26 YEARS AGO

The place: the courthouse in Vernon, Texas The date: March 9, 1983

Steve and I drove down to Vernon in my Pontiac Grand LeMans. Steve was slowly driving through the parking lot, looking for a place to park, and he accidentally ran into someone pulling out. No biggie, just nerves, because as you see, we were on our way to get married! We walk up the stairs, hand in hand, and tell them we are here to be married (we had already came down the week before to get our license and blood test) and were told we could have a lady marry us in the chapel of love or a man. I turned to Steve and asked him if he wanted a man or a woman and he said he didn't care, a man!

So we go up to the office and told them we were there to be married. There were women in there typing away on the typewriters(gasp! yes I am that old). It was a scene out of hee haw, I kid you not. The man whippped out his bible from under the counter and asked the secretaries to not type for a few minutes. Do you? Yes Do you? Yes You are now married. Now go over there and stand by the wall and I will take your picture with this polaroid camera. Right there under the wall calander that has a big March 9 on it. That way you won't ever forgot your anniversary. When he handed us the picture, we also saw that the wall we were standing by had a Texas sized fly and fly swatter! I wish I had it handy so I could show you. Maybe I will find it this weekend and post.

What a start and what a journey. Not always smooth, by no means. Troubles, you bet. Fun times, too many to recall. But we have continued to defy the odds, and continue to prove the folks wrong, that kept saying that it would never last. We are making it, daily.

How did we celebrate? We didn't. Steve came home and went to bed before I got off and I went to Taylor's ball game. Just another day. But one that brings back fond memories of two young kids starting out.

May God continue to bless our marriage and yours too!