Milestones

Hello readers! Christine Johnson here to talk about the milestones in our lives. At my house, the flowers are blooming and the birds chirping. It’s May, and in this part of the world, it’s prime time for engagements, weddings and graduations.  Many people are celebrating a milestone of some type.

Later this summer, my husband and I will celebrate our 25^th anniversary.  Ten years ago, a retired pastor surprised us with the trophy in the picture. He said it was important to celebrate our 15 years together in the same way that an athlete celebrates a victory in a sporting event. So he came up with the idea of an anniversary trophy and gave them to couples who’d reached an important anniversary. Needless to say, we were deeply touched.

I write stories set in the early 1920s and wondered about milestone celebrations in that time. According to Emily Post’s 1922 book on etiquette, like today the first anniversary was marked with gifts of paper. The fifth was wood, and the tenth tin, but none of these invited serious gifts. Instead the gift-giver usually gave something symbolic or even humorous until the couple reached their crystal anniversary at 15 years.

My upcoming November book is set in 1922 and marks a different kind of milestone. In that month ninety years ago, archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the entrance to King Tutankhamun’s tomb.  News of the discovery swept through the world press.  Before long, even fashion was influenced by the riches found in that tomb.  People became obsessed with treasure hunting, and my heroine, Anna Simmons, is no different.  She dreams of finding a hidden treasure to pull her family from financial trouble, but tiny Pearlman couldn't possibly hide a lost fortune, could it?

So what milestones will you be celebrating in the coming months?  Any graduations, new jobs, weddings, career milestones, anniversaries, birthdays or anything else coming up?

25th Wedding Anniversary

Terri Reed here, in 2013 I'll be celebrating my 25th Wedding Anniversary. My husband asked me tonight if I'd given any thought to what or where we should go to celebrate. We've been saving up air miles and he's been accumulating hotel reward points. So with the whole world to choose from I'm having trouble narrowing it down. Do I want to go to Europe--Italy, France, Germany? Do I want to go to Scotland, Ireland and Whales? Do I want to go to Australia, Greece, or the Virgin Islands? Do I want to go exploring in castles and museums?Ride a bike through countryside? Or go to the outback, lay on a beach, hike a mountain? Do I want to scuba dive or relax by the pool? Help! There's too many choices.

Anyone have suggestions? Tips? Fun and exciting and romantic places you've been to that you can recommend?

My next book comes out in June. Here's the cover. Isn't great? The art department did a wonderful job of capturing my image of the hero and heroine and the lighthouse.

What makes a marriage last?

Pat Davids here.

It’s quite a question, isn’t it? What makes a marriage last? I’m a romance writer. I should have the answer to that one, shouldn’t I?

Not really. I write about falling in love. Not about staying in love.

The couple in the picture with me are my parents. Clarence and Joan Stroda. They’re celebrating 60 years together this month. That’s quite an accomplishment.

I think it’s my mother’s smile that has kept them together. Isn’t she the cutest little Bohemian Grandmother? The spiffy dude is my dad. Tough, funny, hardworking. A born and bred farmer who’s still out in the fields every day. He told me once he never planned to retire because people who retire die. He's a stubborn man.

There’s always a lot of laughter in my family. I think laughter is a big part of that special glue that keeps couples together. That, and pure stubbornness. The good Lord gave me a large potion of both.

My husband and I are heading toward 37 years together. On our 10th anniversary, he looked at me and said, “Thanks for seven wonderful years, Pat.”
I said, “Honey, it’s been ten years.”
He said, “I know, but three of them were dreadful.”
I knew which ones he was talking about. They were tough years but we were too stubborn to quit. And you know what? Things got better.

So what do you think it takes to keep a marriage going for sixty years?

Lyn Cote--Wish me a Happy Anniversary!

Today is the day I married my dh THIRTY-SIX, that's right 36 years ago. Yikes! That's a long time! We were married in Waukegan IL at my home church. I wore white and my groom wore a blue patterned polyester tux. Ah, those were the days, the seventies. GRIN

One special memory of that day. After the wedding we drove to Steve's grandmother's house. She was in her late eighties and didn't go out much. The little children in the neighborhood saw us go into her house. When we came out, they have formed sort of a conga line down from the steps to the curb. And with one arm and one foot out like dancers, they chanted: "Happy Anniversary! Hey!" Hilarious! I waved to all of them as I swept into our "limo." (We didn't rent a limo. Our cars were such old beaters that we borrowed a friend's parents' car for the wedding!)

Tonight we're going to attend a George Winston concert in our little town. We have a art center in an old church downtown. Last year GW performed here because he had an open day between a Chicago and Minneapolis concert. He enjoyed playing at such an intimate venue that he promised to return! And his concert will be for the benefit of our local food pantry. So I'm really looking forward to tonight! Here's a sample from You Tube!




Questions for you:
Did you enjoy that?
How long have you been married?
Any memories of that day you'd like to share?