Sunday, December 27, 2009

Thanks For The Memories. . . .

George and I had a very special Christmas this year thanks to our
wonderful family.

Christmas morning dawned bright and clear but with a definite
winter chill in the air. We went to Steve and Rhonda's for breakfast.
There was quite a group there, Steve and Rhonda, George and I,
Brinton and Charlotte, Cote, Brexton, and Nixon, Trey, Jenna and
Spur, Paul and Joanne, Scotty and Keri, Martin and Miller, Ryan
and Julie, Crew, Cole, Cash, and Brannon and Amanda.

Rhonda and Steve with Trey and Jenna's help, really prepared a
breakfast feast fit for royalty, which of course we are! George
made his traditional cinnamon rolls and we took eggnog to go with
them.

It was a blast watching seven little boys and one little princess
opening their gifts. They were loving every minute of it. Order
quickly went out the door as they got into the spirit of Christmas.
The little children are what makes Christmas so much fun. To see
the excitement and wonder on their little faces brings a sense of
awe into my life.

It was a special treat that Paul and Joanne were here in Mesa and
were able to join us at Rhonda's. They said they had a lot of fun.
Before the day was over, we also had calls from Jeni, Justin, Craig,
Miranda, Hannah, and Josh. I went to bed knowing that we had
shared our Christmas joy with all of our children, grandchildren,
and great grandchildren. We didn't talk to Ethan, but Jeni, Paul,
Joanne, and Justin all shared his Christmas fun with us. It was
truly a perfect day!

Muggles didn't get to go to "Rhonda's with us, but when we got
home, she opened her gift and she was as joyous and excited as
all of the little kids. Her tail didn't stop wagging the rest of the day
and she slept with her head resting on her new hedgehog toy and
with her new ball tucked between her paws.

Thank you to each member of our family for being the special
people you are, for loving us, supporting us, and putting up with
us as we have grown older and passed the baton to you. We love
you all so much!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Gingerbread Houses. . . .A Christmas Tradition. . . .







Sunday afternoon George and I went to Steve and Rhonda's for
their traditional monthly family dinner. It was a night to observe
family traditions with Mable Burgers, a Gunnell family tradition
being served for dinner and after we ate, helping the little kids
build gingerbread houses. My role was more to watch than to
help. After many years of being in charge of "Gingerbread House
Building", I have been more than happy to pass that role on to my
grandchildren's parents, who just happen to be my kids. It has
been gratifying to know that this family tradition has now been
extended to include Steve and Rhonda's blended family and they
love it, too.
When Paul, Rhonda, and Craig were growing up, part of our
celebration was building gingerbread and candy houses and
decorating sugar and gingerbread cookies that had been cut
into angels, Santa and Mrs. Claus, Christmas trees, stars, and
other Christmas characters.
When my first grandchild, Justin was three, I wanted to start
a Christmas Tradition of building gingerbread houses with my
grandchildren. We have continued this tradition each year since
and my grandchildren have loved it as they passed from child-
hood into their teens, young adults, newly weds, and parents.
Rhonda and Charlotte have posted pictures of this years fun
on their blogs and I have decided that for my Christmas story
on "Growing Up Ina", I will post some random gingerbread
house pictures from past years. I do not have the very early
pictures of Justin and Jeni as I left the picture taking up to
Joanne. Jeni tells me she does have some. I do not have any
of Joshua building a house as from the time he was old
enough to do it, they have lived away from us, even as far
away as Puerto Rico and India. He has built houses, though.
That is one thing that has been so wonderful about this
tradition, if we can not be together, we know that wherever
our family members are, they will be building their ginger-
bread houses at Christmas time. This year, while Miranda
was building hers with us at Rhonda and Steve's, Hannah
was building hers, with her friend Courtney, in Arkansas.
I hope you enjoy this glimpse of my family enjoying a
beloved family tradition through the years.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

All Things Zoo. . . .


Aldabra Tortoise


Grevys Zebra - The Grevys is the largest of the Zebra species

Reticulated Giraffes feeding near the observation tower
The Petting Zoo on The Childrens Trail

Asian Elephants - Reba and Indu - Sanctuary Animals

More of Reba and Indu

The new Komodo Exhibit - the female dragon

The Orangutan family - Duchess, the Matriarch, is the
oldest living Orangutan in any Zoo world wide. She is 47
Three Ring Tailed Lemurs sitting in a row
One of the islands for our apes - these are Gibbons

The Cheetah - The Phoenix Zoo belongs to the SSP for
this animal and has bred many to go to other zoos
The Mhorr Gazelle - This beautiful animal is the largest
of the Gazelles and is extinct in the wild
Spock, the Mandrill
Ken - The Hamadryas Baboon with one of his girls
White Rhinos - Notch and Half Ear - Sanctuary animals
African Lions - Brother and Sister
Jai the Sumatran Tiger
A female Ostrich on the African Savannah
Prairie Dogs enjoying the sunshine
Gila Monsters and a Speckled Rattlesnake
A Golden Eagle and two Ravens
Two Mexican Grey Wolves - severly endangered they are
part of the zoos SSP - the zoo breeds them and they have
been successfully released into the wild
It has been 72 years since my sister, Theresa, and brother-in-law,
LeGrande, took an excited little girl to the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake
City. It was my first visit to a zoo. I had always loved animals and
to be able to actually see these beautiful wild animals in reality
instead of in the National Geographic and Readers Digest magazines
that I studied voraciously each month, was a dream come true. Each
time I visited Theresa and LeGrande, they made sure I was able to
visit the zoo.
When I went to live with them in 1949 after graduating from high
school, Shasta, the Hogle Zoo's famous liger, was just a year old.
She had been born at the zoo. Her parents were a male African Lion
and an Asian Tiger. I was fascinated with her. She was beautiful. I
visited her as often as I could while I was living there and several
times I took my two little nephews, Jim and Karl, with me so they
could see Shasta and the other animals. Shasta died in 1972 at the
age of 24. I was able to see her shortly before she died.
That first trip to the Hogle Zoo was the beginning of my life long
love affair with zoos. When George and I were married, he was in
the navy stationed in San Diego, California. Our first home there
was a lovely apartment in Hillcrest, a suburb of San Diego. We had
no car and little money, but our apartment was located just a block
from beautiful Balboa Park and we could walk through the park to
the San Diego Zoo. As a member of the Armed Forces, George and
I paid a bargain 25 cents admission to enter the zoo. Almost every
Saturday that he did not have duty, we would spend the day at
the zoo and the park. We had our favorite tree at the park. We
would spread a blanket under it and play games, read, eat, and
just relax. George usually took a nap and I watched people.
Paul, Rhonda, and Craig grew up with the San Diego Zoo as one of
their favorite places to go. They loved to ride the carousel just
outside of the zoo entrance. They would ride it over and over again
as they tried to grab the brass ring to earn a free ride. I'm not
sure that always ended up being a bargain, but they sure had fun.
Later, when we would go to the zoo with Justin and Jeni, they too
loved trying to grab the brass ring. They loved to celebrate their
birthdays at Balboa Park and we looked forward to joining them
for the fun at our favorite park.
We have been to the San Diego Zoo with Brinton and Trey many
times and have watched them laugh with excitement as they. too,
tried to capture the brass ring for their free ride. We have also
been there with Miranda and Hannah. I am not sure if we have
been there with Josh, but we have been to zoos with him and
his sisters in Kansas, Texas, and Phoenix. When we moved to
Mesa, I knew one of the things I would miss the most would be
the beautiful San Diego Zoo. Rhonda and Ken had moved to
Mesa. We followed a few years later. One of the first things
Rhonda and I did after we got settled was to take Brinton and
Trey to the Phoenix Zoo. Just as their mother had grown up
with the San Diego Zoo, so they grew up with the Phoenix Zoo
as one of their favorite places. It is a beautiful zoo and I fell in
love with it on that first visit.
One morning in 1991, as I read the Phoenix Republic newspaper,
I saw an add that the Phoenix Zoo was recruiting volunteers to
serve at the zoo. I applied and was accepted. I just recently
marked my 18th year as a Phoenix Zoo Volunteer. I have loved
my service there and consider it one of the most rewarding
things I have done. Now, in addition to my grandchildren, it
has given me the opportunity to be involved with my great
grandchildren, Cote, Brexton, and Nixon at many special
occasions at the zoo. Their parents and G Mama take them
often. Zoo lights has become a Christmas Tradition that our
family looks forward to each year. I have not yet visited a
zoo with our other little great grandson, Ethan, but have seen
pictures of a recent trip he had to the San Diego Zoo with his
mother, Jeni, and grandmother, Joanne. I look forward to
a trip to the zoo with him. It will be fun in the future to
watch his first attempt at capturing the brass ring on the
Carousel after a visit to the zoo, just as I watched his Grand-
dad, mother, and Uncle Justin do when they were children.
So, that first visit by a wide eyed little girl to the Hogle Zoo
in Salt Lake City those many years ago, has come full
circle as I extend my love of zoos to yet another generation.
When I worked my shift at the zoo last week, I chose to
serve as a roving Trail Host so I could take pictures of the
animals and their habitats as I moved from one stop to
another. The animals are not all close ups as I wanted
the pictures to also show the beauty of "my" zoo to post on
Growing Up Ina and The James Wadsworth blogs.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving. . . .

I want to wish my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren a
beautiful Thanksgiving day.

When I say my prayers each night and thank my Father In Heaven
for all of the blessings he bestows upon me each day, the first thing I
thank him for is my wonderful family.

George and I have been blessed with children and grandchildren who
make us proud, each and every, day. You are good people. You love
and support us. You fill our lives with joy. You give us purpose and
a desire to hang around for a while longer. Paul, Rhonda, Craig,
Justin, Jennifer, Brinton , Trey, Miranda, Hannah, Joshua, thank you.

Paul chose Joanne, Rhonda chose Steve, Craig chose Ann, you have
added so much. Thank you for being part of our family.

Chris, Charlotte, and Jenna, we have welcomed you into our family
with open arms and appreciate each of you for your unique traits
and all you do for us.

Now, as the great grandchildren arrive, that purpose and desire is
even stronger. There is so much to see and experience as we watch
them grow. Cote, Brexton, Nixin, and Ethan, you are, indeed, very
special.

Thank you to each one of you for bringing us so much joy and filling
our hearts with so much pride.

We love you so much,

Mom and Dad, Grandma and Granddad, George and Ina
Great Grandma and Great Granddad

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Dirty Corduroys And Curly Hair. . . .

Hi-de-ho' to all of you 'Hep Cats',

"What's buzzin, cousin?"

I wanted to post a little trivia about the dirty corduroys worn by
David and Ronnie in the picture accompanying my story, "What
Are You Doing Here?"

The late 1940s were an exciting time to be alive, especially if you
were a high school student full of adventure and enthusiasm.
The fads in clothing were the 'Cat's Pajamas' and 'Slangish' was a
language that belonged to us and was a 'solid' part of our lives.

The boys of Lincoln County High School soon discovered that
corduroy pants were a comfortable and welcome addition to levis
in their wardrobe and they became the 'threads' of choice. They
found themselves saving all of the 'dead presidents' (money) they
could in order to purchase a pair. Cream or light beige were the
colors of choice because they more easily showed the dirt.

I say, a pair, because one pair could last for most of a school year.
They never washed them. If Mother even looked like she was
going to include them in the weekly laundry, they would 'flip
their wig'! The dirtier they were, the more 'cool' it was. The
campus was 'buzzin' with boys 'gammin' (showing off) their dirty
cords.

David's were some of the dirtier cords on campus. He was
'dynamite', the 'cat's meow' and was 'flapping his lips' about
it to anyone who would listen, and those who didn't want to.
We had a joke at home that they were so stiff he just stepped
out of them at night and stood them in the corner until he
was ready to jump into them in the morning. I swear that
I have gone into his room and seen those cords standing in
the corner on their own. That was when they moved from
being ordinary to 'killer-diller' (good stuff).

Another fad that took the boys of Lincoln County High School by
storm was curly hair like David and Ronnie flaunted, in order for
them to appear very 'cool'. Much to the delight of the merchants,
the Home Perms jumped off the shelves faster than they could
stock them. Homes throughout the county had that distinctive
odor as dozens of cury haired boys boys vied with each other
to be designated as the 'grooviest dude' on campus.

When David was a senior, the Lincoln County Lynx basketball
team all sported curly hair. I am rather proud of the way David's
curly hair looks in that picture, as it was I, who gave him the perm.
I have to admit that he looked 'swell' when I was finished.

Check out that picture again and pay particular attention to those
dirty cords and curly hair, they are indeed, the 'bee's knees'!

To help you be 'gone' (knowledgeable) about the Slangish in this
story, I have marked it thusly ' '. I hope you 'dig' it. I'm going to
'fade' now, 'see you later alligator'!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

What Are You Doing Here?!!. . . .


My wedding was not without it's share of drama and humor. In addition to the drama of me getting caught in a sudden, and isolated,
thundershower a scant hour before the wedding ceremony, another
incident occurred which was hilarious and quickly became a favorite
story for both the Wadsworth and Wimsatt families.
George's sister, Margaret, worked for quite a few years at the El
Rancho Drive-In Restaurant in Las Vegas as a Car Hop. It was
located on Charleston Blvd. and Main St. and was a popular hangout
for the young people, both local and out of town.
One day in February of 1951, a car load of young men from Panaca,
who were in Las Vegas to watch the Lincoln County Lynx play in
the Regional Basketball Tournament, pulled into one of the drive-in
stalls. The driver was my brother David. Now, anyone who knew
David, also knew that he had the enviable reputation of being the
world's greatest tease. Well, at least Lincoln Colunty's greatest
tease. He was always at his happiest, and his best, if he had what
he considered the perfect subject upon which to work his magic.
A pretty dark haired woman came bouncing over to take their
order. The story goes that David immediately began to work his
wiles. He soon found that this vivacious, enthusiastic woman
could dish it out with the best of them. They bantered back and
forth as she took their order, and again when she delivered it.
After they had eaten, she handed David the bill and started to
remove the tray. David grabbed it and said, "I've always
wanted one of these. How much will you charge me for it?"
Pretty Woman, "I'm sorry, the trays are not for sale."
David, "Aw, come on, I'll buy it for more than it is worth."
Pretty Woman, "Sorry, can't do it."
David, "Okay then, what if I just drive away with it?"
Pretty Woman, "Are you trying to get me fired?"
David, "Heck no, they aren't going to fire their prettiest and
best car hop over one cheap tray."
Pretty Woman, "Want to bet on that, and I need this job!"
David, "Spoil sport, what if I just do this?" And with that,
he handed her the money plus a generous tip, pulled the
tray into the car and as they roared away, heard her yell,
"You'll be sorry! I'll find you!
Fast forward three months and we find David sitting in the
living room of his parents home on Ina's wedding day. He
was joshing with his sisters and teasing Ina about marrying
a 'Rock Eater' and living in Pioche for the rest of her life.
"A fate worse than death", he said.
Someone knocks on the front door and David saunters over
to answer it. He opens the door and stares into the brown
eyes of a familiar looking pretty woman. They look at each
other in shocked silence, and then in unison, young man and
pretty woman exclaim, "What are you doing here?"
As his family sits with open mouths, and without missing a
beat, Pretty Woman says, " I came for my tray."
David, innocently, "What tray?"
Pretty Woman, "The one you stole."
David, "I didn't steal any tray and besides how did you know
where to find me?"
Pretty Woman, "I have my sources."
David, now a bit rattled, "Seriously, what are you doing here?"
Pretty Woman, "I came to see Sheriff George Wimsatt."
David, "Ah shucks, don't tell me you've come to have me
arrested over a cheap tray, which by the way, I was always
planning on returning. But really, what are you doing here?"
Pretty Woman, "Yeah, I just bet you were planning on re-
turning it, but besides meeting with Sheriff Wimsatt, I am
here for my little brother, Junior's wedding. He is going to
marry Ina Wadsworth today."
David, in shock, "Ina is my sister and she is certainly not
going to be marrying anyone named Junior, she's going to
be married to George Wimsatt."
Pretty Woman, "What? You mean my little Junior is
marrying the sister of a soon to be convicted, thief?"
David, trying to fit it all together...Junior...George...
Sheriff Wimsatt..."Who the heck (I'm not sure heck is the
word he used but for my story, it is the one I will use) are
you lady?"
Enjoying every minute of David's discomfort and laughing so
hard she could barely stand, Pretty Woman says, "I guess I
had better introduce myself. I am Junior's, I mean George's
sister, Margaret Garrison and I'm here with my daughter
Todd Ann, to make sure her Flower Girl dress fits."
As his family were overcome with helpless laughter, a redfaced
David mutters, "Pleased to meetcha" and under his breath,
"Not really."
David did try to return the tray. Margaret refused saying it
was worth every cent that was deducted from her pay check
to watch him squirm. "Besides", she said, "He really is a cutie
and his generous tip paid for the tray.
This is a true story. It is written from my memory and the
accounts of those who witnessed it on that fateful day. Some-
times the Devil really does get his due, but oh how I, and
everyone who knew him, loved that handsome Devil!
A bit of trivia; George was christened George Paul Wimsatt, Jr.
Much to his dismay, as he was growing up, his three older sisters
called him 'Junior'. He hated it. While living in Las Vegas, he and
his sister Betty, often walked down So. 5th Ave. to Anderson's
Dairy where Margaret worked, to get milk and cheese. The
dairy made ice cream, which they sold there, and supplied to
stores throughout the area. Margaret would usually give them
a pint of soft ice cream before it was completely frozen, for
them to eat as they walked home. One day, as they left the
dairy, Betty handed the bag containing the glass bottles of
milk to George and said, "Here, Junior, you carry the milk."
He said, "Don't call me Junior, and why do I have to carry
it?" She answered, "Because I told you to, that's why!"
Thoroughly angry, George said, "No, I won't," put the bag
down on the curb and bolted for home like a frightened deer.
Being an athletic sixteen year old tomboy, she would have
soon overtaken this eleven year old boy, but after chasing
him for a few blocks, she reluctantly went back to retrieve
the milk. Knowing his parents weren't home to protect him,
he ran into the desert by the trailer park and hid until they
returned. Even after his show of defiance, Betty still continued
to call him Junior and insist that he carry the milk.


Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Love Is In The Air. . . .Sweet, Sweet, Love. . . .#6

I rolled over in bed and opened my eyes. It was still dark. I
heard soft sounds coming from the kitchen as mom went about
her early morning routine. They were familiar and comforting
sounds, signifying that all was right in my life. I smiled to my
self and then realized that mom was talking to someone. It
sounded like my sister, Theresa, but what was she doing here
in Panaca, she wasn't here when I went to bed a few hours ago.
Theresa! I sat up with such a jolt that Delores, who was sharing
the bed with me, tossed restlessly in her sleep. Then, I
remembered! Today, May 24, 1951, was my wedding day.
Today, I would marry my sweetheart, George Paul Wimsatt.
With my heart pounding and butterflies in my stomach, I tried
to relax as I thought back over the last few days.

It seemed that everything had happened so fast. When George
left for his Boot Camp at the naval Training Center in San Diego,
we had just renewed our romance. We had decided while
corresponding, that we would be married when he graduated
from Boot Camp and was home on leave. Knowing there would
only be a little over two months to prepare, I had been very
busy. With my mother and sister's help, I felt that we had
done a remarkable job with the preparations for the wedding
and George's baptism, which had taken place just two days ago.

My bishop was out of town and would not be returning before
George had to report back to The Naval Training Center, so we
asked Bishop Horlacher from Pioche, who was George's bishop,
to marry us. He was a good friend of my father and also was
the father of my sister Delores' boyfriend, Pete. George had
chosen Gino Choquer to be his Best Man and Delores was to
be my Maid of Honor. Our little nieces, Lois Marie Magleby and
Todd Ann Garrison, were to be our Flower Girls. Theresa had
made the little girls dresses and George's sister Margaret
would be here this morning with Todd so Theresa could make
sure her dress fit her properly. My wedding gown and veil
were pressed and hanging on the closet door. My sister,
Martha, would be here this morning to style my hair. I wanted
it to hang natural with soft curls and a fluffy bang.

We had decided on an outdoor wedding. Mom's best friend,
Rachael Free, lived just down the street from us on the corner
directly across from "the Castle". She had the most beautiful
yard in Panaca. It was a showcase of beautiful flowers, trees,
and shrubbery. It was a riot of color with flowers of all shapes
and hues blooming in wild profusion. She was delighted to open
her beautiful yard to us for our wedding. Her son, Darrel and
his wife Lena, had been helping her plant new flowers, replace
old ones, and trim shrubbery and trees. An arbor had been
built and laced with flowers.

Our wedding ceremony was to take place in the late afternoon
and the reception would then be held at the chapel in the
multi-purpose room. My family, with help from some of the
Panaca women, had decorated the room, and the foyer where
we would greet the guests, with armfulls of flowers that Mrs.
Free had let us cut. They made the room and tables look
beautiful. Refreshments were to be made, and served, by
the ward sisters.

Panaca could still be having chilly weather in May with a chance
of thundershowers, but the weather today was supposed to be
nice. I convinced myself that it would be foolish for me to worry
about an outdoor wedding with a chance of thundershowers. I
admit that was easier said than done.

Thinking about all of this, I decided we were ready. I lay there
for a little while reflecting on it and trying hard to calm myself.
I had to confess that I was nervous and wondered if George was
also feeling a little apprehensive. That thought made me smile,
as he had always impressed me as being an "unflappable" type
of guy. During our romance, there had been many times when
circumstances had put me into a frenzy and he had remained
so calm and cool that I wanted to pound on him. I think I was
secretly wanting him to be just a little nervous.

I snuggled back down and lay there for awhile until I heard
sounds signifing that mom was heating water to wash hair and
take baths. I decided I had better get up.

Things seemed to move along smoothly. "All too smoothly", I
found myself thinking. Margaret had arrived from Las Vegas.
Todd and Marie were the same age and size, and so her dress
was a perfect fit. They were adorable, two little blondes, Todd
with brown eyes and Marie with blue.

I washed my hair and took a bath. No mean feat since it was
all done in the kitchen, which was transformed into a bathroom,
in a #3 tub filled with steaming hot water and sitting on two
wooden chairs. This was perfectly normal to me, having bathed
and washed my hair in this manner my whole life. This, being
my day, I was privileged to use the facilities first, thus being
assured of having plenty of hot water. Some of the family had
already taken their baths, having gone to the Spring last night.
After I was through, I combed the tangles from my hair so it
would be dry when Martha was ready to perform her magic.

As we were leaving immediately after the reception to go to
Las Vegas, I needed to pack and be ready for our Honeymoon
trip. We were riding to Vegas with Margaret. She would drop
us at the El Cortez Hotel. While in high school, when we would
travel to Las Vegas for school trips, I would often gaze with
longing at this beautiful old hotel and dream of one day staying
there. That I was actually going to spend my wedding night
there was a dream come true! We would be there for two
days and then take the train to Los Angeles where George's
brother, Jack, would pick us up. They had converted a part
of their beautiful home into a private suite for us. We would
stay there for several days and spend some time at the beaches
and Knott's Berry Farm. Jack would then drive us to San Diego
for George to report back to the Naval Training Center and I
would take the train to Caliente.

Martha worked her magic with my hair. It fell to my shoulders
in soft, natural curls and my longish bangs were fluffy, just as I
had envisioned. She was quite proud of herself. Now there was
nothing left to do but wait until it was time to dress for the
wedding ceremony. It had been too easy, surely nothing could
go wrong now! Just before it was time to dress, Mrs. Free
called to say she had a vase of roses to be placed by the guest
book in the foyer. I was feeling antsy and decided to get the
flowers and walk them to the chapel, thinking the exercise
would calm my nerves. It only took a few minutes and I was
on my way home. I noticed the sun had momentarily dis-
appeared and looking up, I noticed two small black clouds
directly over me. I was a block from home when there was a
flash of lightening and a loud clap of thunder, and then those
two little clouds opened up and a deluge of rain poured down.
There was no place for me to go for shelter, so I sprinted like a
wild thing for home. The sun was already shining again as I
burst through the door.

I was soaked and all I could see was Martha's shocked face.
There was no time left and my beautiful hair was ruined.
What can you do when your wedding is a scant hour away?
We didn't have a hair dryer. We did have a curling iron if we
could dry my hair enought to use it. Martha was able to
put some soft curls back into my hair but my bangs just
seemed to hang limply in my eyes no matter how much she
teased them. With me in a tizzy, she decided to cut them
very short into what she described as "The bang that Ginger
Rogers had just made famous". It exposed a lot of forehead
and the ends barely turned under. "Just trust me, Ina" she
soothed, as I ranted and raved. I tried to relax. She, after
all, had been a model in Miami, Florida. She loved it, I wasn't
sure about it. "What a bride I will be with braces on my teeth
and a bare forehead showing below these famous Ginger
Rogers bangs!" Too late to worry, though, it was time to get
dressed. At least those two irritable clouds didn't rain on
Mrs. Free's garden, the bridal party and wedding guests
wouldn't get wet. As for me, it had just been a case of being
in the wrong place at the wrong time. Surely it wasn't an
omen of things to come? No, I was too happy!

Next up. . . .Our Wedding. . . .