The year was 1973. We were headed to my company’s Christmas party. We had been dating since may and gotten engaged in October. What all started on a city bus will soon be 50 years of marriage. May 11 will mark our golden wedding anniversary and plans are under way for the celebration. It’s been AWW….SOME!!!
We were living in Tulsa, Oklahoma and my wife lived in an apartment complex one block away from my apartment complex. I rode the bus to work downtown. One day she got on the bus downtown to ride home from work and there was standing room only. I gave her my seat and she began riding on a regular basis. My wife is a very outgoing soul so it wasn’t long before we were chatting on the route home. Eventually I asked her on a date, she accepted and the rest is history.
Our first date was in May, I bought the engagement ring in August and made it official in October. We got married in May, left for college in December, I graduated three years later and life has been very good to us.
I was driving this 1971 Datsun 240Z when we met and drove it until our daughter was two years old. It is still my all time favorite car. A couple days before our wedding I put three coats of wax on it and we took it for a drive in the country around her parents home. Yes, my wife can drive a 4-speed!
Christmas 1975 we were home from college. Sandra was probably two or three months pregnant but I doubt if we were aware of our situation. Our daugher was born seven months later in June 1976.
Here is the day mother and daughter came home from the hospital. As you can tell, I have always had a camera in my hand, which was not always a welcome sight but it has recorded some life’s most precious moments.
Here is almost the whole crew this past Christmas. The oldest grand daughter, her husband and the older great-grandson are missing because she was busy bringing the newest great-grandson into the family. Like I said, God has been very good to our family and we thank Him every day for His blessings.
Monday’s Music Moves Me
So what were the favorite songs of 1973 = 74? Here ya go.
Driller's Place 
Now I know your wife’s name. Sandra is a good name. It’s mine too. what a lovely couple you were then and now. Thank you for the walk down your memory lane. Beautiful and a huge Awww.
Love all your video picks. A wonderful time for some wonderful music.
Thank you for joining the Awww Monday’s Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous Awww Monday and week, my friend. 🙂
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My late mother-in-law would have paid to have my mustache shaved. Looking back, she may have been right. I shaved it about five years into our marriage and have never grown it back.
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Happy upcoming golden anniversary. Such a sweet meeting story. I enjoyed your then and now pictures and all your songs. Golden memories, especially Diamond Girl, which I haven’t heard in ages. (It’s just too bad that whoever posted the first video didn’t start it at the beginning of the song, but I enjoyed it nevertheless.) Alana ramblinwitham
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It is amazing how people are brought together and the relationship lasts a lifetime.
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I really enjoy it when you feature your beautiful family.
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I’m not sure the family always enjoys getting featured but the memories are worth recalling.
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What a wonderful love story! People don’t always want photos, but later on, everyone is happy Mom has them. Whenever something comes up Mom’s family almost always says, “I’m sure Joy has a photo of that”, and usually I do. I started taking photos around seven years old when my mom gave me her old camera. The need to document everything on film was always in my mind. You probably had a camera at a young age as well. I feel bad for those who don’t have so much of life on film as memories.
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i always had an interest in photography but it wasn’t until I was in the military that I actually purchased my first real 35mm camera. I have always taken photos of family over the years. The early images in this post are from 35mm slides that I had digitized. I really got into photography when digital arrived and I could edit my images and print only the ones that I needed. I am about to embark on a journey of digitizing all of my old, pre-digital, family images that we have stored forever.
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Oh wow, a big celebration coming in May. Fifty years is amazing and I am happy for you both. And I love the photos you took from way back then. No phones to take pictures back then so you had to be intentional.
Totally jealous of your 240Z. I coveted one very much but never did get one. Kudos to your wife for being able to drive a 4 speed. My wife can do it also.
Great songs you picked for today. Steely Dan is my all time favorite band.
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As my wife says, she didn’t realize that on of my paychecks paid my rent and the other paid my car. What little was left over was for entertainment.
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Wow, congrats on 50 years together. That is amazing. Love your story on how you two met. That is super cool. Great song picks today.
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Like a lot of people, I don’t think either of us was looking for love on a Tulsa Metropolitan Transit Authority bus. Proof positive that God has a sense of humor.
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Your entire post is “Awwwwww!!” I love your meet-cute story! So awesome you and your wife are coming up on your Golden Anniversary! And of course I love all your song choices. 🙂
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Yes, everyone says,”Awww” when they hear about us meeting on the city bus. Just proof that you never know where your soulmate will be found.
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congrats. The photos are awesome. And your playlist is wonderful
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It was awesome when my wife found the old 35mm slides and discovered these images were still good. Glad you enjoyed the tunes.
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Y’all are coming up on a big milestone. 50 years is pretty impressive. We’re five years behind you all. I loved reading your alls story. It’s so sweet. I was wowed at how fast you moved on her. I mean you started dating in May and come fall time you’re popping the Big Question. I say most gals our ages know how to drive a straight shift. I learned on an automatic. When we got married, DH’s first car was a 4-speed and I learned how to drive it. I was nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof when I had to stop on a hill but after practice I got the hang of it and actually fell in love with driving it. We moved to automatic transmission in 2003 when we bought our second Camry but I believe I could easily go back to driving a manual if I had to. I’m not a fan of driving these days, though. I loved your music line up!
By the way, I have a first cousin whose has the same name, first and last, as your wife. :) I went to school with a girl who had the same name as me, first and last, except she spelled her first name with a “K”. Her parents’ got that wrong. lol Thanks for joining the party, dear friend!
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My wife’s first car was a mid-sixties VW Beetle and a standard transmission was the only thing available. She had four-on-the-floor figured out long before we met.
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OMG I LOVE THIS POST!!!! I was here earlier and had to run to the doctor and here you are!!!! hahaha ANYWAY, HERE I AM… AND I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE YOUR STORY HISTORY! CONGRATS MY DEAR FRIEND CONGRATS CONGRATS AND MORE CONRATS. WOW 50 YRS. AND MY HUBBY & I HAD OUR 25 ON 12/23/23 hahahaha YOU OUT DONE ME! OH MY YOU TWO ARE BLESSED AND YOU HAVE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY. GOD BLESS YOU ALL & THANK YOU FOR PLAYING ALONG LOVE YOUR TUNES… THE FOUR TOPS WAS VERY APPROPRIATE! WOO HOO
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We have been blessed by our Creator beyond our wildest dreams. I wouldn’t trade my family with anyone.
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Definitely an awww Monday revisit to your past. Happy Golden anniversary. 1973 was one of the favorite years of my life. So nice to be reminded of the music!
~Brenda
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1973 was a very good year for me. I met the love of my life.
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I love to hear how much in love you ate with your beautiful wife. you are a rarity…both still in love and celebrating 50 years together. You are both very lucky as many don’t make it that long for various reasons a d some do but they don’t like each other. The music was great and perfect. Happy news on being a new great grandpa.
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Marriage is hard work and it takes commitment from both parties. It helps having Christ as the center of our lives and keeping us focused on what we need to be doing…which is loving each other.
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