom off their little webbed feet moving so fast, practicing their swimming while looking for something to eat. Canadian geese, blue herons and seagulls are part of our everyday viewing pleasures. Aside from the poo messes the birds make. I enjoy watching nature in their habitat. Hearing the robins singing early in the morning helps me start my day in a cheery way. Even listening to the crickets and frogs at night, with a fresh breeze blowing in from our windows, allows me to doze off more peacefully. It usually takes Woody and I a couple of weeks to get our home in order. I just planted some annual flowers to brighten up our decks. Woody pulls the boat out of the barn and gets it ready for the summer. Sean came for a visit this past Memorial weekend. He is the first to come to the river this year. He visits with friends he has from back in his high school days while he's here, it's great seeing him reconnect. Okay, here we go.

Julie Rogers: 2:38

My 40th high school reunion is this summer. That's a big number, to say out loud. I didn't graduate with those kids I went to school with in New York in 1984 because my mom moved me and my younger sister back in the summer of 1983 to Connecticut, which was my senior year that fall. I haven't seen my classmates and friends since then. Through Woody's encouragement, we are going to Watertown New York's reunion in July. I reached out to a friend, Michele, who shared the reunion on classmates. com. We reminisced about our school years since elementary. She said it was no problem for me to go because I wasn't sure if it was appropriate since I really didn't graduate with everybody, but it will be so much fun seeing familiar faces and chatting about our memories. I've already looked up 1984's yearbook from the archives through the local library online and I also just realized a connection.

Julie Rogers: 3:52

My oldest grandson, Henry, graduates high school this year. We are driving down to Connecticut in less than two weeks to see his big accomplishment. And here's the thing, what a coincidence that it was 40 years ago when I graduated high school. How crazy is that?! Part of coming back home to New York this year is the reality that my youngest sister, JoJo, and our very good friend Jolene are not here with us. It has been two years since JoJo passed this month and it will be two years since Jolene passed this coming September. They both are gone way too soon. I miss them every day. I keep their spirit alive through photos, conversations of past family get-togethers, seeing their family and feeling blessed to have had them in my life. I know I'll see them again, even hearing certain songs that pop out of nowhere instantly connects me. So I was looking for an old email address

Julie Rogers: 5:07

the other day. I was in the sent section in my Yahoo mail account. I've kept some emails from way back that I have never deleted. I came upon the very first emails I ever sent Woody, along with some of his replies. It was fun reading through all of them again. It reminded me how much of an impact he left on my heart when we first met. I sent them soon after he left to go back home to Georgia.

Julie Rogers: 5:38

It was the summer of 2012. I'll never forget the day he was leaving. We spent almost every day and night together during those three weeks he was visiting. He gave me a big hug and he said I will see you again. Do you know the song I Will See you Again by Carrie Underwood? When that song came out in the spring of 2013, I couldn't help but feel connected to it. I instantly remembered Woody speaking those words to me the summer before. He didn't break his promise. We saw each other twice, once in Atlanta, Georgia, that November, and the other in Hartford, Connecticut, by January of 2013. By spring of 2013, we were making plans to meet in Cozumel, Mexico. I'd never been to Mexico and I was excited to see Woody there. It was there where we both said I love you for the very first time, and I was ready to show my commitment by moving down to Georgia later that early Fall.

Julie Rogers: 7:00

My family had a get-together cookout at my sister Jill's home this past weekend. It was great seeing more of my family since we came back to New York, Sean doesn't always get a chance to see all of them in one place, so it was nice that Jill made that happen. As Memorial Weekend was winding down, I've been thinking about the men and women who gave their lives for our American freedoms. It is the ultimate sacrifice. I have family members who have served in the armed forces and I am forever grateful when they came back home. I have a nephew currently who is in the Army. Raul just came back home from a month-long training session. He is stationed at Fort Drum, New York.

Julie Rogers: 7:54

We proudly display the American flag off of our deck here on the River. The other night, Woody started a small fire in our fire pit just as the sun was going down. I finally got to roast marshmallows with Sean and enjoyed the yumminess of s'mores, sticky fingers included. The three of us were relaxing, listening to the waves clap against the seawall, especially after a motorboat glides by, hearing the laughter of our neighbors playing basketball, the chirping of the birds and insects, and simply just being peaceful. As we were ready to go inside for a game of Yahtzee, I couldn't help but notice how the flag looked, with the solar light beneath it glowing as the evening sky was getting darker. It has always been there. Perhaps it's just me feeling sentimental and patriotic, but I took a photo of it with the embers of the fire still glowing, with their red sparks in the background.

Julie Rogers: 9:07

Let's not forget all the fallen soldiers who fought valiantly for our freedoms. We will always owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be paid back. Never take our freedoms for granted. Show your family members, friends, neighbors and the community you live in, who choose to serve our country in any of the armed forces the utmost respect. Without them, our freedoms could be taken away. Thank you for listening. Stay tuned for another special episode about the Carleton Island Villa. This huge renovation project that Ron Clapp has committed to is still moving forward. I'm excited to sit down with him very soon and discuss the newest updates and the vision he sees for the future of this once magnificent historical piece of history.

Julie Rogers: 10:13

I'm going to re-release the three original episodes from that special series titled Carleton Island Past And Present. The first episode Carleton Island Past And Present - The Old Fort, I share the perspective from James H Durham who wrote the book The Old Fort back in 1889. It is his take on the history that happened during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. The second episode is Carleton Island Past and Present -T he Wyckoff Villa. In this episode I share the history of the first architectural masterpiece in the Thousand Islands of New York that was built during the Gilded Age. It is the story of how William Osmond Wyckoff, an immigrant who came to New York to become a successful businessman from very humble beginnings. It is a testament to working hard to achieve the American dream.

Julie Rogers: 11:20

The third episode is Carleton Island Past And Present - Renovation Of The Villa. This was my first sit-down interview ever that I had with Ron and Janaina inside the Villa, where the Grand Library once was. It was an incredible opportunity for not just me but for Woody as well, who came along with us. We were able to have a personal tour of this famous piece of history. Just walking the grounds was surreal for us. You will get a sense of determination, commitment and passion that Ron and Janaina have with this huge undertaking. As you can imagine, a renovation project of this magnitude requires patience, perseverance, compromise and faith.

Julie Rogers: 12:18

Please share any of these special series episodes with anyone you know who is a history buff and supports restoring and renovating landmarks that are vital to preserve our history. It's not just for the present generations but, even more importantly, our future generations to come. The views and opinions expressed by Nearest And Dearest Podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Nearest And Dearest Podcast. Any content provided by Julie Rogers or any other authors are of their opinion. They are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything. Thank you.