Mom and Dad's 63rd Anniversary

Had my mother lived, March 4th would have been their anniversary.  I always hesitate to make much of it, especially now that she is gone.  Theirs was a very rocky road.  I don't carry many happy memories between the two of them.  My father is not and has not been one to celebrate such things... or Christmas, or Birthdays...so it was, for me, something I recognized for her, not him.  ( If you've read me for any length of time, I have shared that when we lived in South Carolina, I called her local florist and had flowers delivered for an anniversary, signed "Your favorite daughter".  They only have 2.... Mom guessed wrong.   I had forewarned my sister so to us,  it was funny.  I was out of state, the florist was local so she just assumed it was my sister.  So..... the next year.... I did it again.  You would think she would have known then.  Nope!   My sister got the credit then too.  So that was a running joke for years.  Mom was not happy.  We were laughing at her and she did not appreciate it.  (We did.)

This photo was taken of Gerald and Nancy in May of 1950.  Mom was 19, Dad may have had his 22nd, May 26th Birthday.  Mom would be 20 in June and I would arrive in July.  They look happy.  They had left all they knew of family and friends in Missouri, in the rear view mirror,  as they made their way to Flint, Michigan so Dad could work for General Motors. 

I have mentioned previously that they were married March 4th, 1949, when they were 18 and 21.  They had only dated a few weeks.  They eloped, with friends serving as their witnesses.  Then, (my grandmother told my sister and I when we were in our 20s...that they kept the marriage secret,and went home to their respective parent's homes for 3 months.   I've never gotten a straight answer on the "whys" of that.  I think I need to sic  YFS (your favorite sister...) on that with my dad.

This is from their 25th anniversay party that my sister planned.  YFS, Mom, dad, my brother and me, March, 1974.


My father will be 85 in May.  I wonder if he even knew that anniversary has passed.

Random Thoughts

While I was taking some time off from blogging, I kept reading, hearing and seeing things on Television that spurred me to ask " Are You Kidding Me?"

So here, I am back to ask you what you think about this.

1.  In Alabama, the "Honeymoon Husband", Gabe Watson was set free after serving 18 months in an Australian prison while he waited trial for killing Tina,  his bride of 11 days.  Charges were dropped because the prosecution did not have enough evidence to prosecute.

He had taken her scuba diving off the coast of Australia, after she had completed only a few shallow water lessons ( where she had panicked) , and Tina had drowned.  He was a "rescue diver" and he left her on the bottom of the ocean while he went to get help. he says.  Remember seeing the photo of her lying on the bottom of the ocean floor, through the pretty blue water?  He had promised her family he had stayed with her all 40 minutes it had taken to get her from the ocean to rescue on shore, when , in fact, he had been on another boat.....not with his wife.  This guy is going to be on 20/20 tonight. (Friday)

 Her father had stated that Gabe wanted her to take out more life insurance and to make him the beneficiary of the insurance she did have.  She had done neither.    Her father inherited.

I say...if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...well then...It must be a lying - no good - darn duck! 

2.  This brings me to the gut wrenching case of Josh Powell, husband of the missing Susan Powell, that blew up his 2 sons after he took an axe to them, and himself in the explosion of his house.   I know you remember this one.  He "took his two toddler sons "camping" in a blizzard the night his wife disappeared.  Only recently had the older son drawn a picture of the Dad with the boys camping.  When the teacher asked "where's Mom?", the little guy responded. "In the trunk."    Josh's father had been arrested on having child porn in the home where he and the children had been living after he had packed up and moved from Utah (after he had donated or dumped all of Susan's possessions,  to Washington.  The boys were delivered to him that day by their social worker.  My heart goes out to that woman and to the family of Susan Powell.  

3.  As if these weren't enough... then there was the murder of the wife, Monica,  of Survivor Producer, Bruce Beresford-Redman, in Cancun at the Moon Palace resort.  Having been a travel agent, I can say, the Palace resorts are high end.  They are not cheap. You are not going to get riff raff staying here.

  Her body was found under a covered sewer not far from the couples room.Not next door close, but still inside the resort area.  She was naked and had been beaten to death. He says she left that morning at 8am to go "shopping"(her cell phone was in the room)  and by 10pm, 14 hours later, she was still not home. Then he says he started looking for her. He had surrendered his passport to Mexican authorities (right?) but still managed to get back across the border to his home in sunny California.

  He has since been detained and is now in a Cancun jail, purported to be a "dangerous and vile" place. (Good)  I, for one, would not vacation in Mexico for any reason, resort or not, but that's just me.  My daughter and her family did, recently spend a grand time in a Cancun resort, but this Nana did not rest easy until they were home. 

There seems to be mixed witness statements on his guilt.  He had been having an affair, loud noise and loud voices were heard coming from their room.  They had their 2 young children with them.  The neighboring room had called the front desk to complain but no one was sent to check out the noise. Ole Bruce says they were playing a game jumping fro one bed to another, as a 6'6" man (or there abouts...he is a big man) is likely to do.  Doesn't your husband jump on the beds in your hotels?  Sure... right...all the time. 

I think they are all guilty.  I would not be chosen for these juries...  that's for darn sure.  I would add them to the list of O.J., Drew Peterson, and Casey Anthony... all got away with murder...in my humble opinion.

4.  Bristol Palin, mom of a toddler now and daughter of Rep. former Alaskan Gov... (she quit, remember that?)  and running mate of John McCain, what were you thinking?)  is going to have her own reality show on the Lifetime Network.  Seriously!  What has she done other than be a teen Mom and  Dancing With the Stars?  She did get "jaw" surgery which seemed more like an excuse for a lypo sculpting thing to me.  I think this show will be as interesting as watching paint dry.

5.  OK.... Angelina's leg at the Academy Awards.   Trying a little too hard?  I think so. 

6.  Lindsay Lohan confirms she will play Elizabeth Taylor in a made for TV movie.  Oh. My. Goodness.    The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday and Mean Girls ......    That's what she's bringing to the table.   Tell me this isn't so.  I could see Kate Beckinsale  or Katie Perry even....but not Lindsay.  Probably because these other women have a career, not a "time served" on their resume.

I think that's enough.  Look what happens when I take time off.  Now I can't shut up.