Something Old, Something New

That was then -
1976

It was a warm and humid May night in central Mississippi. The predicted rains were cooperative and came in the early afternoon, long before the 7:00 hour on the invitation, when I would walk down the aisle with my Daddy to join hands with my soon-to-be husband. We made our way the short distance from the Holiday Inn-North, where we had entertained out-of-town visitors...and Momma had hosted the Bride's Maids' luncheon...down the Frontage Road to Christ Lutheran Church.  This particular church and its pastor were unfamiliar to me, although Mr. T had grown up in its embrace, as well as in the Lutheran faith. 

Never fear, I was represented in the person of the minister who had served our tiny West Tennessee town's United Methodist church when I was a teenager.  Concerned that Mr. T's family and friends would feel excluded unless we wed in his hometown, and hoping that my family and friends would make the drive down I-55 if asked, we recited the vows we had written in the presence of those in attendance...and not one, but two men-of-the-cloth. 

Following the ceremony and the photos (left), we toasted our future and our good fortune in having found one another, at our reception held at LeFleur's, a normally lovely fine-dining establishment, but in the throes of refurbishment on that particular Saturday.  No matter, the food was excellent and beautifully presented, and the wine flowed.  Well, I can't exactly vouch for the food since I didn't eat anything at my own wedding reception.  Nerves?  Excitement?  More than likely the latter rather than the former.


This is now -
2011

That was 35 years ago today. Our love has grown stronger with the passage of time, and we are as happy to be together now as we were then (photo, right). Interestingly enough, our marriage has out-lasted that church congregation and that restaurant.

Since we have some limitations on traveling together for any great distance at the moment, we celebrated our anniversary close to home at the Childress Vineyards near Lexington, NC.  Brother J and SIL J came into town and stayed with Mom so we could have a relaxed brunch with no worries.

Fantastic!  We had the Tasting Flight, which is a three-course meal, served with a Childress wine to match each course.  We were especially bowled over by the White Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake (left, below).


Third course at the Bistro...
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
served with Childress Classic White Wine


To run the numbers...

In 35 years, we have lived at 18 addresses in 7 states (one of them...NC...3 different times...:), some as short as a couple of months while we were in temporary quarters or in transition after selling one house and waiting to close on the next one.  The longest we have lived at any one address?  Six years and 5 months:  Cordova, Tennessee.  Second longest?  Six years and 1 month:  O'Fallon, MO. 

In truth, our home is wherever we are together.

We have a beautiful daughter who is the light of our lives...always has been and always will be.  We have done the impossible by combining three generations under one roof...and living to tell tales about it.  And, we have given our hearts and homes over to many hounds, including our current brace: Duchess, Gus, and Elmo.

As the card Mr. T gave me says:  Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking in the same direction.  Oh, so true.

So, today we celebrate the old and the new.  The couple we were...and the couple we've become.  And, once again, we toasted our future and our good fortune.

And, because it is expected that I will ask this...I wonder where we'll be this time next year?  Or, in the next 35 years.  Hmmmm.....