Yesterday found me searching for a copy of an old contract, which I ended up not finding. That search took me to my file cabinet in the office, long ignored, and I tossed tons of paper, documents, and old files that are no longer needed – that kind of thing.
But I did find something I’ve been searching for. I probably should wait to post this until our official anniversary, which is October 12th, but what the heck!
A photo of Don and me on the day we met, during our very first conversation:
There is Don, with an impressive tan (he’d just finished working on a play in Arizona). There’s the shirt he has worn on each consecutive July 4th, and only on July 4th.
We’d spent the day at our friend Kathy’s house at the beach. At this point in the day, it had become much cooler outside, so I threw on my BU sweatshirt. I’m not sure what’s on my jeans – looks like paint. That’s my dear friend Rick next to me. We worked together at BU, were hired at the same time to work in San Diego, and he still heads up the MFA program there. (We both found the loves of our lives right around the same time. Isn’t that lovely?)
There’s the photo date stamp in the lower right hand corner.
I didn’t know this photo existed until about 5 years later, when Jonathan McMurtry, a wonderful actor that we’ve known for years, put it in an envelope and left it in my mailbox at the Globe. Needless to say, we were thrilled that we had some documentation of the day that quite literally changed our lives.
Gosh, I was skinny in those days!
We’d been having a conversation about the fact that we were now in our forties and we couldn’t believe we were that old.
Oh, Don and Claudia! Now you look at this photo and think how young you were!
I’ll share it again on our anniversary. Promise.
Nancy asked for a photo of the zinnias. Here’s one. I’ll take more.
Today I counted 13 morning glory blooms. It’s a rainy Sunday, so I didn’t take a picture of them, but I do have more to share with you over the coming days.
Like this one.
We took a trail walk yesterday, where we saw our old friends munching on their dinner.
They’re shy. When they saw me, they turned their heads away from me. One of them is the mother, the other is the son. Aren’t they beautiful?
Rest in Peace to the great Edward Albee, a playwright who had an enormous influence on a young actress finding her way in the world of theater. I acted in his plays, I loved his words. I heard him speak during my time in Philadelphia and I’ll never forget that day. Bravo.
Happy Sunday.
Love the picture of your first conversation. When I see old pictures of my husband all those feeling of love and good times come floating back. We have been married now for 46 years!
Good for you, Doris! xoxo
That is a priceless photo of you and Don! I met my husband in the eighth grade, though I didn’t see him in that light at first—it took me until the eleventh grade to see him for real. Fifty years later, we are both unrecognizable!
Oh, I understand! I look very different than I did in eleventh grade! Congrats to you both!
Thanks, Claudia…it’s been a long and winding road.
xo
What a great blast from the past! I just love finding old pics like that. Until I realize…I don’t look like that anymore! But, the memories that they bring back….priceless! Enjoy your Sunday! ;)
Well, I’m a helluva lot grayer than I was in this picture. I miss my brown hair!
How wonderful to have that photo of your first conversation! You both look so happy and young! LOL!! It truly was meant to be with you two. Oh the flowers are looking so pretty, enjoy these days as they bloom. It’s quiet this afternoon and I didn’t sleep well last night so I think there is a nap in my future!!
hugs!
I hope you got that nap, Linda! We’ve been out and about, but it’s really humid here today (storms are coming) and we’re beat!
That’s one to treasure, isn’t it? Oddly, my eyes were drawn to the curtains. I puzzled over that for a few minutes before realizing the same ones hung in this very room a eons ago.
Ah! My friend Kathy had the most wonderful little beach cottage – DIY decorating, cobbled together, whites before they were in. I just loved it there.
Were you sitting down first, and he came over to chat….. or was it the other way around? Do you remember how that moment happened? What fun to come across a piece of our past when we least expect it!
Still jealous of your MG’s….. I have ONE blooming today…. yay???????????? Have a good Sunday!
No, he was sitting in that exact spot and every time I came into the room, he smiled at me. Finally, I thought, ‘What the heck!’ and I went over to him and sat down. We started talking together and we pretty much haven’t stopped since! I’m clearly smitten – you can tell by the look on my face.
As for the MGs, I’ve never had a summer like this one, with so many blooming at once!
What a treasure that photo is…Claudia..you don’t look much different except for your hair..and Don..congratulations on being able to fit into the same shirt for these years..lol…Thanks for the shot of the Zinnias…so bright and cheerful…That MG looks like it could burst open at any second…
Well, I weigh quite a bit more than I did in those days. Hair is still about the same length, though (it’s certainly been shorter in the intervening years.)
I love the picture. Thanks for sharing it. Although you may be older, you and Don have not really changed.
Thank you, Mary! Oh, to be that young and slim again!
Wow, how many people actually have a photo of the very first time they met! In our generation at least? Not all that many I bet. Going forward however, and now that many of us take photos of virtually everything, at virtually every opportunity, this will be changing – LOL! My parents met in 1954, reaching for the same jar of French’s mustard in a little old-timey general store along the shore of Lake Ontario, when each of them was spending the weekend with family who had summer places there. I’m sure “Kodak moment” was the furthest thing from their minds at the time. You should definitely frame that photo of yours though. You’d be chronicling history – your own.
PS I love your shy equine mother-and-son neighbors – so sweet. “No photographs – please….” Like celebrities spotted on the streets of New York, they don’t want a fuss. Just want to be able to walk down the street like everyone else. Only your friends just want to hang out and enjoy their quiet country life. Makes me wish I had some nice tender carrots for them. 🐴
We are definitely planning on framing it, Janet.
Love the story of how your parents met, Janet! It’s as if it came from a movie plot!
I know, right? I’ve thought it was a great story ever since I first heard it, when I was about 10-ish. Started my interest in ‘How People Met’ stories & I’ve been annoying people with this question ever since. I even took to calling my parents “Lady & the Tramp” because reaching for that single jar of mustard reminded me of the two Disney dogs eating spaghetti & reaching the end of the pasta at the same time. LOL.
xo
Great photo and memories. I love the date. We married 9/4/94. You still look the same!
Not quite the same, but thank you, Karen!
I enjoyed reading about Mr. Albee today; I didn’t know much about his background and it had escaped me that he’d won three Pulitzers.
Love the morning glory in its cuddled state; curled up as if not yet wanting to be of the world around it.
Such a fun photo of you and Don. Cute couple. I often look back at photos and think how thin I was…at a time when I thought I wasn’t.
You might get this message twice; it doesn’t seem to want to post as a comment. Strange.
If you could sprinkle some fairy dust my way and magically cure my headache today, I’d be really grateful. My head wound is healing from the outside, but it doesn’t feel so great inside. Apple picking continued today without me. And it’s hot; we were 90 degrees at 1:00pm PST. Makes me feel worse. Your rain sounds nice; nourishing. I miss the smell of rain; the sound of it. I’ll do some mental imagery and imagine it falling on your greenscape by the horses. I guess I’ll remember what rain is, if it ever rains here again in SoCalif.
Usually if the comment doesn’t want to post it has to do with your connection or your browser.
Hope you’re feeling better soon, Vicki. I know this recovery must be very difficult.
Photos can be so magical when they capture a moment in ones life. You’ve probably had that scene in your head for decades, and now it’s been brought to life! I don’t remember when I actually met my love, but I do know it was in the 3rd grade, when we were finally put in the same classroom. My Mom always liked and then loved him….she said he was the only little boy who gave his Mom a kiss before letting go of her hand and running into the schoolyard in the morning. I miss him.
I know you do. Sending you a big hug, Wendy.
How could the two of you even see one another, with all those stars in your eyes?
We definitely look smitten, Nancy!
That photo, and it’s story, is one you cannot tell too often! Isn’t it amazing how such a small thing as a smile started a wonderful love story?
Love all the pictures of your flowers. I miss having a place to grow flowers.
The Guardian has a good write up for Edward Albee.
Hope you and Don have a wonderful day.
So does the NY Times and several other publications. He was a game-changer and his power as a playwright cannot be overestimated.