A ROOSTER WITH A STORY

It is time for Sheila's (at Note Songs) rooster and chicken party. I don't have a flock of roosters in my house, but I do have one. And, there is a little story that goes with it - you know how Sheila loves a story.

My mother was raised during the hard times of The Depression on her grandparent's farm - you know - lots of hard work and no money. One of her jobs as a child was to kill and dress chickens for dinner. She hated it, and vowed that she would never, NEVER marry a farmer. Well, guess what, she married a farmer; but made my father promise that they would never have chickens. He kept his word.

But, mother must have missed the chickens; because our everyday dishes were decorated with chickens; she had tea towels with chickens on them; and she had a whole flock of these Royal Copley roosters and hens parading around the kitchen. Plus, every Sunday she could fry up the best chicken and gravy dinner imaginable.

See that piece of old wood in front of my rooster. On a recent trip to my great-grandparent's homestead, I picked up that piece from my mother's old childhood workplace - the chicken coop.

I am constantly reminded with warm feelings of my mother, her kitchen, and her chickens.

In addition to Sheila's Tuesday Rooster & Chicken party, I'm joining the following parties this week:

A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

Very Merry Vintage Style for Share the Love Wednesday

No Minimalist Here for Thursday's Open House Party

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

White Ironstone Cottage for Treasure Chest Friday

Be sure to check out these blogs for a plethora of inspiration.

THIS AND THAT PLUS CATS

Yesterday, we took a day trip to northern Colorado to see our son, Mike. We hadn't been to his house for a long time; as usually when we go to see him, we meet him part way in Denver (1 hour for him and 2 hours for us). But, this time we needed to go meet our new grand-kitties. At four months, they are energetic, inquisitive, and just plain cute. They are litter-brothers, and great company for each other. They very patiently sat for their 'official' four-month portraits.

First meet Virgil:


And this is Statius:

After playing with the kittens, we headed to Denver. Mike was the "Teacher of the Year" at the high school where he teaches, and was the recipient of generous gift card to The Olive Garden. He wanted to share it with us, so we had a nice lunch. Thanks, Wiggins School Student Council; and congratulations to Mike, always OUR teacher of the year.

We then headed to the Armadillo Antique Mall to peruse the goodies for a couple of hours. I didn't buy a thing; but I did not come home empty handed. About 8 years ago, we had bought a big box of unopened apothecary jars at an estate sale. We kept one, but gave the remainder to Mike. As a scientist teacher, he was interested in the labels showing the compounds contained in the pills.

Recently I've been enthralled with apothecary jars, so I asked him if I could have a couple more jars. Of course, he said yes -- what else would he say to his Mother?

The Luyties Pharmacy Company was founded by Herman C. G. Luyties (1833-1896), a physician and pharmacist; and at one time, was the largest homeopathic pharmacy in the world.

And finally, when we got home, the view of the mountains was so beautiful out of our bedroom window, that I thought I would try my hand at blue-hour photography. I probably would have achieved more blue if I had waited another 15 minutes.

The end of a good day!!

IT'S HOT OUT THERE

It's so hot out there that I'm dreaming of a nice cold, winter day when the river is beginning to freeze over. Tell me it won't be long!


It's too hot to even blog. See you in a week or so.

SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS!!

Some random thoughts about the state of affairs at the Salmagundi House the day after Christmas.

1. Christmas Day is over; my house is a mess!

2. The refrigerator is filled to the brim with leftovers. For some reason, this makes my normally-organized self uneasy! Leftovers are probably a good thing today, however. After spending a ton of money at the grocery store and enduring a 12-hour cooking marathon, I'm not too anxious to return to the kitchen. Let the masses feed themselves!

3. The ornaments on the tree are starting to look dusty! Time to take everything down, pack away until next year, and reclaim the house.

4. Our house revolves on a school-dominated schedule even though we are retired, empty nesters. For the remaining 10 days of vacation, Bob will not be arising at 6:00 am to be ready for a call to go substitute teach. Our single son, the high school science teacher, is visiting for a few days until he's had enough of togetherness and decides to go back to his home and school. And, of course, the grand children are out of school for the next 10 days. When things get boring at home, they will call regularly to see if they can come hang out here with Uncle Mike! I cherish my solitude, so Jan. 5th will be welcomed!!

5. There's talk about a quick day trip out of town to do something fun. Where and when hasn't been decided. I, of course, would love some retail therapy - don't think the men are too thrilled with that. The Colorado weather may be the determining factor.

6. My blog-brain is dead! After all of the wonderful posts by everyone during the month of December, what do we post about in January? Even my camera needs recharged - I took over 500 pictures the month of December!

7. Optimism prevails! We are thankful for our joyous Christmas celebration; but now look forward to the New Year. A new beginning, new experiences; and as usual, drawers and closets to clean and organize. We love this time of the year!

Everything will be back to normal in a few days, I am sure. I'll return then. Hope your Christmas was as great as ours!

Sally

GINGERBREAD BOYS AND GIRLS, AWARDS AND TAGS

It's time to make gingerbread boys and girls at Grammy's house.

We're getting the hang of it!
The flour is flying now!

It's time to frost, and that means lick your fingers!!


The boys need eyes and buttons; the girls get eyes and a belt.


We're done - time to lick the bowl!


Grammy has done her job - filled them full of sugar! Now it's time to take the kids home to their parents.

I've been tagged by Robyn at There is always thyme for to list the things that reflect my love of Christmas. Along with the tag, came this great Christmas Spirit Award. Thanks, Robyn.

My love of Christmas ----

1. I enjoy my house all decorated with the mementos of past Christmases. They invoke so many memories of when we were first married, of our children when they were small, and all of the friends and family that have visited during the Christmas season.

2. I love my grand children around the house cooking with me in the kitchen, checking out the trees and their goodies, and playing with the Fontanini Nativity set with Baby Jesus and all of the animals. The joy of Christmas through their eyes is wonderful!

3. Christmas is not complete without going to candlelight services at church on Christmas eve. I'm amazed how good and quiet little children are when the candles are the only source of light. Their eyes sparkle like nothing else.

4. I can't forget the food. We experience new tastes with the gifts of food. There are always new recipes to try and old ones to make again. It ALMOST makes me like to cook.

5. I love the cold weather and the snow at Christmas. Unfortunately, we usually don't get that until January; but I can dream.

6. Anytime of the year, I like to shop; but at Christmas it is special shopping for others especially our little ones and those children less fortunate.

7. My kids have never missed coming home to our house at Christmas since they have become adults. I enjoy their company!!!!

8. And the best thing -- my faith in God is always renewed this time of year. I become so aware of my blessings.

Also, Carrie at Oak Rise Cottage has honored me with this award.

It states, "This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs exceedingly are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!" Isn't that beautiful? I have so much to live up to!!!!

I appreciate all of the awards I have received in the few months I have been blogging. But more than the awards, I'm appreciative of your friendships. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Have you noticed how independent most bloggers are? I, too, am not too good at following the rules. So, I have dispensed with them!! If you read my blog or are on my blog roll, please accept one of these awards. I treasure all of you!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Sally

VINTAGE VIGNETTE #4

Do you remember S&H Green Stamps? Back in the 1950s and 1960s grocery stores and gas stations gave out S&H Green Stamps; so many stamps for so many dollars spent. As a new bride, I was very faithful to glue the stamps we received into their little books. There were redemption stores in most towns of any size where you could take your books of stamps to redeem them for merchandise. What a bonus for newlyweds to be able to outfit their home with free merchandise!! The black, tole lamp in this vignette was one of those items I got free by redeeming my stamps.

The little child's antique sewing machine and the iron on a trivet were given to me by a friend of my mother. They were played with by this friend when she was a little girl. I suppose I was about 6 years old when she gave them to me. The seal embossers on the right belonged to my grandfather; the smaller one was used to certify papers for the "Grand Valley Drainage District" and the larger one for the family sheep business. I love their sculptural shape.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sally

AUTUMN FRIENDS AWARD AND TAG

Chari of Happy to Design has bestowed upon me this fun award! Thank you Chari for thinking of me as a blogging friend. I'm honored.
Along with the award comes the tag of: "What five things have I always wanted to do -----". This is a hard one because at my age I have been fortunate to do just about everything I dreamt of doing in my life time!! But, here goes:

1. Return to Paris, France - I've been once, but a repeat performance would be wonderful!
2. Have every corner, cupboard, closet, and hiding spot of my house immaculate and organized - all at the same time!
3. Have a personal chef - I wouldn't care if I never cooked another meal - I guess that's an advantage of moving to a nursing home someday!
4. Make a difference in some one's life that I don't know and will never know me!
5. Be a good wife, mother, and grandmother - I will need to keep working on that until the end!!!

Thanks for stopping by,
Sally

OVERWHELMED WITH PAPER!!

Blue Monday is hosted by Sally at Smiling Sal. Check out her blog for a list of those participating in a variety of blue on a Monday!

I submit the following for Blue Monday in hopes that my new pretty blue magazine holders qualify!!

While Bob has been toiling away putting up crown molding and painting in our computer room; I've been trying to make some sense of a bunch of paper stuff that was stored in the room. I believe the fancy name of this stuff is called ephemera! You see both Bob and I grew up in this "Happy Days" small town in Colorado. Both sides of my family had lived in "Happy Days" since the 1870s - we still have relatives there!

My family were Savers (with a capital S). They saved every type of paper: checks, letters, postcards, bills, photos, etc. And somehow, a lot of it seemed to have landed in a cupboard in our computer room. Plus, I must admit, Bob and I have such fond memories of "Happy Days", we have added to the pile of paper by buying postcards, etc. of our then idealistic little town. I've been wanting to move that cupboard to the back porch for storage of cushions, etc. for over the winter. So, you guessed it, I had to deal with all of the paper stuff. It was time to sort it out!! So for two days, I've been OVERWHELMED WITH PAPER. This is what my guest bedroom has looked like.

I really am trying to make some sense out of it.
I found 97 different picture postcards of "Happy Days" dating from 1897 to the 1980s; pictures of the schools, churches, farms, ranches, street scenes, and celebrations.

There are over 100 statements of accounts at a variety of businesses including cancelled checks and letterheads dating from the 1800s. There is a check written by one of my grandfathers to my other grandfather on the other side of my family paid in full for sheep. There are checks that my mother wrote at Bob's family grocery store.

I just can't make myself dispose of this slice of history! It is sad, really, because the town of "Happy Days" has deteriorated and is wasting away. There are very few businesses anymore, population has declined.

So I organized it as best as I could in notebooks and pretty blue magazine holders so it will fit on a couple of shelves in the bookcases. Someday, maybe we will donate this ephemera to the little museum in "Happy Days". I was feeling pretty good about accomplishing this task, when Bob reminded me that there are still several trunks in the shed to be gone through. I guess I'm still behind on my paper work. Oh, well, another time!!

See my pretty blue magazine holders.

When I was feeling overwhelmed, I thought of this picture I had taken of a gas station in "Happy Days". This desk has been in this condition for about 10 years. Do you suppose the owner feels just a little BLUE and overwhelmed? Sorry, about the quality of the picture; but this desk was just too good (or bad?) not to share.

So, when you get behind on your paper work, just remember someone is further behind than you!!!



Thanks for stopping by,
Sally

An Award, A Tag and Potholders

Sheila at Note Songs, in all of her diva-ness has bestowed upon me this award. I'm truly honored, Sheila, to accept this from you. You were the very first commenter on my very first post!!! Thank you for being such a faithful blogging sister!

Brettinsky at The Hostess with the Mostess has also given me this award. She is a young blogger with amazing organizational skills. Check out her blog for some great tips.

Along with the award came the tag to list six things I value and six things that I don't value. So here goes:

Things I value:

1. My relationship with God.

2. My family - 50 wonderful years of marriage to Bob with 2 great all grown up kids, Mike and Jenni, and of course, 2 of the most adorable grand kids in this universe, Caitlin and Wyatt.

3. My home.

4. Education and a thirst for knowledge.

5. Is it o.k. to value my dishes?? To me, they are a symbol of hospitality to others and a link to my ancestors.

6. The opportunities provided by this country and our freedom.

Things I don't value:

1. Abuse to anyone or anything in any manner.

2. People that are so wrapped up in themselves that you can't get a word in a conversation.

3. Brussel sprouts

4. Constantly whiny and grouchy people - at least pretend to be happy for the sake of others. Solve your problems and get on with it!

5. The current political climate - Didn't the candidates learn in kindergarten to work together to solve problems and that it wasn't nice to say nasty things about someone else????

6. Did I mention Brussel sprouts?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I'm making potholders again from the paper pieced patterns of Irene Berry, an editor at Quilter's Newsletter Magazine.

This time they are for the birthday of my bird-watching friend, Jan.

First, a blue bird!

Then, a robin red breast!


If you are a quilter, please check out Quilter's Newsletter Magazine for wonderful projects.

Thanks for stopping by,
Sally

DICK AND JANE (PLUS SALLY)

I learned to read from the series of books entitled "Dick and Jane". Educators, writers, illustrators and editors produced these books that taught millions of children to read from 1930 through 1960.

Dick and Jane (plus others including little sister, Sally) lived in a wonderful world where the fun never stopped. For those of us that were depression or World War II children, it was perhaps a fantasy world; but one that we could aspire to live in to achieve the American dream.

Below are three original pages from Dick and Jane that I have found over the years. The first one is 16" x 20" and is from a teacher's table display.
"Mother Makes Something" is from one of the student books.

And my favorite: Sally CAN work!!!!



I remember how exciting it was to learn to read, and how proud I was that one of the characters in the books shared my name.

Even though my mother read constantly, my first real reading experience began with my first grade teacher, Miss LaShier. She was the same first grade teacher in the same classroom that my father experienced, and she was very knowledgeable about first graders. Some of us were still only five years old, and the room seemed huge to us with 33 wooden desks in rows and columns all facing Miss LaShier's desk. There were six large windows letting in lots of light and a third wall with a blackboard.

We knew from day one that we were there for one purpose and that was to learn to read, write, and do math. That was our job, and there was no messing around. Miss LaShier had on her desk a wooden ruler that we knew was not for a mathematical exercise. I never knew her to use it on a child, but we knew that we were responsible for the consequences of our actions. Even with all of this seriousness, it was fun to be at school.

We soon learned that acquiring knowledge and learning to read was a reward in of itself! Our deviation from the rows and columns of our desks in the classroom was to circle up on little wooden chairs while Miss LaShier read to us each day from Dick and Jane, other story books and even the encyclopedia. She instilled in us the desire for knowledge about the world beyond our door through reading.

Here is a picture of my first grade class minus one (I got angry with one boy and cut his picture out. I regret that, now!). We all came from different backgrounds; for some English was a second language; some had ribbons in their hair while some felt fortunate to have shoes on their feet; and none of us had been to preschool or kindergarten. That was not an option in 1944.

Miss LaShier managed with the help of Dick and Jane to teach all 33 of us to read during that first year of school. I graduated from high school with almost all of those same kids; and we all continued to read, learn, and excel in school and beyond.

Thank you Dick, Jane, and Miss LaShier. (Oh yes, and Sally, too)

Thanks for stopping by,

Sally

STYLE AND STUFF

Her name is Edith. She was the mother of one of our childhood friends and happened to be the daughter of the doctor that delivered me.

She was the first person in my life other than my mother that I realized had personal STYLE.

I can think of any number of beautiful homes where they lived in our small town, as she loved to move and she loved to decorate.

She had wonderful things like art, dishes, and antique furniture in her house; but it was a home foremost for a family where you always felt comfortable.

She was gracious in every way!

Her only child, our friend, was killed in an automobile accident when we were in our early 30s. He was not married and had no children. Edith was naturally devastated; I don't think she ever fully recovered.

Soon after he died, she called to say she had a couple of things that she wanted me to have, then pass on to my children someday.

She gave me this beautiful Victorian fruit dish that had belonged to her father, the doctor.

And, she also gave me this tablecloth from her youth.

She said her mother always used it for Christmas morning breakfast, as the design reminded them of Santa Claus!

In the 1990s, I was visiting with Edith at a party at my parent's house. We were standing near my mother's china cabinet, where this plate was prominently displayed.


Edith said, "You know, I gave your mother that plate when you were all babies and we were young with our future ahead of us. It makes me feel good that she has cherished it all of these years."



Edith is almost 100 years old now, quite fragile, and in a nursing home. Remaining with me are three beautiful items that have passed through many hands. I know that in the end, things are just things; however, the memories they raise and the emotions they evoke are PRICELESS.



Thanks for stopping by,

Sally

WEEKEND YARD SALES & LUCKY SEVENS TAG

We went out to the yard sales this weekend and found a few things. The quilt in the background was the first thing I found for $5.00. The blocks are old with fabrics from the turn of the 20th century, but I think the quilt was put together in the 1970s. It is nicely hand quilted and worth more than the price I paid!

The picture in the foreground is a 1940s print in a nice frame for only $3.00 and will probably be a present to a friend.

The two cactus cowboy lamps were $1.00 a piece, and we will sell these on ebay.

The tin tray is a picture of an elk by James L. Artig and was $2.00.

And finally, I always look for Condensed Reader's Digest books because I enjoy reading them and they have such pretty covers and end papers. This one is from 1953 and was 10 cents.

Not bad for $12.10 total.

* * * * * * * * *

I've been challenged by Cindy at Just Another Day in Paradise to do the Lucky Sevens Tag. So here we go---

Seven things I plan to do before I die:

1. Return to Paris, France.

2. Make a difference in some one's life that I don't know.

3. Finish organizing the 120 years of photos that I somehow seem to be in charge of doing.

4. Get my house in absolute impeccable order. I don't want anyone to have to say, "Oh my, what a mess!!"

5. See my grandchildren grown, healthy, happy, educated and have a relationship with God.

6. Grow in my Christian faith.

7. Reach our 75th wedding anniversary.

Seven things I can do:

1. I can sew anything -- Halloween costumes, clothes including suits and coats, drapes, bedding, and table linens.

2. I can play the piano.

3. I can be frugal and do things on a dime.

4. I can get a decent meal on the table day after day.

5. I can quilt, knit, and embroider.

6. I can be happy lounging around and doing nothing.

7. I can hold a grudge - not a good thing, but I'm working on that.

Seven things I can not do:

1. I'm hopeless at any thing athletic.

2. I can not make pie crust.

3. I'm no good at gardening - the bugs eat me up, I hate having my hands dirty, and I have a brown thumb.

4. I can not sing, but I still do!

5. I can not crochet - my grandmother always said I looked like I was shoveling coal.

6. I have no aptitude for languages.

7. I can not put a book down once I have started reading it.

Seven things that attract me to Bob:

1. He chose to marry ME 50 years ago.

2. He has a work ethic that never quits. After working hard for 44 years as a civil engineer, he now substitute teaches in our local school district, does all of the yard work, does anything around the house that I ask like painting, etc., he restores and refinishes furniture for resale, AND he cleans bathrooms.

3. He is a dedicated father and grandfather.

4. He is a great son with infinite patience with his mother and other elderly people.

5. Despite having been diagnosed 49 years ago with a form of Muscular Dystrophy, he has shown true grit and managed to keep moving and out of a wheelchair.

6. He laughs at my weird sense of humor.

7. He has given me the ultimate luxury of being able to stay home all of these years to be a wife and mother.

Seven things that I say most often:

1. You're home now.

2. What do you want for supper?

3. Let's go for a ride and get a Coke.

4. I don't want to get up.

5. What are the kids up to?

6. Go for it.

7. Here's the remote. You find something to watch.

Seven favorite foods:

1. Mexican food

2. Tapioca Pudding

3. French toast

4. Donuts

5. Onion rings

6. Home-grown tomatoes

7. Brownies with nuts

* * * * * * * *

Thanks for stopping by,

Sally

RANDOM THOUGHTS ABOUT LAUNDRY

My favorite household chore has always been laundry. There is something about taking a pile of dirty laundry on the floor and turning it into clean, folded clothes and linens that appeals to my inner organizational self. We bought our first washing machine, a shiny, new General Electric machine, when we were 20 years old. We lived in a rented, furnished apartment and didn't own a stick of furniture, but we had a washing machine!

I learned how to do laundry from my mother, grandmother, and great grandmother -- all women who were born in the 19th or early 20th century and were very proud of their laundry skills.

You know the basics like no red shirts washed with the white underwear, etc. But, here are a few so-called rules from the matriarchs of my family:

1. Use hot water, lots of soap and wash the "devil" out of them. Get rid of all evil!

2. The clothes line was where you dried everything. In later years, my mother and grandmother had clothes dryers, but the line was still the method of choice.

3. Clothes lines should always run north & south for optimum sun and wind exposure. The clothes will dry faster, and you can fill the lines twice in one day.

4. The best clothes lines are made from 4" cast iron pipe for maximum sturdiness with the ends closed in to keep the wasps and bees from nesting.

5. Always hang clothes in a logical order -- all socks hung from the toes with the heels facing the same direction, etc.

6. Of course, there were lots of rules about washing cloth diapers. Believe me you haven't lived until you've washed a diaper pail full of dirty diapers every day for years. I have to admit I did enjoy hanging them on the line, especially when there was snow on the ground to whiten them (another hint from grandmother).

7. Here's my favorite: When you are pregnant, never, never hang up clothes on the line. Your baby will be born with the cord wrapped around its neck. I think we can chalk this up to an old-wives tale.

8. Then there is ironing. Sprinkle the ironing with warm water, then roll and wrap in an old, clean sheet overnight. No steam irons for the dedicated. After ironing pillowcases, fold them, and then iron in the fold creases. That way your guests will be assured they have clean bedding. Same thing with cloth napkins.

9. My mother thought that even the cleaning rags should be ironed -- she said that they look better in the drawer and the ironing helps kill germs.


See those creases in the cases at the back of the photo?


Do I pass the test?



These are only a few of the tidbits I was taught. It's a wonder I still love to do laundry.




Thanks for stopping by,

Sally

MY CORNER OF THE WORLD

I can't believe that I'm showing you my little corner of the world. Most of my house I consider to be fairly well put together, clean and organized; but this corner of our bedroom always looks this bad. And, this is where I usually spend every evening.

Let's take a tour. This is my ugly recliner that doesn't go with anything else in the room. I've looked to replace it but I can't find another one that fits. It's like buying shoes!! You will notice this unattractive quilt that again doesn't go with anything, but it is the right size and weight to keep me comfortable summer and winter. You would think that I, as a quiltmaker, could make something new. Now notice that ugly paisley thing in the corner. That is my baby pillow - my mother received it at my baby shower 70 years ago. It is down-filled and just right for my neck when I nap. The least I could do is make a new pillow case!

On to my bookcase on the left of the chair: The top shelf holds my bible, my current library book, and my magnifying glass. The next shelf is my supply of magazines for the month. Plus, I see there is a "Digital Photo for Dummies" book (I really am trying to take better photos.) Every month, I usually go through the magazines to discard; but that doesn't always happen. Then, the bottom two shelves hold my favorite decorating books. These rotate in and out of the bookshelves from my sewing room. The only thing really beautiful here is my little clock on the wall, plus there are two pen and ink drawings of the two old homes we have restored in the past.

Now, on to the right side of the chair: This is a little sewing table that holds the real meat and potatoes of the corner. The bottom tier is home to a Mexican basket that I use for trash - you know those subscription cards that come in magazines, bits of thread, etc. Also, on this tier are my Sherwin-Williams paint decks. I'm always thinking about painting something. Then there is a roll of toilet paper (it takes up less room than a box of Kleenex!!)

Now on the top tier, there is a little basket with a lid that holds sewing things - my thimble, needles, pins, thread. Yes, that's a roll of masking tape hanging on the side. Also, of course, there is the necessary TV remote, land-line portable phone, and my cell phone. Sometimes I also have Bob's cell phone there. He gives it to me in the evenings as he says the kids always call him, but they really want to talk to me. They are just lazy - Dad comes before Mom in their alphabetical address books! I'm afraid that sometimes I answer the TV remote when a phone rings. Plus, in the depths are chap stick, scissors, nail clippers, book marks, paper & pen, a stray paper clip. etc.



Beside the sewing table is my decrepit floor lamp with the ugly shade and the brass that is too brassy. The worst part is that if you try to move it an inch, it completely falls apart.

Now, that I'm totally embarrassed, I'm motivated to work on spiffing up my corner.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sally

A VERY MOMENTOUS DAY!

Sunday, September 7, 2008 is our 50th wedding anniversary. How did that happen? It seems like it was just yesterday when we walked out of the church to begin our life together. This will be a long post; bear with me, as I have a lot to say. After all, it IS a very momentous occasion.

It all started on our first date in the seventh grade. I know -- what were our parents thinking? Believe it or not, we were only 11 years old. Bob's oldest sister drove us to the dance and took this picture. I love that I'm taller than Bob!

By the time we graduated from high school, Bob had grown taller; and I think we knew where this relationship was headed. But, we decided to be sure and test the waters. So, we headed off to different colleges.

At the end of our freshman year in college, we became engaged and I transferred to his college; and after our sophomore year we got married in our home town. We thought we knew it all; but at age 19, we were so naive and didn't have a clue.

FIFTY YEARS AGO, we thought it would be no problem to support ourselves. What were WE thinking? We were still in college, and had no real jobs. Our idea of money was that you got your paycheck; you spent your paycheck. We barely thought about things like taxes, insurance, interest, savings; and thoughts of recessions, workplace problems, inflation, health care costs, investments, etc. etc. weren't even in our vocabulary. We didn't even consider the cost of educating ourselves and our future children . How were we to know that in the end there would be tuition and/or expenses for eight college degrees? Just when we thought we had it all figured out, our minds and bodies began to slow down; and we were faced with a new challenge -- retirement! WHO KNEW supporting ourselves would be so hard and stressful?

FIFTY YEARS AGO, we thought we wanted children someday. We certainly didn't have a clue about this aspect of life. Didn't you take care, support and love children for 18 years, then send them on their way? No one told us that "once a parent, always a parent". We discovered that once you sent them on their way, this would begin the most difficult years of parenting. When they were babies, we didn't realize how much heartache but so much joy was wrapped up in those little bundles of innocence. But we persevered, we did our best, and WHO KNEW that the bonus would be grandchildren?

FIFTY YEARS AGO, we knew we wanted a home and to build a nest together. We didn't realize it would be four apartments and nine houses that needed lots of paint, new appliances, furniture, window treatments, gobs of paint, flooring, renovation, restoration, more paint, and work, work, work. It would involve hundreds of trips to the lumber yard and hardware store and the need for tools, tools, tools. But, WHO KNEW, that feathering our nest would be so much fun?

FIFTY YEARS AGO, we knew we were "in love". We didn't have any idea how that love would grow, change and deepen until we would become one. We were too naive to understand that love is about honor, respect, and the way you take care of each other. WHO KNEW that love and commitment would be the easy part?

About a year ago we started to talk about how we wanted to celebrate this milestone. We quickly disregarded the idea of renewing our vows. We made that commitment "to honor, love, and (yes) obey until death do us part". We still stand by that vow made 50 years ago. We then talked about a big party for everyone we know and love. That is the custom on 50th anniversaries around here -- a huge celebration with lots of food, people, videos, pictures, the wedding dress, and lots of hoopla. For some reason, that didn't seem right for us. Our marriage isn't about other people; it is about us, just us alone together. So, then we started talking about a trip. When we were first married we thought that we would travel a lot, but life seemed to get in the way; and we never got to all the places we wanted to. So, as a celebratory trip, in May this year we flew to London, took the Chunnel to Paris, flew to Boston, rented a car and drove up the coast of Maine to the Maritime Provinces of Canada. We saw palaces, museums, monuments, and engineering marvels. We sat in sidewalk cafes and out-of-the-way restaurants devouring wonderful food; we shopped for antiques and walked through flea markets and street fairs; and were entertained by the locals. We saw amazing scenery; traveled in planes, trains, subways, by bus and taxi. Just the two of us together, alone --it was wonderful!!

So, now on our actual anniversary; we will do what we have done on practically every Sunday for 50 years -- go to church, have lunch, maybe a nap, and then go for a little drive and stop for a Coke.

With God's grace, we will have more of the same wonderful life in the future. If it isn't broken, no need to fix it. They say that growing old isn't for sissies; but growing old with someone you love is a great journey.