50 Years and still making memories continued

                                                                                                                                                                      While we were at the Cape, we booked a dinner/train ride in Hyannis. We appreciated the special treatment!

The ticket taker (it was bumpy to get clear pictures!) punched my ticket in heart-shaped. 

After a delicious dinner and a yummy hot apple dessert, we were given champagne (first alcohol we have literally had in years), applauded by everyone in the train car and serenaded by saxophone.

We had to smile at the memory the little bottle of champagne brought back. When George proposed at the Chart House, he had them deliver a small bottle of champagne. 

Some photos from the ride:

Our 48th "Panniversary" or 48 years of standing the test of time in the kitchen and in marriage

 

This pot has been in use for 48 years. It’s part of a set of six, plus lids, that have lived with us from the day we were married. We bought a Saladmaster set at the Big E a little over a month before our wedding day. It was our first big purchase together.

We remember my parents reaction when they found out how much we spent on them. They obviously questioned our financial decision and perhaps worried about our future. The salesman’s presentation was just too convincing. Over the years, we have seen others in our circle of friends replace their pots and pans a number of times. We pat ourselves on the back for the purchase that has remained faithful all these years. It was a good investment after all.

Now there have been times when we have burnt things in the pot and really wondered if we were going to get it clean again. We scrubbed and soaked and scrubbed and soaked. Some have been difficult stains that took time and patience. Usually a baking soda paste does the trick and the set still remains in great condition, not exactly just like new, but in very good condition.

As I was scrubbing one of these pots recently, I was thinking that this pot represents our marriage. It was all shiny and new and without any scratches in the beginning. The handle was a bright black, not dull like now. We all start out our married lives, all shiny and new.

Over time, there have been situations where things have not gone well, and work has to be put into scrubbing and making things as close to new as possible. Sometimes it means soaking and scrubbing and more of the same. A loosened handle may have needed tightening, which was easily fixed. The quality and sturdiness of the pots (our relationship) has helped them to remain functioning and sometimes it amazes me how well they have stood the trials of time. Sometimes we feel it’s a lesson to others, “So there! We made it after all.” And other times, you can look at the pots and say, "Wow, they don’t look like they have been through anything, except for aging, they don’t look like they have been in use for 48 years."

Today we celebrate 48 years of using these pots and pans. 48 years of making delicious dishes and some not so good dishes. 48 years of service to our family and friends. 48 years of cleaning up messes, 48 years of being strong and faithful. Today we will probably not be using these dishes as we go out to celebrate our 48^th  wedding anniversary, but they will always remind us of our first purchase and as it turns out, symbolic purchase of our lives together. 

How we met

Forty-seven years ago on this day, January 31, 1975, I had

just gotten back from a 10 day or so, girls road trip to Michigan. A friend of mine wanted to go out that night and I didn't want to go. I tried to get out of it, but she guilted me into going, so I went begrudgingly. I really wanted to stay home. 

Our usual place was the Springtree Lounge in Torrington, CT. This was a nice place to listen to bands, dance and have a drink and possibly meet "someone." Back then people dressed business casual to go there. My memories are that it was a nicer, more upscale place, but I really didn't go to too many other places, so didn't have a lot to compare it with, but it was a hopping place back then. 70's music played from disco to CCR to Barry Manilow and other hits of the time. 

That particular night this guy came over because he knew someone at our table, but he chose me to ask to dance. I said, "Yes". Four months later I said, "yes" again when he asked the big question at the parking lot of the Chart House restaurant in Simsbury. I said, "I do" (actually, "I will") when we were married in Norfolk, CT and that afternoon when we started our married life, we danced to "Mandy" one of our favorite first songs that we danced to at the Springtree Lounge.

January 31, 1975: the anniversary of the day I stopped dating anyone else, the day we met, the day our lives became forever intertwined. And to think, I wanted to stay home. 

Shared with Your fForty-seven years ago on this day, I had just gotten back from a 10 day or so, girls road trip to Michigan. A friend of mine wanted to go out that night and I didn't want to go. I tried to get out of it, but she guilted me into going, so I went begrudgingly. I really wanted to stay home

Blanket Battles

Now here's a pause in our comings and goings for a little commentary. Yes, we have been married for 39 years and there has been necessary adapting--even when sleeping. First was the CPAP machine. It was like sleeping with Darth Vader with the heavy breathing. I could get used to that, but the air breathing out into my face was not so pleasant. I learned to turn over when he was facing me or put a pillow between us. Eventually a new CPAP was not as loud. We adapted.

Now somehow my husband has amnesia and has forgotten how to turn over politely in bed without taking all the blankets and sheets with him. And who puts their leg on top of the blanket cementing it in place? Why take the blankets if you are not going to use them? I wake up and grumpily, grit my teeth and with all my might, reclaim my fair share. It does get exasperating to go to bed wishing to get a restful sleep and to find myself in a war. 

I will admit it is not like that every night, but when we went away recently, we stayed at a very nice motel with the same size bed as at home. I found it to be comfortable and could have had a nice night's sleep. The next morning I asked my husband, "How did you sleep?" It was a trap question.

He replied, "Horrible" to which I surprised him, "I know!" He flipped and flopped and tossed and turned. His arm flung on me a couple of times and when I swear I was hanging on to a quarter of the bed at one point, I woke him to get him on his half. The top blankets were on the floor at the foot of the bed.

Of course, when someone is sleepy it is hard to argue the middle of the bed boundaries or equality of blanket coverage. The evidence is in the dark and hard to prove. I had my "ah ha!" moment recently.

One of the nights away, we stayed in a room with two queen beds. I was happy to opt for separate beds. I slept well. When we woke up the next morning, he said, "Did you sleep there? How did you do that?" Here are how our two beds looked upon waking up.

Here is the evidence. I slept in the bed which looks hardly slept in. George slept in the other one--the sheets are going every which way and the blanket is a mess--that's with just one person! I now have proof of what I have to put up with!

Now I do have to say that I am not the perfect sleeping partner. It's been rumored that I may sometimes snore. Much like the half of the bed boundary line, it's hard to prove to the snorer.

I hope this wasn't TMI for some of you. I feel vindicated. Today is our 39th wedding anniversary. Through good times and bad times, in sickness and health and blanket battles, I guess we got this under control.

34th Anniversary spent at the CT shore

 

Today for our 34th wedding anniversary, we got an early start (thanks to daylight savings time) and went to the ocean. On the way down we found a place to eat breakfast and I had an unusual french toast made with banana bread, pineapple and macadamia nuts. It was pretty good. We went to Hammonasset, Rocky Neck and rode around several other little beaches and seashore towns. Although cloudy all day, there were some pretty pastel shades in the sky. I was amazed with the sparsity of shells and rocks at Rocky Neck that I was still able to find a fine specimen of green sea glass (a hobby of mine to find it) and George, who is not so adapt at finding it, found a nice white piece--anniversary sea glass! There were two men with metal detectors and we joked that we should shout and pretend to find a diamond ring. Well, we did get our little treasures. The men didn't look so lucky, but then again, they were looking for bigger game and that takes time and patience.
We had lunch at a place that I shall not name. It was beautiful as far as location--right on the ocean and we had window seats of the boats going by. That was great. What continually amazes us, is we have yet to find a place on the Connecticut shore that has good fish and chip. It wasn't bad, but by the ocean, we want great. Oh, well.
Tonight we will burn our anniversary candle that was burning during our wedding. It was about 15" tall and the years are marked off to burn down each year which we have faithfully done. For some reason, although we still have nine inches left, they only marked off 25 years, so we just burn down a little each year--no longer watching the year melt away. I guess it's a feeling of accomplishment to have out lasted the candle's expectations--nowadays they could make them to come in 5 and 10 years, I'm sorry to say.
And so we start on year 35.

33 Years

Thirty-three years ago today, my life took a major turn in the road. Today is our wedding anniversary. For November 1st, it was a gorgeous day, a little breezy, but we were able to have our pictures taken outside without coats. And our honeymoon in the Poconos was in the 70's. It was an absolutely perfect start to this long journey.

We met on January 31, 1975. I had just come back from a long road trip and the girlfriend who I usually went out with on Friday nights had anxiously waited for me to return so that we could go out as usual. I really did not want to and tried to beg out of it, but she convinced me. The moral is sometimes it is good to do something you don't want to do.

I met George at the Springtree Lounge in Torrington. It was a dance club and it's really too bad that there aren't more of these around now. It was a little fancier, as I remember it. I don't remember people wearing blue jeans. I gave him my number that first night and on Sunday we went for a ride and to visit a friend of his.

After that we went out every weekend and never saw anyone else. In February near to the 22nd, I was asked out by another guy and I told him I was seeing someone. I can't believe he asked who. When I told him "George Washington" I'm sure he thought I was lying.

I knew from the beginning that there was something different about this guy. He stole my heart when he bought me a lilac bush knowing it was my favorite flower. That was in May and soon after that he proposed in the parking lot of the Chart House restaurant where we often went to their lounge upstairs.

In his proposal he was building up how hard it was having a name like George Washington and he asked if I had ever thought about changing my name. Duh! I said, "no". I missed the point, but then pretty quickly got it and said, "yes". We went in and I still have the little bottle that the champagne came in that we celebrated with that night at the Chart House.

In those days most people did not live together before getting married. We knew we wanted to be together for the rest of our lives and so, we did not want a long engagement. So nine months after we met, we were married.

I would not recommend such a short engagement, but it did work for us and I would never "test the waters" by living together. I don't feel God approves of that. It is true that we did not know each other completely and learned more through our marriage and we grew together. Of course it has not been all roses (or lilacs). We've been through as Dickens said, "the best of times and the worst of times".

I always tell newlyweds that a sense of humor is a key to the relationship. We love to laugh together. I remember the time we were having a silly little confrontation. He was upset that I bought creamy peanut butter when he likes crunchy. I had just finished cooking breakfast and he emphasized the point by saying, "I like everything crunchy, crunchy peanut butter, crunchy cookies," and then I took his plate and said, "Fine. Let me make your eggs crunchy." He burst out laughing and the tension was gone. I get it now. He likes crunchy peanut butter, but I like creamy. I think in life we are that way too--I like to smooth things over, let things go and he likes the crunchy road and although it's bumpy, fight for justice and his beliefs. We don't see eye to eye on everything, but we do on a lot and that helps our relationship.

When you don't see eye to eye, it is a hard thing to convince the other to your side and if you can't, you have to find a middle ground that is acceptable to both. George would say that he was always the one to give in, don't believe it. The hardest part was agreeing in areas of raising the kids. We came from quite opposite backgrounds (he was one of thirteen and I was an only child). Becoming a parent is an on-the-job training position. You make mistakes and you have regrets, but you do your best and above all love them. I remember when I had my kids of being so happy that a part of George and I would always live on.

Looking back, I also believe having the same morals is of utmost importance. This makes a firm foundation for your life together. We are born-again Christians and therefore, have conservative values. George is a man of integrity, honesty, hardworking, intelligent and best of all, loves to laugh and does so easily. He thinks I'm funny which works out well. I love to hear him laugh.

Creamy and crunchy, I'm a chocoholic and he doesn't care for it, only child and one of thirteen, and the list goes on. We have our individuality in our relationship yet share the same foundational beliefs and love which has seen us through 33 years and another 33, God willing.

Happy Anniversary, hubby! Love you!