Anniversary!

[anniexf]

Sitting enjoying the garden & last of the evening light with my beloved & a long cold glass of kir. We've been together for 14 years today! And the Planets is on the Proms, music drifting out to us - how's that for schmaltz?!

[mvgrogan]

Congratulations!

That actually sounds lovely.... I am envious... by the time we've got the kids (3 1/2 year old girl & 3 1/2 month old boy) to bed, hubbie is normally too knackered to stay up and enjoy such luxuries!

enjoy!

[Fjgrogan]

Congratulations to both Annie and your 'beloved'! It all sounds very idyllic, quite different from the day I have had. I had forgotten the Planets was on; I meant to listen to it, but I am having a non-TV break. My 'beloved' (?) of 42 years is currently away visiting our (above-mentioned) daughter and grandchildren in Finland for nearly three weeks, so I am using the time to enjoy not having to listen to his full-volume indiscriminate television, whilst doing a major makeover on as much as the house as I can fit into the time. And he doesn't know that it is happening! I persuaded him to leave me some money to pay for labour and materials, without specifying exactly what I had in mind. Before he left a workmate of his had begun to build us a shed/workshop at the end of the garden - it is huge! When he returns he is intending to move into it all his tools and DIY materials etc which are currently cluttering up the entire house and not actually being used - we have at least two whole rooms which are simply piled high, like storage units! And we need to be able to have room to manouvre because both the girls and their respective partners and children are threatening to invade at Christmas. So Chris the builder and I are working through as many projects as can be fitted into the time, starting with laminating the living room floor. I have spent most of today single-handedly shifting furniture to clear one end of the room, and taking up the very old tatty carpet, vacuuming up crumbled foam backing etc, whilst listening to an interesting party going on next door. Chris, by the way is off on another job today! Tomorrow we are having an expedition to Wickes in his van. It is all very exciting, and I just hope that I don't run out of energy or money before we make some meaningful progress - also that my husband doesn't come back and decide that he hates what I am doing to the living room - at least he will have a shed to sulk in. In between all this activity I am also hoping to clear and tidy a very overgrown garden, so perhaps in the future we too shall be able to enjoy an idyllic anniversary on the patio - except that our anniversary is at the end of October, the feast of St Simon and St Jude (patron saint of lost causes!)so it is unlikely that the weather will be suitable - why don't we think of these things when we are planning a wedding?! So perhaps we will have a shed-warming party instead, slightly earlier in the year!?

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

PLEASE --- try to keep the Anniversaries romantic ! --- All of you !
I know it can be difficult -- when you are beset with ripping up ancient carpet --- !

Fear not -- the day will come , when the children are away, married, with children of their own, which you can drool over --- and hand back !, When the Mortgage is paid, when both of you can forgive each other's "Idiosyncracies" and it really IS the best of times !

OH! and, of course, when Her Majesty's Grateful Government increase your pension by ---------
25 p a week , for being over 80 --- enjoy !

(Not enough to buy a stamp to complain !)

[Fjgrogan]

Neill, we are already at the stage where the children are away and settled, there are grandchildren to drool over, and the mortgage is paid up. We just haven't yet reached the point of forgiving idiosyncracies ...... at least I haven't ........ perhaps there is a moral there somewhere?

[Angela Woodford]

PLEASE --- try to keep the Anniversaries romantic ! --- All of you !

Right, NEILL.

What to do with the most frugal man in the world?

Our 25th wedding anniversary - a two-for-the-price-of-one visit to the Bluewater Pizza Hut.

Still... if it made him happy?

[Fjgrogan]

A few years ago we actually separated and I spent some time living with Maria and her husband in Leicester, while my husband stayed in the (jointly-owned) marital home and steadfastly refused to sell it, while it deteriorated around him. Eventually I gave up and moved back. At the time we were approaching our Ruby Wedding and Maria kept threatening that if we didn't sort ourselves out she would throw an anniversary party for us. After my return the Ruby Wedding date came and went and we simply ignored it - but Maria, resident by then in Finland, sent flowers!

[englishangel]

PLEASE --- try to keep the Anniversaries romantic ! --- All of you !

Right, NEILL.

What to do with the most frugal man in the world?

Our 25th wedding anniversary - a two-for-the-price-of-one visit to the Bluewater Pizza Hut.

Still... if it made him happy?

Sounds like mine. Not 2 for the price of one because we went local so we could walk.

And I haven't had a birthday present this year. Last year I got a pair of gloves, 2 sizes too snall because he doesn't listen to a word I say, so I gave them to son's best friend to give to his petite Mum for Mother's Day.

[Mid A 15]

From the male point of view it is possible to make an effort for an anniversary and arrange something and then be berated because "it's the wrong thing" or "why didn't you arrange that instead?"

Once bitten and all that. If you're going to be moaned at anyway you might as well save the money!

[anniexf]

I didn't actually get a present - he'd forgotten! He did say he'd have bought flowers if he'd remembered ... but we did go & look at new bathroom suites that morning, so I could choose what I wanted. I've only got to wait until November when he'll retire & all the projected "lump sums" will come flooding in... Anyway, it was a lovely evening, but the headache on Sunday morning wasn't. I can't tolerate alcohol like I used to!

[englishangel]

I didn't actually get a present - he'd forgotten! He did say he'd have bought flowers if he'd remembered ... but we did go & look at new bathroom suites that morning, so I could choose what I wanted. I've only got to wait until November when he'll retire & all the projected "lump sums" will come flooding in... Anyway, it was a lovely evening, but the headache on Sunday morning wasn't. I can't tolerate alcohol like I used to!

I never could followed by

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

I'm feeling better about myself ------ is there a smiley for SMUG ?
Seriously --- I do believe in doing something special for anniversaries, --- if it is possible and appropriate.
For our 25th I took Anne to the Maldives -- I said "A present, for putting up with me for 25 years "
She replied "I've earned it !"
You can't win !
For the 30th I took her on a Cruise, with a Party on Board, with engraved Glasses, a framed Photo and, of course Champagne --------Somebody died in the corner ---- it was a Saga Cruise !
What can a Feller do ?
Suggestions ?

[gma]

Thank you, sometimes you do need to be reminded of who you're with and why you chose to be there. I was sharpening something very shiny and kitchen knife-y to stick in HWBI who has sold our house from undeneath us, (yes, of course I now, I contributed), and we have since failed to find a house that we both like or can even tolerate - was our 15+1/2 this weekend and without realising we declared an unspoken truce, hung out in bed like we used to, read the papers, watched tv etc etc and actually remembered why we were still together after 15 1/2 years - won't last I'm sure, viewed more houses tonight and am sharpening as I type...............

[englishangel]

Regarding your sig Gerrie, it was Stephen Stills, most famously covered by The Isley Brothers.

Here are the words

http://www.suitelorraine.com/suitelorra ... ltoyw.html

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

Well done Gerrie !
On reading my last Post --- I think I sound an absolutely insufferable PRIG --( I hope I spelled that right !

Anybody who has been married for, say, 30 years and insists there was "Never a cross word between us " is either, a doormat, or has been separated for 29 of them !

Of course we all have Quarrels---- we are all different people -- including our partners, so we don't always "Fit"
A good piece of advice was given to me when I first married in 1952 "Never let a quarrel last overnight ! ------ Even the Divorce didn't !

I have tried to follow it for the last 34 years --- with SOME success !