I was looking for a picture to put on Facebook. My family puts up pictures of some old lady who is 50 pounds overwweight, has wrinkles, bags under and over her eyes and extra chins. I don't know who she is or where she came from. OH, wait, it's me! I still don't know when that happened. I really don't look that bad in the mirror, but pictures don't lie, do they?
I don't have a scanner, so I was going to take a picture of the picture my daughter always said looked like Hayley Mills in Parent Trap. I was probably 13 or 14. It was too much effort to go downstairs and look for the album, so I turned around and shot this one that was hanging on the wall over the sofa.
Weren't we hippie want-a-be's? It's hard to believe we thought we could afford to be married. Mike was just getting started in a construction business and it was barely paying for itself. There wasn't any salary. I bought him the suit from J.C. Penney's for about sixty dollars. He wore it for many years. I think he had wingtip shoes from high school. His granny's friend made my dress out of double knit. My shoes were black patent leather sandals with big platforms. The were in the dress up box until Marcy was in high school. We got married in his mom's house. I didn't realize for many years what an imposition that was. She had 3 kids probably 8 and under and had to clean and get ready for a houseful of guests. The pastor stood by the door in the front room and our family sat around on the furniture and extra chairs. They told us later that the cuckoo clock went off when we were saying our vows. I was so nervous that I didn't hear it.
We were 25 & 26. I didn't want to get married in the church. I think I was against every thing just on general principal. It's a good thing my in-laws tolerated me until I grew out of it. We drove a 1967 Chevy van for our second car and that was what we let our siblings decorate. Afterwards, we went home. I was so exhausted I felt sick. We went to Hawaii for our 10th wedding anniversary. That was when we could afford it and only because we had friends in the army there who let us stay with them and lent us a car.
It was a wonderful 27, nearly 28 years, I am so blessed that God looked after me and sent such a wonderful man to put up with me.
10 comments:
What a cute post. I love the picture and could have guessed the year! You were a handsome couple.
Love the picture-a very nice looking couple! I'm with you I still feel so young on the inside-sometimes I'm surprised when I look in the mirror.
I prefer simple weddings over the pomp of large ones. I think the couple's love is reflected more on their faces, or at least, it is easier to see because it is not plastered with things that scream, "look how much we can spend to show our love."
I think anyone 30 or over can identify with your post. In this country, we start to think we look old while we're still very young. It's fun to see your wedding photo. Mike always was a good looking guy, and I've always thought you were beautiful and still are. When you're 80 you'll look back at the photos of yourself taken in 2009 and realize how young you were and wish you could be that young again!
Wonderful picture! It sounds like you had a really great 27 years also! We have to be thankful for every year..and every wrinkle and extra pound too.. I guess... I am not real thankful for my wrinkles..but I guess I earned them:)
Hey, I had those same platform shoes and double knit A-line dress. How did we even walk in those shoes? Thanks for sharing the picture and the wonderful memories.
My sister Mildred sent me to view your blog and I'm so glad she did.
Karen
That was a very sweet post; and you still looked like Hayley Mills!
What a wistful time warp...
When I look at the pictures of us skinny kids and our baby faces look to me like unhatched eggs.
The "imposition" of hosting a wedding is The Way It Used To Be, don't you think? Until a decade later, nobody thought you needed a gazillion dollars to make sincere promises to each other in the presence of witnesses.
We couldn't afford to get married either when we did. And I bought my groom's suit too because I had the money and he didn't. When, in a weak moment, I bemoaned the fact that I didn't have the big white dress and the big fancy reception, my husband-to-be, wise for his years, told me:
It's the marriage that matters, not the wedding.
I was looking at some pictures of me about 20 years ago and my husband said, "boy you sure don't look like that anymore" Men!!
I think you looked like Hayley Mills too. I always thought she was so cute. Do you remember her in the movie -Where Angels go trouble follows? One of my favorite movies of all time.
Have a great weekend.
Pam
Mary, this is a wonderful blog. So much that I didn't know. Isn't it interesting how love can blind us? But through all the hard times, you and Mike's love endured and blossomed. I know you miss him terribly.
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