Friday, May 24, 2013

Still Celebrating

Thought for the day:  Our wedding was many years ago. The celebration continues to this day. [Gene Perret]


Yeah, our wedding was a few years ago... forty-four years ago today, as a matter of fact.

I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.  [Rita Rudner]


Lucky me, I found that one special person at a very young age, and have been annoying the crap out of him ever since. Met him at the scabby-kneed age of twelve. (And married him anyway!) Okay, so we looked a little different when we got married in '69. Yeah, yeah, yeah...  he had hair... I had a waist. Lots of ups and downs since then, too, but one thing that hasn't changed? Our sense of humor. We're still laughing. Still working hard to pull the proverbial applecart in the same direction.

Still loving.

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.  [Mignon McLaughlin]

Of course, if you ask Smarticus how to make a marriage last, he'd probably say what he always says. He says the secret lies in him saying two simple words, whether he means 'em or not: Yes, dear. (He's kind of a smart ass.)

I say a successful marriage requires hardhats, because it's an ongoing project, and never really done. A successful marriage is an edifice that must be rebuilt every day.  [Andre Maurois]

Doggone it, there's no such thing as resting on your laurels when it comes to marriage, is there? Or as Smarticus says, "It only takes one aw sh*t to wipe out two attaboys." (Told ya he's a smart ass.)  Lily Tomlin expressed it a bit more delicately. She said, The road to success is always under construction.  

So maybe a successful marriage isn't something we ever achieve, but if you think about it, that's a good thing, because if we think we've already arrived, we may no longer strive.  Best to keep wearing those hardhats, to keep building that road to success, and to savor every bit of joy and humor we find along the way. Gotta have fun. Gotta laugh.


Talking about fun and laughter, remember Red Skelton? He was a very sweet, very mild-mannered PG-rated comedian. Anyway, he and his wife were married for many, many years, and here's his Recipe for the Perfect Marriage:

  • Two times a week, we go to a nice restaurant, have a little beverage, good food and companionship. She goes on Tuesdays, and I go on Fridays.
  • We also sleep in separate beds. Hers is in California, and mine is in Texas.
  • I take my wife everywhere ... but she keeps finding her way back.
  • I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary. "Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said. So I suggested the kitchen.
  • We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.
  • She has an electric blender, electric toaster, and electric bread maker. She said, "There are too many gadgets and no place to sit down!" So I bought her an electric chair.
  • My wife told me the car wasn't running well because there was water in the carburetor. I asked where the car was, and she told me, "In the lake."
  • She got a mud pack and looked great for two days. Then the mud fell off.
  • She ran after the garbage truck, yelling, "Am I too late for the garbage?" The driver said, "No, jump in!"
  • Remember. Marriage is the number one cause of divorce.
  • I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first name was Always.
  • I haven't spoken to my wife in eighteen months. I don't like to interrupt.
  • The last fight was my fault, though. My wife asked, "What's on TV?" and I said, "Dust!"



No telling what we're gonna do today, but I know it'll be an adventure. When you're married to a smart ass, every day is. I'll be back to you guys... tomorrow.






A long marriage is two people trying to dance a duet and two solos at the same time.  [Anne Taylor Fleming]







Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Oh yeah. Almost forgot... but don't YOU forget! Each comment you leave on my blog this month will earn you another shot at winning a FREE signed copy of my book.

P.S. I didn't REALLY write this post on my anniversary. I wrote it weeks ago. As you read this, I'm out and about with the best and sweetest smart ass I ever knew.

84 comments:

  1. My compliments and congratulations to you both, Susan. What joyful photos!

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    1. Thanks, Geo! The old pics sure make me smile, anyway.

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  2. Congratulations on 44 years of marital combat lol.

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  3. How truly lovely. My mama told me that it wasn't that we think that the people we love are perfect - we just prefer their faults to other people's virtues.
    And yes, laughter is hugely important in our relationship. We laugh every day. And usually with each other rather than at each other.
    Have a wonderful anniversary - and life.

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    1. Your mama was one smart lady, wasn't she? Laughter really IS important. There are so many things in this world we could get all gloomy about; our homes should be a joyful refuge. Thank you so much.

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  4. I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. [Rita Rudner]

    Great post! I do have to mention that there is currently a murder trial going on in my area. If I have the facts straight, which given the crappy local news coverage and my general disinterest brings that into question, one spouse or the other finally got tired of being annoyed all the time.

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    1. Thanks! Well, ya see, there's a fine line between being pleasantly annoying and being a royal pain in the posterior. That couple obviously crossed the line.

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  5. Hi Susan .. congratulations on 44 years of wedded bliss, or multiple diggings to find new foundations! Well you hit the radio star .. didn't you - and joined in the technicalities .. and life goes on.

    Am sure you're having a fun fun time .. and perhaps sitting in the same restaurant, in the same town .. too much energy required to go separate ways per Mr Skelton .. but made me laugh ...

    Happy days, lots of smiles, laughter and hugs ... cheers to you both - Hilary

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    1. Hi, Hilary. Thanks! It's been a fun roller coaster ride. We had quite an adventure for our anniversary this year. I'll tell all about it in the next week or so.

      Cheers to you, too!

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  6. Congratulations on successfully surviving the eternal endurance test! Laughing, loving, and sharing are important factors, and - - as you aptly said - - marriage is an ongoing project.

    I'm speaking as if I know from experience. Since I'm blissfully single, I can only speculate from the sidelines.

    I remember those wonderful Red Skelton quips, but haven't heard them in many years. They have retained their initial funnyness. (funniness ???). Spelling was never my forte.....

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    1. Thanks, Jon. I guess you're right. In some ways, life is one long endurance test, but it's a lot more enjoyable when there's someone beside you running the same race and jumping through the same hoops.

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  7. Awwwww... That's so wonderful! I wish I could remember the full comment a friend made about marriage, that before you marry, your imagination ends at the altar, but the real work, that truly makes the marriage, goes on day after day. Newlyweds are delightful - but give me the veterans any time! May you have many more happy days and years with your smart @ss! (P.S. beautiful gown!)

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    1. Thanks, Diana. Newlyweds are naive. Some veterans are naive, too, (not ME!!!) but we've also earned our stripes.

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  8. Happy, Happy Anniversary to you and Smarticus! Love the pics. May you rack up many more years with your special smart ass. :)

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    1. Thanks so much! Yep, one special smart ass behind me and one next to me. HA!

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  9. Congrats on 44 years of true love :) I really enjoyed reading this. And you met at 12?? Thast's straight out of a movie.

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    1. Thanks! There's something to be said about meeting when we were kids, and growing up together. A shared history can be like a mortar that holds people together.

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  10. Happy anniversary! We celebrate our 43rd this August :)

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    1. Thanks! Congratulations to you, too! (You must've been a zygote when you got hitched, too.)

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  11. Happy Anniversary, Susan and Smarticus. It sounds like it has been a fun ride.

    I love Rita Rudner's line! The good thing about getting older is that our hearing goes and we don't have to listen to the things that annoy us.

    When I enlarged you wedding photo, I noticed that I had pretty much the same veil as you. My, we were such fashionistas.

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    1. Thanks, Arleen. It's been a great ride so far, and we're still enjoying it.

      HA! You're right about the darned hearing. I saw a funny chart in an antique shop the other day showing the responses made by people who don't hear what someone else said to them. The most common was to laugh, and hope the other person didn't ask them a question. That cracked me up, because I could kinda relate... bet you can, too!

      Fashionista? Okay, I'll go with that. But for me, the more accurate term would have been cheap... er, make that thrifty. Yeah, thrifty. That's it. (It cost more to have the gown cleaned and boxed than it did to buy it!)

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  12. Congratulations, and happy anniversary! LOVE the Red Skelton quotes... ;-p

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    1. Thanks! Yeah, me, too. Red Skelton was one of a kind.

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  13. I think you have hit on the one single thing that makes any marriage last... humor. Being able to laugh at yourself and each other is the single thing that breaks down all barriers. Congratulations Susan.

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    1. Thanks, Mr. C. Yeah, I think humor is an important ingredient. It works especially well if both parties have the same kind of humor, though. My hubby and I are both a tad... quirky.

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  14. Sus, those beautiful images made me tear up almost immediately, then I laughed through my little tears at some of the goodies you compiled.

    May you enjoy yourselves today, may you have a wonderful, wonderful time off on your adventure -- can I rightly assume you will blog about it when you get back? ;) And happiest of anniversaries to you both!

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    1. You are so delightfully sentimental. I love it. Thank you.

      We had a fantastic time! Yes, I'll tell all about it in the next week or so.

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  15. They sat 50% of marriages end in divorce, damn, i'm up to 66%.

    Congrats on your getting it right!

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    1. Thanks. Sounds like you got it right this time, too.

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  16. Happy anniversary to thee
    And I have to agree
    Humor is key
    The jokes were great from thee

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    1. Thanks a bunch, Mr. Pat.
      It's my opinion that
      The secret's more than just a rumor...
      Happiness requires a sense of humor.

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  17. What a beautiful couple. Happy Anniversary!

    Love,
    Janie

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  18. I got all teary reading this between the laughter.
    Congratulations to both of you.
    You chose well I did not.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Thank you. I'm sorry things didn't work out for you, but maybe next time?

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  19. Happy anniversary! I hope you're having a fabulous day and that no matter what happens you can enjoy being together.

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    1. Thanks. We DID have a fabulous day, and I'll tell y'all about it next week.

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  20. Look at that dress!!! You were a gorgeous bride! Happy Anniversary to you both. :)

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  21. It restores hope to read these kinds of things.

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  22. 44 years! Great! Never stop laughing and loving. Congratulations!

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  23. What a wonderful post! Congratulations to you both :)

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  24. SUSAN ~
    Forty-four years?! Well, that calls for forty-four "Congratulations!"

    You two were serious when you took those vows, weren't you? Sadly, that's not often the case anymore.

    OK, in celebration of your 44th wedding anniversary, below are a four of my favorite funny quotes related to marriage:

    If variety is the spice of life,
    marriage is the big can of leftover Spam.
    ~ Johnny Carson

    Marriage: A ceremony in which rings are put on the finger of the lady and through the nose of the gentleman.
    ~ Herbert Spencer

    The most happy marriage I can picture... would be the union of a deaf man to a blind woman.
    ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge

    Both marriage and death ought to be welcome:
    the one promises happiness,
    doubtless the other assures it.
    ~ Mark Twain.

    Forty-four "Congratulations!" to you and Smarticus.

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

    POSTSCRIPT: By the way, I love Red Skelton. That is, I love him but I wouldn't have married him.

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    1. Thanks, Stephen. (X 43) Yeah, we were serious when we took our vows. A marriage certificate is more than just a "piece of paper".

      Thanks for the good wishes and quotes. Of course you couldn't have married Red. He was too old for you.

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  25. Congratulations.staying married says a lot for two people. I'm guessing you're both remarkable.

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    1. Thanks. I dunno how remarkable we are, but I think we chose well.(Then again, to have been able to do that when we were mere zygotes IS rather remarkable.) It hasn't always been easy, but it's always been worth the effort.

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  26. Congrats; I think we've both served roughly the same sentence.

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  27. Happy anniversary! To write a post like this...a tribute to the humor in your relationship after forty-four years...well it says a lot. Congratulations to both of you!

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    1. Thanks. One thing it says is it sure doesn't FEEL like it's been forty-four years!

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  28. Congratulations! Thanks for sharing the beautiful photos. I laughed out loud when I read the Red Skelton jokes - but some of them do makes sense! Have a great Memorial Day weekend and thank your husband for his service, Jan

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    1. Thank you do much. Glad ya liked the Skelton quotes. My hubby says thank YOU for your comment directed at him. I do appreciate you stopping by and signing on as a new follower. Welcome aboard!

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  29. 44 years. Hard to believe all that time's gone by. And I'm very sure you've had each other in stitches for most of it. Happy anniversary to you and Smarticus. x

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    1. I know! I mean, especially since we're only in our thirties...

      Thanks, kiddo. We appreciate it. Thanks for the e-card, too. That was really sweet of you.

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  30. Congratulations! I loved your post and especially your Red Skelton quotes. To be married for so long when certainly has to have a great sense of humor, and yes, a hard hat with a few dents in it. Lol!

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    1. Thanks, Debora. Glad ya liked it. Yep, we do have the sense of humor, but to tell the truth, I don't really need the hat. My head's pretty hard. (And dented!)

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  31. I love being married as well. Cheers and Happy 44 years :-)

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  32. Susan: That is wonderful. Congratulations! It is 43 years married for us. We met in 1967 and it was all uphill from there!

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    1. Thanks. Congratulations to you, too. In today's world, we're a bit of a rarity.

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  33. Wow! Congratulations on the 44 years! Sounds inspirational to me!

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    1. Thanks! The years have really flown by, so it doesn't feel like it's been 44 years. (I mean, heck, we're only in our thirties...)

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  34. I hope your entire weekend was a blast and chalked full of love. Belated Happy Anniversary!

    It's true, a marriage is always a work in progress. :)

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    1. It was a total blast. We even got to wear hard hats!

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  35. Congrats to you both!! Wise words that were much needed today :)

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  36. Happy Anniversary and congratulations, Susan! With the love and laughter, you're set for another 44+ years. Enjoy.

    xoRobyn

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    1. Thanks! I have a feeling the next 44 will go even faster than the first.

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  37. Congratulations on your anniversary!

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  38. That first photo is an absolute delight

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    1. Thanks, John. Sweet of you to say. It's hard to believe it was taken so many years ago. (My hubby must be getting old...)

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  39. Congrats. First, I love your wedding photos. That first shot is gorgeous. I just love the back of your dress. I also love the dresses, hairstyles, and basically *everything* from the 60s so your pictures are awesome. Second, even though you are wrapping it up in humor, I think it does take a lot of work to make a marriage work. So, I really love the delivery of that message. Last, but not least, thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment so that I would find you. I look forward to getting to know you better!

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    1. Thanks. Yeah, it does take a lot of work, but as they say, it's a real labor of love. And a sense of humor is a must.

      Thanks for stopping by and signing on as a new follower. Welcome aboard, and I look forward to getting to know you better, too.

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  40. Happy Anniversary!! Or as my husband used to say, Happy Adversity. Smarticus is one smart man.
    My first wedding was 42 years ago, but the marriage didn't make it past 23 years, we grew apart and went our separate ways. We keep in touch and are still friends. Second marriage failed a lot faster, there was no laughter after the first few weeks.

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    1. Thanks. HA! Happy Adversity, huh? Now, there's an oxymoron for ya.

      You know what they say, don't you? The third time's the charm...

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  41. I like this one. Married my best friend 50 years ago. He's still my best friend. thanks for dropping in. as soon as I can figure it out, I'm adding you to my blog roll.

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    1. I think you've nailed one of the secrets of marital longevity: abiding friendship. It's kinda funny, if you think about it. People express shock and admiration for marriages that last, but they're rarely surprised at life-long friendships.

      Congrats on making it to fifty. Here's to at least another twenty-five. (Seventy-five is my goal...)

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