Ray of Sunshine: Anniversary

September 1, 1989 Ray Faries married Joanne Crowther in Arlington, Texas. The Justice of the Peace ceremony was very low key but pleasant and meaningful. The bride's father, George Crowther, treated everyone to a wedding lunch at J.Gilligan's in Arlington. He commented on the inexpensive tab. That night, the couple honeymooned at the Sheraton in Arlington overlooking the ballpark. Saturday evening, they hosted a blowout party at their home complete with margaritas. Best wedding weekend ever. Ray picked the September 1st date - it's the opening day of dove season. (Put that in a romance novel)

What a grand thing to be loved! What a grander thing still, to love! Victor Hugo

Twenty two years and we're still having fun and smiling. Unlike many novels' versions of marriages with daily trauma, heartbreak, infidelity, murder, betrayal, and abuse, our book is fortunately quite boring. Big questions - what's for breakfast? What's in the lunch bag? Who's cooking dinner? (I vote for Ray - much better cook.)

Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile - Franklin P.Jones

We're headed to the Texas Rangers game tonight to celebrate our anniversary. Again, a reader would yawn and fall asleep at this chapter. However, we keep turning our pages and delighting in our marriage adventure. It's our story.

That Love is all there is,

Is all we know of love

Emily Dickinson

Oh My Deer (Dear)

Twenty years ago, September 1st 1989 Ray and I said "I Do" and we've certainly written a lot of chapters in the book of love and tolerance. Whether freezing at the top of Jackson Hole, Wyoming (who'd think to pack a parka in July?) or lazing on a beach on Oahu (or Florida, etc...we're beach people at heart) or living through the teen years (and staying sane), we've packed a few laughs and tears into the memoir.

My favorite love stories are Gone With the Wind and The Thorn Birds. For Ray, has Stephen King written any romances? Ray loves fast cars, sports, and roughing it in the outdoors. I like fast cars, reading, movies, and my idea of camping is the Holiday Inn.

This is way too wild for me. Set me down in the middle of Times Square, please. Hook me up with an agent in Manhattan, pretty please.

On paper, Ray and I are total opposites. In reality, it works. It's worked for twenty years, certainly have reason to believe it'll go twenty more. His half of the story is a thriller. My half is humor. So we laugh a lot as we keep turning the pages.

Joanne