A Golden Day

Today my wife and I have our 50th Wedding Anniversary. Tomorrow evening we will celebrate it at the local Brewery with about 15 – 20 friends.
We were married on the 6th of May 1961 in Ramstein Germany. First there was the civil ceremony before the town Mayor. My Air Force buddy stood with me as my best man and acted as translator. He would tell me when to say, “Yes”. I suppose I could claim that I kneweth not what I doeth, but I’m glad I did what I did. After the civil ceremony, we were married at the base chapel. When I returned home to Pennsylvania, I was married again in our church. So, with three marriage ceremonies, I suppose it made it final.
I looked at our wedding pictures this morning with me in my Air force uniform. I went into the attic, out of curiosity to locate my uniform, hoping that it would still come close to fitting. To my surprise, it fit.
Tomorrow evening I will don my uniform (just the blouse and hat since the trousers were worn out many years ago) and present myself to my wife of 50 years. The hat feels tight, because my hair is much longer, but I can button the blouse completely without straining the buttons. That made my day.

If you were a bit closer, I would invite you to the celebration. In your absence, I will make a silent prost to you.

Abe

Posting pics will be almost as good.

5/6/2011


Abe..

I wish you and your wife a very happy Anniversary.
Have a great fun day..Have a drink on us..

Cheers..Joe..

Happy anniversary, Abe!

Happy Anniversary, Abe. I hope you have many more.

Thank you all. Today we received a number of visitors, all well-wishers. And, with each I offered a glass of Sekt (Champagne) Naturally I had to drink with them.

What a beautiful story. Congratulations for serving in the military, finding your bride and sharing a lifetime together. You have lived a pretty extraordinary life, and I'm glad you wrote about it so I know more about your history from your books.

I am sure your celebration will be wonderfully festive - if it were not for the expense and the nearly nine hours of air travel - I'd pop on over for a dark beer and a song or two.

Diane,
you would be welcomed with open arms - literally.
The invitation extends to my forum family of friends. Sorry, I can't pick up the travel tab, but rest assured the eats and drinks are on me.

I'll try to have someone take some pictures that I can post.

Memory lane is a fun thing, especially the good parts. I once remarked that it was not all roses, and Ann reminded me that with roses come thorns.

The beauty of the mind is that we have the choice to remember the best things and turn the worst into a misty past from which we extract only what we believe is still important.

Happy 50th, Abe and Gisela.

Ann

Congrats to you and Gisela. Fifty years seemed a long time fifty years ago, didn't it? I bet it went by faster than either of you expected.

Happy anniversary, Abe! Keep the champagne flowing! Great story. Can't wait to see the pictures.

Dear Abe and Gisela,
I hope you have a fine morning coming up. Fifty years. Those words make the time sound so very long. I know that years fly by and not very long ago you were at the wedding and now here you are drinking champagne with friends and wondering that the time has really past so fast. It never seems to be possible.

Love,
Betty

50 years of marriage is an accomplishment and I wonder if anyone will be able to claim it 20 or 30 years from now. So few people seem to get married anymore, they just have kids and live together. Then they split up. Women are satisfied being baby mamas or forever girlfriends. I wonder what caused this.

Reading the remarks of my author friends is a treat. As for the 50 years going by so quickly as Al remarked, yes they did. My son did some quick calculations and remarked that his birth was 9 months after the wedding. He did say, "I was born in the USA, but conceived in Germany." He will turn 50 next February, and is still single. I can't imagine a life without a partner to share in the good and bad of living. It's still not too late for him, and I hope he finds someone with whom he can share the rest of his life.

Duane is a fine young fifty-year-old man. You and Gisella did a good job raising him, and I know you are proud. Please include a picture of him in the pictures you post. I've talked with him on line but never met him.

Conceived in Germany and born in the USA? Hmm. Does Donald Trump know?

50 years is a triumph Abe congratulations.

Al,
since I don't think Duane will ever run for President, it won't matter. If he did, I suppose someone would want witnesses to the event. They would want a certificate, most likely in triplicate and a DNA test. DNA "Do Not Answer" would apply.

Did you have a grand affair? It's a poor time for a golden anniversary - the price of gold has never been higher that I know. That makes your "golden" even more valuable also.

This is Sunday morning. Last night we had a great time celebrating our Golden Anniversary with our family of friends here in Göcklingen.
My daughter, Christine, took pictures on her digital camera and when she sends them, I'll select a few to post.
Christine sang several songs, one of those being LOVE, made famous by Nat King Cole. She alsosang Amazing Grace, by request - a favorite of mine. (That song was posted on UTube, by Shelagh.)

My son, Duane and daughter, Christine opened the singing with "Happy Anniversary".

I doned my Air Force Blouse and hat and told my friends about the day 50 years ago and the subsequent three marriage ceremonies - very binding. Then by request that I sing, I sang, Wonderful World.

This is Abe singing Wonderful World:

That was very awesome! You sing beautifully, Abe!

Thanks Helen. The voice is not what it once was, but then I could say that about other body parts, eh?

I heard ,Satchmo, sing the song live in 1993. Abe, you…make the words come alive. I’m going to record your version.
A very happy 50th Wedding Anniversary to you, and you bride.

5/8/2011

Abe...

That was great singing......
" Happy Anniversary "


Cheers...Joe....