Today, Tim and I celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary.
I am not surprised we made 30 years. However, it does surprise me that we made it past the first date, and the second…this is my side of the story. If you want his side, he’ll tell you over on his blog today The Blind Date – His Side. Interesting how we each recall these events. 😉
September 1980
Kelly, a coworker came into the camera store and asked how I felt about blind dates.
“I don’t.” My response was simple. It was only a week after I started the job. I worked with this person for a total of thirteen hours. Not long enough to trust her judgment to set me up on a date.
“But, they’ll be here when we close in fifteen minutes,” Kelly protested my refusal.
They? What?
I didn’t really hear too much at that point, something about a guy named Greg and his friend, Tim. In fifteen minutes? Good grief!
Then they walked in. Early. Great. I was really annoyed and made my way over to the counter. I planned to politely apologize for my presumptuous coworker.
Tim was friendly, nice and funny. He was roped into this as well, something about Greg and begging. We laughed and decided to bail Greg out by being escorts for the date.
We saw a Charles Bronson movie, Borderline – enough said. Not a stellar start, we said our goodbyes and that was that.
A few weeks later, Tim showed up at my work and invited me to an Air Supply concert. Somehow, Kelly managed to rope some poor soul into going along. I thought she was his friend, he thought she was my friend. So it was, the four of us, as well as about couple dozen or so of his other friends. Nice intimate evening.
Then he asked me out again, but I was busy that night, told him I was going out with someone else. He thought I meant “going out” as regular dating boyfriend, I didn’t correct him and left it at that.
A few months passed and Terry, another coworker, was continually inviting me to join him and his friends on Saturday nights. I kept making excuses. I really didn’t have time for it, and I am not a crowd or party person.
Then one afternoon, I relented and accepted Terry’s invitation. He told me the party started at 9 pm on South Cow Creek Rd. I arrived on time. The road was more of a dirt path with large cobbles and potholes. I carefully wound my way in, swearing under my breath the whole way. My 1965 Triumph Spitfire had all of 4” of clearance and this road needed a 4×4. To top it off, some guy was right behind me with lights shining in my mirrors.
I arrived at the house and Terry was not there. Nobody knew me. All the gals looked at me like I was some kind of party crasher – cliquey things. Then someone said, “Hi, Mary.” It was the blind date guy, Tim and his brother, Pete. I didn’t know anyone else, so Tim and I talked while I waited for Terry to show up. The cliquey girls didn’t like us talking so much and they really hated it when we danced.
About the time the guys cleared the furniture and were wrestling in the living room. Terry finally showed up. Well over two hours late. Terry thought he would be cute and challenge me to “wrestle.”
Bad plan. I was peeved. He had no clue. He was flirting. I was not. His ‘plan’ was to let me win. Bad plan, in no time he had to fight back, I made sure of it. Then I mopped the floor with him. I wasn’t playing. He got the message.
Then the harassing began, even without the beer the guys would have teased him to no end about being beat by a girl. They were merciless. “You wrestle her,” Terry answered back.
“No way,” they said. Then one voice broke through the crowd, “I will.”
It was Tim, the blind date guy. I did not know he was a competitive wrestler. Crap, I was just a scrappy girl with no training who stood a fair chance to kick the butt of the average guy out of sheer determination an orneriness. With Tim, I was clearly in over my head. I gave it a good go. He did not embarrass me too badly, but he easily kicked my butt.
He showed up on time, was fun to talk to, great smile, quite the flirt, he could and would hold his own with a strong woman. Now this was someone I wanted to know better.
We became best friends. Two years and nine months after the blind date, we married. Thirty years of wedded bliss.
Not a day passes when I don’t count my blessings.
Tim is at the top of the list. I can’t even begin to express the wonder of being married to my best friend. He holds my heart.
Happy Anniversary Tim, I love you – Mary
Rematch?
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What a beautiful real story! Lovely post.
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Thanks 🙂
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See the comment on Tim’s page! 🙂 Love it!!!
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😀
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WELCOME!!! 🙂
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What a beautiful post! Hope you guys have a lovely Anniversary today.
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😉
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For Mary with hearty congratulation on 30th Anniversary: … and so goes the whole world in which we live.”[John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla)]. A first part of this phrase you can find here: http://theforesterartist.com/2013/06/11/the-blind-date-his-side/#comments
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So true. Sadly, 30 years is not as common as it used to be.
We all know over such a span of time there will be disappointments and rough patches. For us, we invest a lot of time and energy into our relationship. We pray for our children and grandchildren that they too find such compatible mates.
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Happy anniversary Mary and Tim. I love your story!
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😀
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That’s a great story!
Happy Anniversary!
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Thanks…we laugh about it often.
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Love it that you guys did dual posts for your anniversary.
What a great testimony to a successful marriage!
Well done on 30 years! 🙂
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I suppose it could be either dual or duel. 😉
Thanks, I doesn’t feel like 30 years since that June day in the photo.
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Very nice posts, yours and his. Congratulations on 30 years. We’re up to 44 years but don’t have duel posts.
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Outstanding! 😀
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An awesome real story, I’m so very happy for both of you, Happy Anniversary!
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Thanks, we have regular laughs about it. I don’t think either of us thought this would be the outcome after the first few attempts at dates. 😉
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The drawings of you on Tim’s page look just like you (from the photos you used in your page). It’s a good thing to see a marriage endure. I can see that you two are soul mates.
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Thanks. it feels like yesterday. My heart still quickens when he holds my hand. 🙂
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That’s a fine thing indeed, Mary.
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Aw such a nice story, and I love that you and Tim both posted your versions. Frank and I got married 30 years ago too (next week) and amazingly are still best friends. All the best.
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Happy Anniversary to you as well! 😀
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Happy anniversary Mary❤
Beatiful love story❤❤❤❤❤
Best wishes for you two ❤
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Awe, thanks!
hearts! How did you do that?
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What a wonderful love story. Love the pictures of the two little lovebirds too! Congratulations to both of you and Happy Anniversary!!
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Give the girls a hug and a pat on the head!
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Congratulations on finding your true mate – it’s a wonderful love story! Happy Anniversary ~
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Took us long enough! How many failed attempts are you supposed to go through? We have a lot of fun when we think about how it all started. 😉
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Happy 30th anniversary. A wonderful story and I laughed about the wrestling match. That was the clencher that gave you the hold you needed to wrestle Tim into your life. I see many, many more years for you and Tim. Although I only know you and Tim through pics and what each of you write I feel that the two of you are one of those rare couples that really are suited perfectly for each other. An even “match” in this case. I believe that the two of you really enjoy being married.
The wedding photo is precious. Ya’ll were so young and still are with many, many years to go.
~yvonne~
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Congratulations! So nice to read your two different stories here, and I’m happy you got each other in the end, after the struggling first dates. These are what I would call real “feel good-posts”!
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Congratulations! We’re 20 years in November — still early days but we’re optimistic : )
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Outstanding! Feels like we just got started, too. My how the decades fly. I really enjoy hearing of other long relationships, thanks for sharing. 😀
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VEry best to you both. Happy Anniversary! Here’s to thirty more years together.
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Wow! So good that Tim is at the top of the list of your blessings after 30 years. Happy Anniversary! 🙂
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Congrats to both you and Tim, Mary 🙂 love both your recollections. My road of happiness is just past 25 years married though we have been together for 32 years – wouldn’t swap him for the world (though I do think his return by date may have expired anyway by now!) Hope you and Tim enjoy many more happy anniversaries long into the future.
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Awe, thanks. This September will be 33 years since the blind date. Gee, I didn’t get a return by date, mine came with “no refunds.” lol That’s what my mother-in-law said. I have since pass those words of wisdom on to our kids. 😉
May your hearts be blessed with many more years.
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Thank You Mary and you both also.
Aha! Now I realise why my mother-in-law added another bolt on all her doors after our wedding!!! :- /
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Oh my, you are so handsome both of you… I loved to read the way you relate your anniversary. Very Happy anniversary to both of you and go for 30 more years!!
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I couldn’t wait to read your version Mary… :)… You two are gorgeous…and such a hilarious meeting and events… Meant to be! :)… Happy Anniversary to you two!!… So, love is this!!….
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🙂
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I’ve loved both versions Mary ! Many Congratulations . [ bit late been away ]
So very heart warming to read something like this . You deserve each other 🙂
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It’s okay to be late with a congrats on the anniversary, we are still married… 😉
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Lol … us here too 😉
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Awww look how cute you guys are!! Happy Anniversary!!
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Outstanding story, Mary.
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Reblogged this on Sneaking Bliss and commented:
Another four years! Happy 34th Anniversary, Tim!
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Now I have read both sides of the story and it is a great story with more chapters to come. Happy Anniversary.
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This was so great = seeing both email notifications,scanning the first of both posts…. and then deciding which one to read first! I picked yours, thinking it would be the more-modest one, and then seeing what was rocking around in Tim’s mind… Well, time to go see version dos!
Great story, btw, and one to be very proud of! Congratulations!
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I’m back.. great story on both sides! Thank you so much for ending this weekend with this lovely two-part make-everyone-smile story!
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I enjoyed both sides of the story! Happy anniversary, you two!
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Great story from both of you! All the best for the next 34 years!
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