31 Years Is a Long Time

June 6, 1977. Naples, Florida. We had 2 children together by then and still weren't married. Why? Why not? It was the 70s, I guess.

Then one day we decided to tie the old knot. In Florida a notary public could sign the certificate, perform the ceremony. Our friend who worked with us was a notary public. So, one day after work we stopped over to her house. Well, it wasn't quite as spontaneous as all that. We told her we were going to stop over on June 6 after work with license in hand, to get married. Would she marry us? She agreed. We got married in front of a couple of witnesses and a couple of friends. We went back to work the next day. We had no money back then to spare for a honeymoon. We lived paycheck to paycheck. But those were the days. (Last year we finally went on a honeymoon of sorts...to Belize).

Sandy, the notary public, decorated her house and her husband made a cake. I wasn't expecting that. It was so nice.

Anyway, these were the few photos someone attending snapped for us then so we could look back and remember. But we rarely remember to celebrate that day. And we missed it again this year. (I'm posting today, on the 9th, for the 6th). No need to celebrate just one day. We celebrate most every day. Don't we, honey?

I remember this is what I read at our little wedding ceremony:

On Marriage
Kahlil Gibran

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.


Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.


Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.


P.S. - It's strange. With photoblog down last week I got behind on posting pictures for each day. I've been trying to catch up, but left June 6 blank. Don't ask me why. This a.m., since it is rainy outside once again, I decided to work on scrapbooks. I'm making a scrapbook all about me. And I decided to work on the page for our wedding. I started to scan the photos...laughed that we'd forgotten to celebrate once again...and then discovered June 6 had been left blank. So, here it is!