The Sweetest Couple I Know

Today, November 2, 2011, is my parents 72nd wedding anniversary. 

Tomi and Bill Hudson were married in Alvord, Texas, on November 2, 1939.  My dad was a new coach in the high school there, and my mom was a young lady, graduated from high school, and working in the town.   They met and fell in love quickly.

This is a copy of their wedding certificate which my precious dad had framed to surprise my mom on "their day".  She was very surprised as she did not even know where it was.  My dad had it stored in a safe place all these years.  It was a most special gift to present her.

Susan, at Between Naps on the Porch, wrote the dearest blog about my parents on Valentine Day.........February 11, 2011.....see it  at  http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2011/02/love-story-for-valentines-day.html     I think you will enjoy it as the story is so special.

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Beautiful peach flowers, my mom's favorites, and lunch at their favorite restaurant with my husband and myself, many telephone calls of congratulations, greeting cards in the mail, completed the day.

They are such a darling couple and do not show their true ages....my dad is 95 years old and my mom is 91. ( I certainly hope I have inherited some of these great genes!)


The following is an acount written by my husband, Bob, and I wanted to share it with my blogging friends.

A TRUE STORY THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD

  

Bill and Tomi Hudson are my wife’s parents.  He is 95 and she is 91.  They celebrated their 72^nd wedding anniversary on November 2, 2011.  They decided to get married after a courtship of about 2 weeks.  Many said such a marriage could not possibly last. 

I have been in the family 47 years and never heard the latter part of this story until today, November 2.  I knew that Mr. Hudson was a teacher and football coach in the small town of Alvord, Texas, where Mrs. Hudson was born and raised.  I was also aware of the low pay ($30 per month) and hard times in 1939.  Without a car or any type of transportation, the only dating was by Mr. Hudson walking out to Tomi’s parents residence outside of town a ways.  I can only assume that deep feelings for each other and a desire to be together along with the huge inconvenience of travel, led to the very short courtship.

Now to the part I had never heard before. In order to get married, a license had to be obtained from the courthouse in Decatur, county seat of Wise County, some eleven miles from Alvord.  It had to be obtained a minimum of three days prior to the wedding.  With a wedding date set for Friday, November 2, 1939, a license needed to be issued on or before Wednesday, October 30, 1939.    

Being a small town football coach in 1939 meant you were also the bus driver, the medic, the trainer, and everything else necessary to play a game.  Without a car, Mr. Hudson decided that on Friday, October 26, he could stop by the courthouse on the way to a football game he was coaching that night.  Since he was the bus driver, he could do that as Decatur was on the way to where his team was playing.  He parked the bus off on a side street as there was no room in the regular parking lot for a school bus.  He put one of his most trusted players in charge of the bus and the players sitting on it.  Upon arriving at the county clerk’s office, he was informed it required a medical approval certificate before one could be issued, so his plans were interrupted.  It was time to get back on the bus and continue to the game. 

 

He saw a doctor on Monday, the 29^th, and obtained his certificate.  Then, he hitchhiked to Decatur to the county clerk’s office, obtained the license, and hitchhiked back to Alvord.  All was set and the marriage was performed as originally hoped on Friday, November 2, 1939. 

  

  

In summary, think about this:  The dollar outlay for the wedding was probably less than ten dollars total.  That is a prorated cost of 4 cents for each 100 days of marriage.  Kim Kardashian’s wedding supposedly cost ten million dollars.  It also lasted for the number 72, except it was days, not years.  That prorated cost is $ 139,000 per day.  I will close with this comment: The difference between 4 cents per 100 days and $ 139,000 per day is enormous.  But it is not nearly as large as the gap of difference between the two couples as related to character, loyalty, intelligence, constitution, reputation, and positive influence on others. 

Fall in a Cloche

I will be linking this post to Marty's Tabletop Tuesday, a Cloche Party.    Thanks, Marty, for hosting this lovely party!

The cloche is covering the pumpkin covered in silk  hydrangea flowers, resting in the berries.  This was a wonderful suggestion made by my friend, Fabby of  Fabby's Living.  Thanks, dear friend!

The pumpkin is resting in a handmade wooden bowl purchased in North Carolina while on vacation a few years ago.  I like the touch of wood in the mix.

This centerpiece will grace our Thanksgiving table this year when our family gathers here to celebrate this day of thankfulness.

From this angle you can see most of the centerpiece.  In order to "tie" in the gorgeous fall colors into a room painted in cranberry, I used a cranberry velvet table runner as a base.

The votive candles will add an element of sparkle to the table.

Additions can always be added or taken away, but I am one who tends to "add" rather than take away.  "Too much is never enough"

.......and with that thought in mind, I added yet another cloche.

The beaded tassel was purchased at an estate sale years ago.

My grandsons would never forgive me "if" I were to leave out the pilgrims so yet another item is added.  The buffet will display the pilgrims.

On Pinterest I saw these handmade Pilgrim napkins and decided "the boys" would like them at their table.  I am anxious to hear their comments......which could be either be good or "eye-rolling" looks to each other of dismay......giggle.

There you see the four grandsons I am so proud to have.....Matthew, Hudson, Davis, and Peyton.  It has always been almost "magical" when they call me Granna.  No one on earth can say my grandmother name like then can!!!

Marty, thank you for introducing me to the world of "cloches"......until I discovered your blog, I only owned one cloche and that one covered our wedding cake topper for the last 48 years.  That is another story for another cloche party....giggle.  Now I own several and love using them.  The glass cloche adds interest and importance to the item being displayed and truly showcases it.

Thanks for stopping by to visit, and please, leave a comment so I will know you passed my way.  It is always so dear to have friends visit me here!

Daughter's Vintage Doll House

A precious sight is a miniature doll house that has been lovingly preserved through the years. I found this photo on Pinterest and was drawn to it.   This treasure was most certainly the prized possession of a little girl long ago.  I can only visualize how much such a doll house may have enriched the child's life!

This image certainly sparks my imagination; however, knowing nothing about the photo, other than it is a true treasure, I can only look closely at the photograph and "imagine" the story.  Most likely, the parents had it made especially for the little girl. The tiny house could have been an exact replica of the family home. Perhaps, it was a Christmas gift or a special birthday present.  Judging from the elaborate details and furnishings, down to the clothes hanging on the line, it was handmade and no expense was spared.

The carriage house is one of my favorite details with the flag flying proudly and the dog's home setting on the lawn.  Note the window boxes on the windows with "blooming" flowers. 

My daughter, Patrice, as a young girl wanted a doll house as she always adored anything in miniature.....and still does after all these years. 

If memory serves me correctly, Patrice was 7 years old in this photo.  She received the doll house for her fifth birthday, so we had been collecting and furnishing for a couple of years at the time.  This photo was made 38 years ago, and she told me that seeing it again, made her feel "old".

Patrice made an executive decision early on about the life in her doll house.  There would be "bears" to live and reside there, no dolls.  I think that is only because she was a child who loved her stuffed animals beyond measure and valued their presence in her life.  The other major decision is that it would be Christmas "everyday" in her doll house .  Who could dispute those decisions........some really fun stuff could take place there!!!.....everyday was THE special day of Christ's birth. Note that the baby bear is reading a true Victorian era Christmas card that says, " Glory ye in His holy name." Ps. 105:3.  We found the miniature Christmas card in an antique shop and of course, it was perfect for her doll house. 

In this photo, her grandmother Hance crocheted the bedspread and tatted the canopy for the bed.  A family friend knitted the little green rug and gifted the china Siamese cat to her as a house-warming present.  I made the petti-point pillow that bride doll bear doll is resting her head on..........and yes, of course, bears living in the house have "bear dolls".

In the above photo you get a view of the mahogany dresser with the bowl of yarn and Learn to Knit book.  We were knitting at the time so this applied to our lives.  The cameos attached to blue velvet ribbon were gifts to me from a friend who had visited Italy.  One of the sterling backs broke off the earring, so we utilized the pair for a wall decoration.

....and what home would be complete without an aquarium for little fish to entertain the occupants.

Baby bear is reading a Christmas card which is an antique miniature piece of Victoriana decorated with lovely holly and a Bible verse......."Glory ye in His holy name." Ps. 105:3,

I have suddenly realized that I will have to write the story of Patrice's Doll House in "chapters".  Please check back in for chapters of each room and details about the items collected.

Thank you for your visit, and I value comments from you.  It allows me to get to know my visitors.  Until next time, I hope your life is a "Tea Party Everyday"!......ya'll come back!

Centerpiece for Thanksgiving Table

*  Note of explanation......MIA for sometime now......please, accept apologies

I am linking this post over to Tablescapes Thursday for Susan's blog party.  Between Naps on the Porch is always so entertaining to read and the parties are fantastic.  Feel free to click on her button on the right hand side of this and be carried away to the party.  You will have fun, I promise!!!


With the excitement of a cooler season approaching, I begin to think of the beautiful Fall colors and textures.  Our summer here in north Texas was so hot that I had no energy to be creative......just surviving temperaturtes of over 105 degrees was about all I could do each day.  This summer was truly one setting all records for heat and no rainfall.  It is not a summer to be repeated ever again, hopefully!

After seeing pumpkins decorated with living flowers, I decided to duplicate the idea with faux pumpkins and silk flowers.

The Styrofoam pumpkins were purchased at Michael's Crafts and the silk flowers came from Dollar General. 

After snipping the flowers from the stems and cutting off the plastic attachment down to the silk petals, I glued the flowers to the pumpkin with Beacon's 3-in1 advanced craft glue.  I am sure that hot glue would work equally as well.

Pumpkins in three different sizes were purchased and three different flowers were added for interest.  Since my dining room is painted in "cranberry", I had to chose colors to tie in with my decor.

I found the berry stems that tied in all three colors of the flowers and pumpkins.

This is how the three decorated pumpkins look grouped together on my dining table.

I elevated two of the pumpkins to add height, using a pink milk glass compote and a handmade wooden bowl.

Liking the final results of the floral pumpkins, I placed two cranberry velvet runners on the table and added two votive beaded
pumpkins.  The light from the votive candles add a glimmer of light from the beads. 

I know that it is several weeks until we celebrate Thanksgiving, but I wanted to be "ahead" of the date so I can spend more time planning my meals during the time that our children and grandsons will be here.  Having done all of this prepation will allow me to relax during the precious visit of my loved ones and enjoy the moments.

My original inspiration came from an entry on Pinterest......the live flowers covering the real pumpkins.  Isn't it wonderful how one little image can spark our imaginations!  I suppose that is why the old saying....."two heads are better than one"  is still true today......
(giggle).

Thanks for stopping by as I always appreciate your visits and your comments!

Willis, My New Sewing Buddy

While visiting my daughter last week, and overseeing her only son, a teenager, I managed to get in some long overdue sewing for her entry hall window.

They have in their home, three dogs, and now a cat that someone "dumped" on them when he was a mere kitten.  Willis, (his new name) has gradually worked his way into the home.  At first, he was an outdoor kitty.  And he had no luxuries.  I am fairly certain that he slept in the garage and had his meals delivered there, also.

Then this spring, during a horrible storm, my daughter allowed him in the utility room for safety measures.  She placed a pillow on top of the clothes hamper and introduced Willis to luxury.  The rest is history......

Now, our Willis, lives in the home, and sleeps on only the best she owns.  He rules the dogs and is King of his castle.

Willis was never far from my sewing machine as he was curious, I suppose.  The whrrrrr of the motor and the dancing of the needle, going up and down, did not phase him.  He seemed perfectly content.  I could hear him purring when I stopped to reposition the fabric.

Dear Sweet Willis ........I think you are a great buddy and a handsome cat!!

Thanks for stopping by today and may ........

you enjoy a "tea party everyday"!!