Our 50th

My plans were to write a blog entry Thursday evening after dinner with part of my family, but there were some secret plans formed by my daughter, who lives next door, that changed mine. Maria and her family along with Jiajing, Connie and I sat around our big dining room table enjoying a great meal, having a marvelous fun time together. At a certain point - after we were done with the food part and the table was cleared - Maria said that she was on a tight schedule and that we needed to all go to the living room and that Connie and I were to sit on the sofa together because they had a surprise for us.

Way back on 9/19/1959 in the city of Three Oaks, Michigan - where the movie Prancer was filmed years later - at a small church an event was taking place that made front page news on the following Monday. That event was a double wedding; a wedding in which Connie's dad gave away both of his daughters at the same time. Connie and I said our vows, but the pastor did not say, "I now pronounce you husband and wife." He then went through the ceremony for Connie's sister, up to the point where the pastor would say "I now pronounce you husband and wife." At that point he explained that he would say the expression once and have it apply to both couples so that we could be married at exactly the same time.

Connie and I sat on the sofa and Maria gets out her cell phone and calls her sister, Michele, who lives in Arizona. Randy gets out his cell phone and calls our son, Mike, who lives in Michigan and will be traveling to China with me on Tuesday. Randy holds the two cell phones next to each other and puts them on speaker phone. Next, a gift is presented to Connie and I in the form of a huge scrap book. I mean this book was three inches thick and packed with letters and photos received from many family members and friends. While Connie and I were having fun in Michigan the first part of August, Maria found our address list and mailed an announcement and request to over 100 families and asked for something for the book. The response was over whelming and very special.

That was a very special evening together; one we will long remember. It was so much more important and valuable than even thinking about writing a blog entry. As a result Friday came and there was no entry. Friday came and there was much more rain, but that is another story. Saturday came and the sun came out, but since it was our 50th wedding anniversary I decided Connie was much more important than the stairs so we spent the day together and that is also another story.