We just wrapped up our 52nd year. Time flies. But we didn't get to celebrate because Willette's mother died and the funeral was on December 30, our anniversary. It was all very sudden and left us almost in shock. We will probably go somewhere in January, and I will not be surprised if it is a cruise.

Scroll down for our anniversary pictures. After I added the pictures of our anniversary cruise, the pictures of the actual event moved to the bottom. Maybe some day I will figure out how to put them where they need to be. Anyway, enjoy the cruise pictures. I took about 60, so I may find one or two good ones to post later.

Statues always make good pictures. The top picture is a merimaid in a fountain at the tender dock on Coco Cay. The green Chinese tourist was in a lounge on board Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas. The dolphins were in a dockside shopping center on the Dutch side of St. Martin.

Willette, dressed for dinner. Cabin stewards on all Crusise lines make those little towell animals to greet you when you come back to your room. They always leave everything spotless and chocolate on your pillow. Our steward on this trip was a friendly Indonesian gentleman whose name we never learned to pronounce. Cruise ship crews are multinational. Our servers in the dining room were from the Phillipines and India. They always did an excellent job.
The other picture is me in the Bahamas with the Mariner of the Seas in the background. This structure was the base of an unconventional lighthouse on Coco Cay. I think it's primary purpose is photo ops.

Beach scenes from various islands.

December 30, 1955, Woodfin's Chapel, Murfressboro, Tennessee -- way back in an earlier century, when we thought we would be young forever.

Here we are a quarter of a century ago when we thought 25 years was a long time. I'm not kidding, that's really us. Would I lie to you?

Here is our official 50th Anniversary picture.

One real surprise was when we arrived at the mortuary* to set up for the party, and there were two items already there. One was a big arrangement of flowers for Willette from a former boss.

The other was a box that contained a mountain of cookies. They were sent by Mousie, her internet name, and maybe a few accomplices who hang out at RinkWorks. I have been posting nonsense at RinkWorks ever since I was a teenager, and have gotten to know that group very well. Imagine the excitement when I opened that box with grandchildren standing on both sides! The cookies were enjoyed by a number of family members. I think there are two or three left.
Howard
*Mortuary? If you haven't heard that story yet, look around. I will post it somewhere on this site later today.

After the party, the family gathered back at our house to open the presents. There are some goofy facial expressions in some of the pictures, but I will try to post them all. As new, probably better, pictures come in from various sources, I will add them to the list. They will appear above these, moving these after-party pictures to the bottom.

And if you haven't heard why the party was held at a mortuary, it's because we were married in one and our kids have always thought that was funny. OK, I guess it is funny, but we were not the first. As near as I can determine, it happens all the time.