Thursday 19 June 2014

Five more things about me . . .



 photo MarieAliceToddlercropped.jpg

Not that this blog is all about me or anything, but you're getting five more things about me this week, again . . .  hope you don't mind!  I don't think a little self examination is ever a bad thing.  I was about 16 months old or so in the photograph up there.   I feel sorry for that kitten . . . looks like I have somewhat of a stranglehold on it.  ☺

 photo MARIEWEDDINGCLOSEUP1975.jpg

This is me on my wedding day on the 24th of August 1974.  I had just turned nineteen eleven days prior to this, and I think I weighed about ninety five pounds, about 6 3/4 stone.  I never ever thought I was pretty when I was younger.   My hair was always too curly.  I had a mole on my upper lip that I hated. (You can just barely see it in the photo)  My lips were too thin, my nose too big . . .  I had no dimples except for the one in the middle of my chin, etc. etc.   I look at this photo now and I think.  Wow.  How could I have not seen that I was attractive?   I sure wish I still looked like that, not to mention was still that size!   Actually I was probably a bit too skinny.  My dress was borrowed.  It had been my ex sister in law's dress and veil for that matter.  It had been ballerina length on her.  It went to the floor on me.  It had a huge hoop crinoline underneath.  It really was a beautiful dress.

 photo MARIEWEDDINGFULL1975.jpg 

My bouquet was a spray of red roses that my ex mother-in-law put together that I carried on the bible which my father had given me for Easter when I was four years old.  That bible disappeared in the divorce.  I strongly suspect it was burnt because it meant so much to me, but I can't prove anything, and I try not to think about it.  The whole wedding was done on the cheap because I knew my parents didn't have a lot of money.  I think the most expensive thing was the reception and DJ for the dance.   My ex mother-in-law did all of the flowers from her gardens.  We made all of the church decorations ourselves, etc.  Sometimes I think back and wonder what advice I could give that young girl from almost 40 years in the future and that line from that film "The Help" comes to mind . . . "You is kind.  You is smart.  You is important."   Except I would add . . .  "You is beautiful and there is nothing you can't do."   

  To travel the USA. Especially California, Miami, LA, Florida and New York. 

I've secretly always wanted to be an American and to live in America.  It is a country I have greatly admired since I was a little girl.   We had family who lived in America that we visited several times, in New England (Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts).  I loved their way of life.   I have always loved their patriotism, and the way they celebrate everything.   The fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving . . .  they don't do anything small.  I like to do things big myself.  I would fit right in!

Cute red dishes from GreenGate! 
(source)

Red and white and blue and white are my two favourite colour combinations.   And I totally adore gingham, stripes and polka dots.  I could quite happily live in a house that was all red and white, or all blue and white . . .  not to mention covered in polka dots, gingham and stripes.   Not sure what it would look like and people would probably think I was crazy, but . . . I'd be quite content!

Aunt Bea, (Frances Bavier) The Andy Griffith Show 

When I was a girl I wanted to be Aunt Bea.  To those of you who wouldn't know, Aunt Bea was a much beloved character in an American Sitcom called the Andy Griffith Show.   Andy was the sheriff in a make believe town in North Carolina called Mayberry.  He had a young son (Ron Howard) and he was a widower.  His Aunt Bea came to live with them to help care for the house and them.  She was the perfect picture of domesticity.  She was a great home-maker and cook.  She sang in the church choir.  She wasn't perfect like June Cleaver, with nary a hair out of place.  She was a bit more real than that.   She was sweet and loveable and human.  She was quite overweight fluffy.  She loved Andy and Opie (Ron Howard) and they knew it.  She was loyal and kind and generous.  She was a character I looked up to and who I wanted to emulate.  I think I'm almost there  . . .

˚ 

I love buttons.  I ADORE buttons, but white buttons are my most favourite buttons of all.   Especially pearlized white buttons.  I think they are all so beautiful.   I love old buttons and old lace.   I actually really do have a thing for white toilet paper, white sheets, white towels, white underwear, white night clothes and . . . white buttons. (With a bit of red and blue thrown in for good measure.  See it's that American thing . . .  again!  Red, WHITE and blue!)

What can I say???  It's just me!

A thought to carry with you through today . . .

✻ღϠ₡ღ✻(¯`✻´¯) 
          ✻ღϠ`*.¸.*₡ღ¸.✻
"Always serve letters with a cup of tea and a footstool."
~Macrina Wiederkehr ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻✻ღϠ₡ღ✻  

 photo SAM_5459_zpsc02a097c.jpg 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . . delicious Beef and Cheese Sarnies!  Oh boy were these ever tasty.  I'm afraid I made a big pig of myself with them.  Sigh . . .  when will I ever learn!

I wanted to thank you all again for your love and support.  I DO have the best readers in the world.  Ignoring the not so nice.  That's the way to be.

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░L░O░V░E⊰✿⊰✿⊰✿⊰✿⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ 

16 comments:

  1. You were such a beauiful young woman Marie. I wonder why it is we never see ourselves as others do...
    It's really nice looking intoo your "old" life and getting an insight into what you did etc.
    Looks like another lovely day down here. Blue sky with not a cloud to be seen.....so far....Masy lying in the sun looking so pretty with the colour of her hair all shiny....mind you it's getting a bit too hot for her and she will have to move very soon !! Have a great day xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Marie you were a stunning young lady. It is so sad that you felt your were not so. I am so happy to read your insights today.

    I filled in my forms and sent those applications into the university today.

    Have a blessed day.

    ReplyDelete
  3. awwww, thanks Sybil. That's so kind of you to say! It's dry here today, the sun hasn't come out totally yet, still a bit overcast and a lot cooler at 15*C so far. I expect it to get a lot warmer though! I am loving the sunshine! Mitzie is like Masy. She just loves to lay in a patch of sunlight! I think it is a dog thing!

    Suzan this is a very exciting time for you! I really applaud your efforts to go back to school. It will be a lot easier now with your father in the home. I hope he is adjusting well. xxoo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Marie I have only spoken with the home and they indicate he is settling. Mum misses him very much.

    I forgot to add that I, too, love white or tone on tone effects. It is so soothing. Especially when little feminine touches such as a frill of lace or flowers soften the effect.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That is great that he seems to be settling Suzan. I am sure your mom missed him very much. It is such a sad disease. :-(
    Love your thoughts on the white and tone on tone. It IS very soothing for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  6. These sandwiches look and sound wonderful! I would leave the mayo off as I am not a fan but just the toasted buns and the rest sound wonderful! Will have to try this one!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I hope that you give them a go Linda and that you like them as much as we did! xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. You really don't realize how pretty you were until you get older. I look back and see what beautiful lips I had - "had" I say.:) Why do your lips get thin when you get older I ask? In any case I digress - Marie you were beautiful then and you now have a beautiful soul. Go with it my friend and embrace it. On another note - I grew up in North Carolina and lived in a neighborhood much like Mayberry and people really were like Aunt Bea. If anything happened to one it happened to the entire neighborhood and people brought food and cared about one another. It was wonderful. I have very fond memories even though we did not have lots of money it was wonderful. Kids played out doors all day and we knew to be home by the time the street lights came on. Neighbors watched out for whatever kids were in their yard at the time. Too bad it isn't that way anymore. I love your ideals Marie.

    ReplyDelete
  9. So pretty!!!We married the same year! Me in June..I was 20.
    Simple wedding..cotton eyelet dress my friend made me..no veil..tea roses in my hair.City hall small wedding.. reception in our backyard.
    Sandwiches..SUPER simple..just family and maybe 5 friends.
    Would never have wanted a big wedding I think..no one i knew had married except one girl at 18.
    Your love of buttons is well known of me:)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Brenda!! You lived my dream! Wouldn't it be lovely if the world was still like Mayberry, and like the town you grew up in. Maybe that is what heaven will be like! One can but hope! Thank you so much for your kind comments!

    That was the times Monique! We did things simpler then. Not like the outrageous weddings they hold today. My ex boss spent in excess of £2 million on her daughter's wedding. Outrageous when you think of how much else could have been done with that money and they are no more married than you or I! I was the first of my friends to get married as well, but I think I opened a dam, because within a year I was Matron (sounds so old) of honor at two of my friends weddings!

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a beautiful bride you were Marie! I can see your sweet spirit peeking out from those pretty brown eyes. :-) As for the things you posted about yourself...all I can say is that we are two peas in a pod. We love the same things, places and colors, etc. Vermont is the one place I always said I wanted to live here in the US. Will write soon.

    ReplyDelete
  12. You are beautiful! What a lovely dress too. =) As an American, I can say, you would fit right in. =) I absolutely love Aunt Bea from Andy Griffith. We have the whole collection of that show. My nine year old son adores it. It is one of the few things he is allowed to watch on the Telly. Loved your post today. Blessings and sunshine, Valerie

    ReplyDelete
  13. Aunt Bee was a character, on screen and off. She and Floyd, the barber, couldn't stand each other and were constantly fussing and fighting behind the scenes. After the show went off the air, she came back East to NC, to live out her life as a "crazy cat woman". I've read she was a recluse and when she passed away, she was living with dozens of cats, not in very sanitary conditions. She was a fabulous on screen character and helped make that t.v. show what it was.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Aww thanks Valerie H! Oddly enough I had the jitters that day and wasn't sure I should go through with it. I'd had so much fun the night before on my hen night that I was having second thoughts, but my parents had spent quite a bit of money on the reception and food and I didn't feel I could back out. Should have gone with my gut instincts! It's uncanny how alike we are! Kindred spirits!

    Valerie, we have the whole series on DVD as well. Started collecting it about 10 years ago. Todd just loves it. He had never seen it, so it was all new to him. We have Leave it to Beaver too! Thanks for saying I'd fit in!

    Thanks for the inside scoop on Aunt Bea (Francis Bavier)! That sounds quite tragic in a way, but you are right, the show would not have been the same without her!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh, your wedding pictures are so BEAUTIFUL! I LOVE your dress, and I'm with you, how could you not know how lovely you were?? And still are, in my opinion. We're so hard on ourselves. I could drop 30 pounds overnight and still find something about my appearance to be unhappy about. Us women are just like that. It is so funny that you wished you could live in the USA, because I would switch places in a heartbeat!! I've ALWAYS wanted to live in Great Britain. As long as I can remember. I'll have to be satisfied with visiting. Oh, and I love buttons too. I always wanted a button collection, but it's kind of hard to collect them when you don't sew! :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. We have to get you over here April! That will be so much fun! xx

    ReplyDelete

Your comments mean the world to me, and while I may not be able to address each one individually, each one is important to me and each one counts. Thanks so much!