A new chapter begins . . . .

A year ago Harry was called to serve in the Arcadia Stake Presidency.  At the time of the calling, President Magnusson said, "I don't know how long this call will be - could be a year, could be six months."  (Since the call was to be second counselor, replacing President Steimle, who was moving.)

When the letter came a few weeks ago announcing that there would be a new stake presidency called, we figured that the year was up - just as President Magnusson had predicted.  Harry was glad for the year of experience with President Magnusson and President Cornwall, and was busy thinking of names to recommend for consideration for a new stake president.  We were both pretty certain that they would be looking for a "younger" man!

We took the usual ribbing about how Harry had better watch out or he'd be called - an LDS phenomenon of predicting calls to certain positions in the church!  (I recall many years ago when we had only been married for a few years.  I told Harry to watch out - that someday he'd be called to be Scoutmaster.  His response was that would never happen - there were too many men who wanted that calling! I can't recall the context for such a remark, but I'm sure there was one!  At any rate - fast forward to 1979 and our move from Utah to Monrovia - and Harry's call as Scoutmaster!!  Got some chuckles and "I told you so's" from that one!)

Imagine my surprise - and Harry's too based on his demeanor - when we got a call Saturday to return for another interview with Elder Falabella of the 1st quorum of the Seventy and Elder Sabin of the 5th quorum of the Seventy!  

After the call, Harry commented that he was taken by surprise - was sure they would be looking for someone younger.  I love Elder Sabin - who said, "The Lord doesn't look on the stature of a man, but rather on his heart!"  That certainly rang true with me!

Saturday night's meeting was great, we enjoyed dinner with the visitors and members of the stake presidency.  Sunday morning we had some great teaching and counsel from both of these men, and then we had a great Stake Conference.  Noah came and brought Helen, which made it easier and less stressful for Harry and me.  Bonny came too, and of course Harry, Dawn and family were with us.  The setting apart was a sweet experience - Bruce and the girls were able to join us too.  After we enjoyed some great family time for lunch and dinner at our house.

So we've had a couple of days of intense thought, prayer, feeling, emotion - and now it's Monday - the start of a new week.

We'll keep you posted!!

Happy Anniversary to us!

I suppose some would say that starting out life together - in front of a chalkboard - might seem a little tacky.

But you know, it hasn't made a shred of difference.

Although I never could persuade my kids to have a reception at an institute building with a handy, dandy chalkboard for them to stand in front of!

Valentine Memories!!

I post it every year - it's still the best Valentine I ever came up with!!

 

"Grow old with me, the best is yet to be!!"

Robert Browning

Music for a Beautiful Saturday

We attend the Messiah Sing Along each year with the LA Master Chorale at the Disney Concert Hall.  It's a long-standing family tradition which we once again enjoyed this year.  For the last two years, however, there has been a perk for the ticket buyer - which is me - that includes a series of 3 concerts.  

We usually choose the full Messiah, which we like to attend close to our wedding anniversary, since that's how we celebrated our first anniversary.  And for the last two years, we've chosen a matinee concert in January as the third concert.

This year featured the Bach B Minor Mass, a really exquisite piece of music, that was done beautifully by the choir and the orchestra.  The acoustics in the hall are wonderful, and they certainly added to the beauty of the afternoon.  The soloists were all from the ranks of the Chorale itself, and they too did fine job.

Prior to the matinee, we lunched at Phillipe's and scored with a parking place and no wait in line!  That and the beautiful SoCal day - winter in January that is like winter nowhere else - made it a perfect day.

We topped it off by going out to Bonny and Bruce's to pick up the blessing dress - and got a lovely dinner there, as well as a nice visit.

I love Saturdays - especially Saturdays like this one!

46 years and still going strong!

I pretty much post the same photos every year because there was not a professional photographer at our wedding reception. And there wasn't one outside the temple either.  And it hasn't negatively impacted our life together either.

I'm not saying it's not nice to have lovely photos to remember everything wonderful - especially at a lovely occasion like a wedding. But it's not a requirement!!

We are living proof of that!

Happy 46 years together to both of us!!

Thank you very much!

Home again - now for the next adventure!!

(I guess we had to come home - no more room in the car for anything else!!)

We finally got home today at 3 p.m.  Our journey was almost exactly 17 days long - especially since we left on July 17th at 3 p.m.!!

Lots of fun times - lots of photos - but we have Betsy and kids here and the Clayton reunion tomorrow, so it will be Monday or Tuesday before I get to a full report.

It's good to get back to your own bed - but it was great to see and spend time with family and friends.  And to see some parts of the country I have never seen before!!

But there is "no place like home!!"

46 years ago today -

(If you read this blog with any regularity, you have noticed that whenever I post about our courtship and engagement, it is accompanied by this photo.  There is a good reason for this.  It is the only photo from our courtship and engagement!  I occasionally think I should ask Harry's sister if she has any old photos of us from that summer of '67, but I obviously haven't done that yet!!)

Today is July 14th.  It is Nola Neeley's birthday, it is Katie Cornwall's birthday, it is Alli and Meli's birthday, it is Bastille Day.  It is obviously a day for celebration.

And it is also the 46th anniversary of the day we got engaged.  This is not to be confused with the 46th anniversary of the day Harry proposed - that's a different day!!  I fixate on small details!!

Harry proposed on a Sunday night - and suggested we think and pray on it - and then come to a decision and talk about it on Friday night - when we had tickets for the Hollywood Bowl - tickets to see Rudolph Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn in Swan Lake!

And that is what we did.  He came for me on Friday night.  Of course I was a bundle of nerves.  We drove to get hamburgers on our way to the Bowl.  He didn't say anything about marriage.  I started thinking maybe I'd dreamed the whole thing.  I wasn't going to bring it up first!

Finally he said, "Well, so what do you think about it?"  And me?  I said, "About what?"  I am so clueless sometimes!  There was no offer of a ring.  There was no "set" for the event.  There were no photographers or videographers lurking in the trees.  But it was an unforgettable time.

We eventually communicated to one another that we would indeed like to be married to each other!!  We got to the Bowl, parked in a nearby residential neighborhood and walked to the Bowl.  We were skipping happily along under the tunnel and pretty pleased with ourselves.  We were at the Bowl this week, and I took note of the fact that going into and out of the Bowl has certainly changed a lot in the last 46 years!!

Much has changed in the last 46 years.  The nature of our relationship has changed - for the better.  The love we share has deepened and grown more significant.  There are a lot more of us claiming membership in the partnership.  We are both older and wiser about some things.

But the story and the excitement hasn't changed - thank goodness!!

45 years and counting!!

Okay folks, it's been 45 long wonderful years since this photo was taken - the start of a wonderful life together.

I go to the temple grounds now and see such elaborate photo taking sessions going on.  Harry's brother Jim grabbed my trusty Kodak Brownie and said, "Why don't I get a shot of the two of you in front of the temple?"

Sure glad he did!!

But we'd still be happily married even if there wasn't a photo!

Happy Anniversary!!

I think the party's still going on!!  Congrats you two on 4 years of wedded bliss!!

BE MINE!!

I'm pretty sure I post this every year - the one Valentine I made all by myself!! It dates to February of 1969 - which makes it - old!! (I still have the sweater from these photos - it's in a box at the shop -along with my BYU sweatshirt and they are also - old!)

I actually like Valentine's day - because I love heart-shaped sugar cookies with pink buttercream frosting and cinnamon sprinkles.

It's been a while since I made them though - and they are not Weight Watcher friendly, so I don't think I will make them anytime soon.

But that does not diminish my love for them.

And I love Harry too - even more than heart-shaped sugar cookies!

44 years ago today!

I'm pretty sure I use the same photos every year - there are only a handful of wedding pictures from the great day - so there aren't too many choices. But this is what we looked like then!!

And this is what we look like 44 years later!!

The women at Curves were duly impressed that I'd been married so long. One woman said, "That's a lot of years to be getting along with each other!"

(She doesn't know that Harry is a saint - you would think that I would have acquired more of his calm, patient demeanor!!)

But I do appreciate his good qualities - maybe not enough - but I try!!

Happy Anniversary to the "best man!!"

December 22, 1967

As Harry and I drive to the temple every other weekend, I often recall the day we drove there to be married.

And it never fails to make me smile over what was without a doubt the beginning of the best days of our lives!

"Allons enfants de la patrie . . ."

I love Bastille Day. And not because I'm French - because I'm not!

But Dad and I got engaged on Bastille Day in 1967 - so it's always a time for grateful and happy reflection.

Wish I had a photo of the happy occasion - you will just have to take my word for it!!

In the news!!

Never let it be said that Dad and I were never in the news!!

This is from today's LA Times - an article about the closing of the Pasadena Playhouse - and it's a shot from last night's show - Dad and I are in the lower right hand corner as you face the picture - if I knew how to circle things I would! We are 2nd and 3rd from the right on the last row you can see in the picture. And you can only see the backs of our heads - but hey, it's exposure!! (Obviously clicking on it makes it easier to see!)