Friday, May 22, 2015

Fifty Years Ain't as Long as it Used to Be

Thought for the day:  If time only flies when you're having fun, I must be having a fantastic time.


Hi-ya. We had a fantabulous time with our friends in Tennessee. Um, no I'm not calling you a smart ass... that's just a picture of the lid from one of the games we sometimes play while enjoying life at Cliff's and Kati's. One of many many games. Seemed like an appropriate picture to use with this post, because if the shoe fits... and it definitely fits Smarticus and me. We're both smart asses. Come to think of it, so are Cliff and Kati. I guess that's part of the reason we get along so well. [The picture in the header was taken out back of their house.]


Now that we're home, it's time for another adventure. This time, it's for our anniversary. Our forty-sixth. YIPES! I used to think people who were married for fifty years were married like for-ev-er, and were like... ancient. You know... beyond old. Man, was I ever wrong. Fifty years is right around the corner for us, and though the mirror and calendar may tell us otherwise, on the inside, we're still young newlyweds. (Granted, newlyweds whose young bodies make more snap-crackle-and-pop noises than a bowl of Rice Krispies on steroids.)

With a couple updates, here is a re-run from a couple years ago. It was originally titled, Still Celebrating. (And we are!)

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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-six years ago this coming Sunday.

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 doneA 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 this weekend, but I know it'll be an adventure. When you're married to a smart ass, every day is an adventure. Y'all have a super weekend.






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.

May I never be so blind that all I see is my own small world, nor so self-satisfied that all I am is all I ever hope to be.


65 comments:

  1. Congratulations - and a very, very happy weekend to you.

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    1. Thanks, Sue. And a wonderful weekend to you and the Skinny One, too. :)

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  2. Congratulations, you young punks--Bud & I celebrated our 60th in February!!

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    1. HA! Love it! Now that our parents are all gone, no one has referred to us as "the kids" in a long time, but I'll settle for "young punks." :)

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  3. Well on the plus side, Spawn didn't need the alarm clock to wake him up this morning, my loud laughter at those jokes did that.

    CONGRATULATIONS to you and your soul mate. I hope you both have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. HA! I'm glad you enjoyed them.

      Thank you; I'm sure we will, no matter what we do. (It's all about the attitude!)

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  4. It looks like such a beautiful wedding! Wow 46 years. That's twice as long as my marriage lasted.
    You were so lucky to be able to marry your best friend. Like you said humour is an essential component.

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    1. Thanks. We had a pretty laid-back wedding and reception. Nothing all that fancy, but everybody there had fun.

      The longer we're married, the more we realize how lucky we are.

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  5. Susan... CONGRATULATIONS on 46 years of marriage... I think laughter is a very important ingredient... with no sense of humor life becomes mundane.

    Marriage is a lot of work but I think it would be worth all the work... there would be amazing rewards too...♡

    I loved that last quote:

    May I never be so blind that all I see is my own small world, nor so self-satisfied that all I am is all I ever hope to be

    I think it says a great deal xox

    Have a wonderful weekend girl ♡

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    1. Thanks! Yeah, you're right. Marriage does take effort, but anything worthwhile is worth working for.

      That last quote has stayed with me for many years. A visiting speaker said it to our adult Sunday school class as a mini-prayer back in the seventies, and it's one of those things that "stuck."

      You have a wonderful weekend, too!

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  6. Congrats. You guys are really lucky.

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  7. Congrats on 46 years. Red Skeleton sure had lots of fun

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    1. Thanks. Red Skelton was one of my favorite comedians. He was definitely one of a kind.

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  8. Happy Anniversary!
    Happy Celebrations :)

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  9. Happy Anniversary and Congrats (on always being right). I think a huge factor in a successful marriage is laughter and it sounds like you two have a comedic soundtrack on loop. Enjoy the weekend and zoom toward 50

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    1. Thanks. I think a sense of humor is important for marriage, too. If nothing else, we always crack ourselves up! (But I don't wanta "zoom"... I'd like things to slow down just a teensy bit...)

      Happy weekend to you, too.

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  10. Very sweet post. Happy Anniversary to you. :)

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  11. Lovely post, dear Susan. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
    Here's a poem on marriage by Margaret Atwood. I LOVE this poem about marriage!

    Marriage is not

    a house or even a tent




    it is before that, and colder:




    the edge of the forest, the edge

    of the desert

    the unpainted stairs

    at the back where we squat

    outside, eating popcorn




    the edge of the receding glacier




    where painfully and with wonder

    at having survived even

    this far




    we are learning to make fire




    Margaret Atwood

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    1. Thank you, Julia. And thank you for sharing that poem; it's lovely.

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  12. That 'Smart Ass' game is a lot of fun. We played it a couple years ago at my sister's house for Thanksgiving. The only problem was when I made fun of one of the pieces that never left start. What I hadn't realized is that it belonged to my 8 year old niece. She cried when I ridiculed it.
    Yeah. I was a 'Dumb Ass.'

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    1. Unfortunately, there's sometimes a thin line between smart ass and dumb ass. :) It's entirely possible that I may have crossed that line a time or two.

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  13. I think my favorite marriage quote is this one from Jack Benny:" My wife Mary and I have been married for forty-seven years and not once have we had an argument serious enough to consider divorce; murder, yes, but divorce, never."

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    1. That's a good one! Jack Benny was another top-notch comedian.

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  14. OH -- and Happy Anniversary! I hope you celebrate BIG!

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    1. Thanks! Might be BIG... might be small... but will definitely be FUN.

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  15. Happy, Happy Anniversary! Many happy returns of the day. :D

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  16. Happy anniversary!

    The Red Skelton lines are just hilarious. And I love that picture of you and Smarticus dancing on your wedding day. You really haven't changed all that much - and you STILL are a cute couple!

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    1. Thanks!

      Oh dear. Haven't changed much? Cute? I hate to tell ya, but it might be time to get your eyes checked... :)

      Happy weekend!

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  17. You two look so sweet together that I just might vomit. Happy Anniversary!

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. It's definitely a compliment, or at least I intended it to be one.

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  18. Happy 46th anniversary to you both! We had our 45th in March and really admire your determination. Hope to equal it through the next 10 months. You give me confidence.

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    1. Thanks! It isn't determination. I know how lucky we are. (And so do you!)

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  19. I was given a life sentence too. Not sure exactly when I was married (it's been so long), but I think it was in 1971.

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    1. HA! A life sentence, huh? Well, here's hoping we never get paroled.

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  20. The original post reads familiar (so I think I might've read it the first time around). Your wedding dress seems really familiar, which reinforces the idea. My mom is a big watcher of Say Yes To The Dress. Amazing how much wedding dresses have changed in a fairly short amount of time!!! I really like yours, which says I prefer the more modest dresses of old compared to what the young girls are choosing now!

    Congratulations on your anniversary. Whatever you do, I'm sure it'll be wonderful. You two are the most adventurous "old folks" I know!

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    1. I really liked my dress, too. A lot of other gals at the time were wearing uber-lacy, full-skirted, (with a hoop petticoat, even) and very elaborate and expensive dresses. Not my style. My dress was quite simple, and very inexpensive. (i.e. cheap...)

      Thanks. These two old codgers had a terrific weekend. :)

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  21. Beautiful, beautiful post. So many lovely nuggets of wisdom. My wife and I are close to being 20 years married.

    Greetings from London.

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    1. Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Congratulations. In today's world, twenty years of marriage is quite an accomplishment. :)

      Greetings right back atcha.

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  22. Congratulations! Wishing you the happiest of anniversaries. As Nietzsche said, “It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.” You and Smarticus clearly have nothing but joy ahead.

    VR Barkowski

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    1. Thanks! If nothing else, we're gonna suck up all the joy we can now to sustain us later, because some sorrow is always inevitable.

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  23. Oh My Goodness !
    Congratulations
    You and Smarticus are very lucky that your found each other.
    Now on to the next 46 years !

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Thanks! Yes, we are VERY lucky. (Partly because HE was a "steam roller" who TOLD me we were getting married...)

      Cheers!

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    2. hahahahahahahahahaha Thank Goodness it worked out !

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  24. That Red Skelton advice was hilarious, even all these years later.

    And a huge congratulations on your anniversary! That's so amazing. The wife and I actually just celebrated our 4 year anniversary 2 days ago, and I admit, it feels like a mere drop in the bucket. I can only imagine what it feels like to know and love someone for that long.

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    1. Congratulations on your fourth anniversary. Believe it or not, 46 years feels like a drop in the bucket, too. For us, our life together has gotten better and better, and the years have passed much too quickly.

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  25. I love the pictures, Susan.

    Boy, didn't those years go by quickly. As you said, when you think about approaching that 50 year mark, it is almost unreal. Unlike you, I didn't know my husband very long before we got married (our wedding was our 30th date) but here we are about to celebrate our 48th anniversary. Patience and a sense of humor has gotten us through - at least on my part.

    Congratulations and I wish many more years of bliss to you two smart asses.

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    1. Thanks, Arlene.

      Yes, those years have flown on by. Well, not knowing your hubby very long sure didn't affect the longevity of your marriage, did it? Then again, thirty dates is quite a lot. In many ways, my hubby was such a changed man when he came home from Vietnam, it was almost like starting from square one.

      Thanks. Same to you.

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  26. Wonderful, funny post and great pictures. Happy anniversary!

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  27. Happy 46th anniversary, Susan! Today my tardiness paid off, as I'm actually on time! Hope you and "Smarticus" have been celebrating all weekend long! It's always fun to see your lovely wedding photos, and I hope my waist looks half as good as yours when we reach our 46th! BTW, my mom also got a kick out of your "annoy and enjoy" comment!

    Julie

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    1. Thanks, kiddo! We had a terrific weekend. As for the waist? Be careful what you wish for!

      I'm glad to hear the comment was mom-approved. :)

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  28. Happy Anniversary! 46, you are to be congratulated! Loved the post, so funny. As my hubby says - 'best two years of his life' - we've been married for 34 years. So glad I didn't miss the opportunity. Such beautiful photo's - love the dress! Hope you weekend is AMAZING!

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    1. Thanks! Sounds like you're married to a smart ass, too. (The best kinda guy!)

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  29. Wow ! Nice to know that your marriage is 46 years old now, a long journey indeed. Wish you many more happy anniversaries to come :)

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  30. Congratulations and Happy Anniversary!! Lovely pictures. :)
    And I want to play Smart Ass now LOL. Never heard of it before but that's a game for me, no doubt.

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    1. Thanks!

      Smart Ass is a cool game, because it's a fast-moving kinda simple trivia game that even people who don't usually like trivia games can enjoy.

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  31. Hey Susan,

    You can breath a gigantic sigh of relief. Yep, shy and humble Gary has arrived to leave a mercifully brief comment. At gone four in the morning, it's bound to brief.

    Wow, hearty congrats on your wedding anniversary. However, there has to be a typing error. You aren't even 46 years old, he states with such charm.

    Nice one, dear Susan.

    Goodnight from lil' ol' England.

    Gary

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    1. Hear that? That's my gigantic sigh. (Sorry about the onions on my breath.)

      Thank you. You're right. My hubby married me when I was but a mere zygote. :)

      Cheers!

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