It was 41 years ago today!
On August 4, 1973 my husband and I got married. There was opposition from all sides and one of his aunts even cursed us! We had been living together and decided to get hitched on impulse.
I had an anti-marriage bias and this was a “now or never” type of situation. With only two months lead time, we managed to pull together a formal Italian style reception, complete with live band and multi-course feast.
Everyone had a blast!
There have been many ups and downs over the years, but we always made it a point to celebrate our anniversary. Some have been more memorable than others. In the first decade, there were house parties that lasted long into the night and sometimes even the next morning. Those were the Halcyon days!
Our 10th, 20th and 25th anniversaries were spent in Niagara Falls (only 93 km. = 58 mi. from home), at the Love Boat Restaurant, a favourite haunt for over 30 years.
I had a broken ankle and was confined to a wheelchair, but still had a good time!
The biggest and best anniversary to date (2014) was our 40th, which consisted of a month-long jaunt through Europe, including a two-week tour of Greece, plus visits to Hubby’s birthplace in Italy, and mine in Germany.
It’s going to be difficult to top that, but perhaps for our 50th?
[UPDATE 2021: Actually, we DID top that for our 45th in 2018. Click HERE► for details!]
Who knows what will happen for our 50th? Likely something on a much smaller scale. We’ll both be retired by then, with less disposable income.
We’re just taking things easy at home with the dogs today (Aug. 4 2014), enjoying Mimosas with breakfast and seafood for dinner. Come Saturday, there will be a short overnight road trip to Casino Rama for a Moody Blues concert. One of my favourite bands of all time!
Want to know the secrets of our success?
Read my advice on the subject, plus some interesting anecdotes HERE.
More memories HERE.
To my ever-lovin’ other half I say:
HAPPY 41ST ANNIVERSARY, SCHATZ! ♥
©DDB 2014 “All Rights Reserved” (except as noted)
Do you enjoy celebrating special occasions in a big way?
Looking forward to your comments!
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
46 thoughts on “HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US! 41 YEARS ALREADY?! (Aug. 4, 2014)”
I’ve just picked a random post Debbie and this looked like a feel good one and it is! How lovely that you’ve had all those anniversaries and memories. Did you visit the UK on your European trip? We could have met up! Next time maybe. You look like a ‘pretty’ couple on your wedding day – you look like popstars! Gorgeous. Where do all those years go? Thanks for this glimpse into your very rich anniversary history – I think my husband and I need to get a bit more into our anniversaries! Much as we love each other, we don’t do much – usually go out for a curry with friends. I think I’ll dream up something more adventurous this year!
Thanks for perusing the blog, Gilly and for the lovely compliment! Wish we had pop star money. 😉 We always make a point to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Life is short, and the memories will sustain us in our old age. 🙂 We did not get to the UK in 2013 or 2018 (the other big trip), but I visited London with my father in 1969, when we were still living in Germany. I’m going to republish some older material during the summer, and I talked about that trip in one of them. You definitely should do something special for the milestone anniversaries! Our 50th will be coming up in four years. Hopefully, we’ll still be in good shape to travel by then and can add the UK to our list. 🙂
Happy Anniversary! Love the look back on past years! We just celebrated our 25th on Aug 5. I see you’re in Toronto. I’m in Ottawa. I love dogs but we lost ours in January 2013 (Fergus – my baby – a chocolate brown standard poodle). We have not got another one yet because we are closely managing our finances. As well, my daughter and sister both have two dogs and it just gets complicated when we are all together. I miss Fergus so much though. We have thought about doing dog sitting to fulfill our doggie needs and also make a bit of side income but I haven’t seriously started anything on that front yet. Nice to run into you on Twitter! 😀
Welcome to the Den! 🙂 We certainly do have a lot in common and it’s nice to meet you. 🙂 Happy Belated Anniversary! Our beautiful Dalmatian passed away in 2007 and we were so devastated, we just couldn’t bring ourselves to get another dog. I’ve been in the pet care business since 1994 and am concentrating only on home boarding for dogs now. Wrote a couple of articles on the subject, if you’re interested in starting something up.
http://petcenternews.com/the-scoop-about-pet-sitting-part-ii-so-you-want-to-be-a-pet-sitter/
Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend.
Happy Anniversary and I love all the pictures of your anniversary celebrations. We share a love for dogs and especially Mike and Phoenix at Past My Curfew. I’m so glad he recommended your blog and gave me the chance to meet you. Congratulations on your creatively interesting blog.
Nice to meet you, Neva. Any friend of Mike & Phoenix is always welcome. 🙂 Thanks for the anniversary wishes. We can hardly believe so much time has passed! Glad you enjoy the site – it’s my creative outlet. Cheers!
Woweee!!! Congratulations! Here’s to many more!!!
Thanks Lady Java and also for sharing on Twitter. Have a great day. 🙂
Hey Debbie,
Happy belated anniversary but I know you guys had a wonderful time and I really enjoyed seeing the pictures over the years and how you have celebrated in the past.
I’m truly happy for you both and wish you many more years of wedded bliss.
~Adrienne
Thank you, Adrienne. 🙂 We can hardly believe so much time has passed! We had a fabulous time the weekend after our anniversary, attending a Moody Blues concert out of town. Apologies for the late response. Trying to catch up with everything .
God bless you two. This story is truly inspiring. I see those pics and I can visualize that time of the marriage (when I was not even born!) and then see you two celebrating anniversary after anniversay, milestone after milestone.. I will indeed be looking forward to reading that 50th anniversary post in the years to come.
Thanks Roshan. 🙂 When we got married, you weren’t even born yet? Well now I really feel old! 😉 Hopefully, we will still be in fairly good shape for the 50th. Have a good weekend.
Yes, Debbie, I like your personality, your life, your commitments – to your hubby, your dogs, your work, your friends, to everything. In this case it is your commitment to marriage. In 2,5 years my hubby and I will be married 60 years. I have similar experiences as you had before marriage – rejection and verbal abuse from my future father-in-law, but Love always prevails.
Congratulations from my heart to yours to your Anniversary and for your future together!! Best wishes for everything you do! Since you have been bitten by the travel bug, we will hear more from you as time goes by.
Your site is marvellous – great work. Will see you around, I just subscribed, so I wouldn’t miss a thing. Love you – Karin.
Thank you Karin, I’m truly humbled by your lovely words! ♥ Wow – 60 years! That’s so wonderful and I wish you and Dieter all the best. You two have a similar zest for life and that’s what keeps you young, yes? 😀 Travels won’t be too extravagant for some time, after last year’s month long European adventure, but hopefully, we will be able to do something similar for the 50th. Glad you like the site and thanks also for subscribing. Love you too! Schönes Wochenende
Congratulations, you lovebirds! Here’s to many more years of joy and travels.
Thanks Sammy. Here’s hoping, but we’re on that downhill slide. Hope it’s not too fast! LOL Have a good weekend.
Congratulations once again! Now I’m feeling really old, since I was 8 when you got married (now 49).
Thanks George. You’re just a young’un! 😀 Telling me you were only 8 when I got married makes ME feel REALLY old! LOL
Hey Debbie,
Congratulations and happy anniversary to both of you 🙂 Such a lovely couple, indeed. What I love about you both is that you are traveling around the World together. Young hearts and souls, eh? Nice to hear you both had a peaceful time yesterday.
I recall your 40th anniversary like it was held a few months back and the series of posts you published here along with your adventures. Woah… Time sure flies, isn’t it? Aaand love keeps growing and flowing.
Best wishes from this part of the World and for the wonderful years to come dear 🙂
Have a lovely week there!
Cheers…
Hi Mayura; Nice to see you; you’ve been missed! Yes, another year has passed and I can’t believe it’s flown by so fast. It will be hard to top our celebrations from last year’s 40th, but maybe when the 50th comes along, yes? 😀 Thanks for visiting and for your good wishes. You have a great week also.
H A P P Y
Anniversary! WOWWWWWWWWWWWW. FABULOUS. <3 xxx
Thanks Kim! 🙂 We are completely amazed, ourselves.
I would have loved to be able to attend that Italian style reception, Debbie! A very, very Happy Anniversary to you and your honey! It’s such a rare accomplishment of love and commitment that too many folks bail on today when things get tough. Mimosas and seafood…we will definitely spend the day with you anytime (regardless of drink/food) 🙂
Hi Mike; The band at our reception, called “The Red Devils”, was killer and we had a blast! Excellent food as well, but the hall was a bit seedy. It was all we could get on such short notice, (2 months). Nobody, except my mother, cared about that though. 🙂 Thanks for the good wishes! You’re right, too many people give up at the first sign of trouble. Had that been the case, we would have divorced years ago. LOL. I would enjoy spending the day with you and Phoenix as well. Loving your restaurant tours lately. Food porn! 😀
Happy Anniversary Debbie!
I don’t think it matters where we are as long I’m with my sweetie. We used to party every year, well every weekend but those days are long behind us now :).
Now we just go have dinner and just stay home and take in a movie and have some drinks. We still go to rock concerts too, that’s our favorite past-time together.
I think you two have a love story like the ones on the silver screen! I hope we get to our 41st :). My parents celebrated their 45 on August 3rd :).
I hope you have a great day and a fabulous time this weekend! Wishing you many many more years of blessings and happiness!
Thanks Corina. Congratulations to your parents also. 🙂 We don’t party much anymore but the rock concerts will always be our favourite mutual pastime as well. You’ve been together over 20 years, right? Chances are pretty good that you’ll make it!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY and Congrats to you and your hunny!!!
Thank you, Linda. 🙂 As I recall, your next one will be the 41st also. We are a small but exclusive club. 8|
Congratulations to you and your hubs (don’t know his name), Debbie! Good for you! You inspire me. Tomorrow is our 25th anniversary. I thought that was good but you’ve topped me. All the best and here’s to many more.
http://cattitudeandgratitude.blogspot.ca/2014/08/its-time-to-slow-down.html
Thank you Cathy. Nice to be an inspiration. 🙂 You’ve made it to 25 years, so chances are, you”ll get there. Congratulations to you and your hubby also! P.S. Your post link is added automatically with the CommentLuv. No need to type it in separately.
Happy Anniversary, Debbie and Angelo. Enjoy the day, and enjoy next Saturday’s concert. (((hugs)))
Thanks Mary! 🙂 We had a nice, quiet day and are looking forward to the weekend. ((HUGS)) back and apologies for the late response.
Hi Debbie,
Congratulations and celebrations, Debbie! Wishing you many more to come. You make such a lovely couple – bless you 🙂
You don’t look married for that long….look so young and perhaps it’s the love that keeps you going, isn’t it? Thanks for sharing – have a nice week ahead 🙂
Thank you so much, Harleena! 🙂 We did get married young, but hubby just turned 64 and I will be 60 in January. Hard to believe so much time has passed! Apologies for the late response. Hope your week is going well.
Debbie, congratulations! That is so awesone especially in this day and age. You don’t hear of that many married for that long these days.
Thank you Lisa; We are an elite group, it’s true. 🙂 There were some rocky times over the years but we worked it out, in the end. Apologies for the late response.
Happy Anniversary! Wishing you both a fantastic day! <3
Thanks Jody. 🙂 We are amazed that so much time has passed. Spent a quiet anniversary at home, but this weekend we are going to see the Moody Blues up north and spend the night at Casino Rama. Apologies for the late response.
So beautiful! Touchwood and wish you many more happy years together…Truly amazing!
Thank you so much, Nabanita. 🙂 We are amazed that so much time has passed. Apologies for the late response.
When it’s good, it’s great. Congratulations on your anniversary. You were together at such a young age that, in a sense, you must have grown up together—probably at different speeds, but importantly, you waited for each other and came out the other end together. I’m enjoying being old with my “old man”. There were times in our marriage when we were pretty distracted by our children and careers, but now those things are under control and we can enjoy being together without too many distractions. P.S.: You might enjoy my Comment Luv post. It’s about a small blogging Canadian dog who visited me in Philadelphia.
You described it pretty well, Suzanne. With two “Alpha” personalities, there’ve been many storms over the years, but neither one of us wanted to give up. Life is definitely more mellow now. 🙂 Sounds like you and your hubby have it figured out as well. Thanks for visiting and apologies for the late reply. Will check out your post…
I hope you guys have an EXCELLENT anniversary. Despite all of that opposition – even from your own self – you two are still going strong, and that is pretty freaking awesome if you ask me. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!! Here’s to MANY returns of the day!!
Thanks so much, Lizzie! 🙂 We are truly amazed ourselves and can’t believe it’s been that long, (or that we’re SO OLD! 😛 )