"Getting to Know You"

Someone posted a link to this song "Getting to Know You" (from The King and I) on Facebook last night, and it sure brought back some sweet memories for me.

A little over 51 years ago I met my hubby at the community college where we were both attending. I was a new freshman, and he was finishing up his second year there when we met. We were introduced by a mutual friend, who quickly disappeared, leaving us to converse and get acquainted. As our somewhat funny, enlightening and very interesting  conversation progressed, we discovered many things that we both enjoyed, music being one of them. This led to a walk to the music building on campus, where we somehow (? details escape me as how that happened) discovered a copy of the music for this song, "Getting to Know You", and we both proceeded to sing it together!  At the time I don't think I thought about the fact that this song was from a hit musical movie, "The King and I", and that "Anna" was singing it to the children in her care.  It just seemed like an appropriate song for two young people who were just getting to know each other to sing to each other...and one thing led to another...and before the day was over I had accepted a date with this tall, dark, handsome young man...and now some 51 years later I am sitting here, with that same tall, dark, handsome "mature" man sitting in the next room while I write...
     
Here are some pictures from the college yearbook at that time: John, working really hard!                                                                        
                           ⤋                                       ➷

"Finals means burning midnight oil for John"

That's me, busily working in art class........➷

                                                                       

              Me, during "Rat Week" ,                 ⤋ the ritual all new freshmen have to endure as initiation to college

and then if you read below, within about four months from our first date this happened:

                                                                                            ⤋

I wrote more about this last year at this time HERE, and my intentions at the time last year were to post more stories leading up to our wedding, which on last August 16th (2019) we celebrated our Golden Wedding Anniversary!  Well, my good intentions were quickly put aside as we were in the process of trying to sell our house this time last year, and my scrapbook was packed away and things just got really busy, and I wasn't able to continue this saga.  Perhaps I will try again this year...I may have more time in the near future to reminisce a bit, and now I know where the scrapbook is (I found the box in the guest room closet when cleaning for company)...so I will try to continue the story a little at a time at appropriate moments. Valentine's Day is coming up next week, along with my hubby's birthday, so that got me to thinking about this, especially after my friend posted that song on Facebook last night!  I wish I could have recorded us singing that to each other 51 years ago. I don't know that we would sound quite the same today...but then again...maybe we should try!

So, as you get closer to Valentine's Day, does this bring up some happy memories for you? Or is there a "special song" that makes you think of your beloved? Would love to hear your stories!

Getting to Know You

It's a very ancient saying

But a true and honest thought

That if you become a teacher

By your pupils you'll be taught

As a teacher I've been learning

You'll forgive me if I boast

And I've now become an expert

On the subject I like most

Getting to know you

Getting to know you

Getting to know all about you

Getting to like you

Getting to hope you like me

Getting to know you

Putting it my way

But nicely

You are precisely

My cup of tea

Getting to know you

Getting to know all about you

Getting to like you

Getting to hope you like me

Getting to know you

Putting it my way

But nicely

You are precisely

My cup of tea

Getting to know you

Getting to feel free and easy

When I am with you

Getting to know what to say

Haven't you noticed

Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?

Because of all the beautiful and new

Things I'm learning about you

Day by day

Songwriters: Oscar Ii Hammerstein / Richard Rodgers

Getting to Know You lyrics © Concord Music Publishing LLC

Valentine's Day Fifty Years Ago! (Friday Foto Friends!)

Yikes! I totally forgot today was Friday and I didn't do a special "Friday Foto Friends" Post, so I guess this will have to be it. Most of you have already seen it since last night. Sorry I totally forgot today was Friday!!

Now, let's try to remember how to get over to Deb's place at Breathing in Grace and see what our other Friday Foto Friends have been up to!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Do you remember where you were and how you celebrated Valentine's Day fifty years ago?

I sure do...

Fifty years ago I was a newly engaged young lady (engaged on January 25, 1969), and here I am with my sweetheart, celebrating his 21st birthday, which was on February 16th...so we celebrated our engagement, Valentine's Day, and his birthday all at once.

It was a very exciting time!!

Today it hit me that this was all fifty years ago, because this year will be our 50th wedding anniversary on August 16, 2019!  We met and had our first date in October of 1968, and by January 25th, 1969, we were engaged! It was a whirlwind courtship and engagement...but it must have been ordained by God, because we are still here together fifty years later!!

So I was looking through our scrapbook of our first year together, and reminiscing about our first Valentine's Day.  If you can read the newspaper clipping above, I saw this recipe for a heart shaped cake  and baked it for my sweetie on Valentine's Day.  Then we had the other big cake on his birthday two days later, at a family party at his Aunt Nellie's house.  That was the first time both sides of the family were together...my parents met his parents for the first time...and it was an exciting time for all.

Not long after we  put our engagement announcement in the local newspapers:

And then the fun began. 

But I won't share all the details of showers and parties and plans now. Maybe I will do that as a series over the next few months leading up to our anniversary. After all, we only have a 50th Wedding Anniversary once in a lifetime! So we might as well spend a little time celebrating and remembering.  We are not planning to have any big party to celebrate. I would like to take a trip somewhere. But these are things we are still talking and "dreaming about".  

Here is the birthday card I gave to my sweetheart on his 21st birthday, as we were "looking to this day"...

Some pretty poignant thoughts as we were envisioning what our life would be together:

Little did we know at that time just where the Lord would take us on this journey of the next fifty years.

I like what the card said:

"But today, well lived, makes every yesterday

A dream of happiness, 

and every tomorrow a vision of hope."

Here we were on Easter Sunday of that year, at my family home, after attending church together, looking forward to our dream of happiness and a vision of hope.

I thank the Lord that we started our life together seeking God's plan for our lives.

It hasn't always been an easy road...actually quite the opposite many times...

But He has never failed us.

So very thankful for my sweetheart, and for the years God has blessed us with.

We truly have been blessed.

Rejoice With Us!

Romans 12:15 a. "Rejoice with those who rejoice..."

Psalm 28:7

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; 

My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, 

and with my song I will praise Him."

Psalm 30:11

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness."

Psalm 30:5

"Weeping may endure for a night, 

but JOY comes in the morning."

What is all of this about? You may not fully comprehend the joy that I feel today!  Our oldest son has announced his engagement to a lovely young Christian woman...and we are rejoicing!

 Rejoicing because  this is definitely something to be happy about!  Rejoicing because this is an answer to many years of prayer! Rejoicing because God is so gracious and loving and kind...

You may not understand why this is such a big deal...but it is...and we give God the glory and honor and praise...for Great Things He Hath Done!!!

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh..." 

Mark 10:7-8

The engagement ring they have chosen is a combination of both of their birthstones, each cut into a heart shape. Very beautiful and uniquely their own.


P.S.  The two roses came from our Memorial Garden. Kind of an "engagement gift" from Benton's brother Matthew in heaven ....Roses for Rose and Benton...the first blooms of this year on this bush.

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad!" 

 Psalm 126:3

Rejoice with us!