Happy Anniversary

My Onlyest Wedding Photo

Twenty-one years today. We got married in Vegas; Larry was on leave visiting. I was on leave too, we hadn't seen each other for months. He asked me in December to marry him, over the phone while he was in Sasebo on the Dubuque and I was still on Diego Garcia. Arrangements were made to cross paths in Utah in February while I was on leave, transferring between duty stations. Dad knew we wanted to marry, and he was dead set against it as my first marriage had been a disaster and ended quickly. He even asked his sister, Aunt Kay the social worker, to speak to me. Her reply? "How old is Margaret? 30? She's grown woman, she can make her own decisions."

Since Larry didn't know my ring size, he brought me a heart-shaped diamond set in a yellow gold pendant from Hong Kong. Beautiful! Dad saw it and asked if it were real. "Of course it is", I told him, "it is in place of an engagement ring. I could wear it while working on gear, I'd have to take a ring off and wear it around my neck anyway." "Oh. Well," Dad said, "we're passing through Vegas on the way down to Arizona to see your brothers ... " and that's how Larry and I eloped to Vegas and Dad drove us there.

Dad's camera jammed at the vows, I only have one wedding photo and it is of our rumps. I do have a portrait taken at the Lido de Paris floorshow at the Stardust that evening, but I'm bombed and I think it shows! Mom hung it in her den, so that's where it is now, I don't have a copy.

Larry used to date a girl who lived in Arizona, when he called his mom to tell her he'd gotten married, she thought it was to Joy! He thought that was funny. I was less amused at the time.

And by a twist of fate, this morning Larry is in Vegas and I am in Utah. Sigh. The first two years we were married, we only saw each other for a total of twenty-eight days. We know how to be apart. He should be home tonight, we'll have to make up for lost time.