Saturday, September 17, 2011

Hair-Raising

Feeling nostalgic, but I'm doing OK.

Memories of


My youngest daughter stopped by for dinner the other night and while we were munching on appetizers, hubby brought out this large suitcase filled to the brim with pictures.  He had just found them recently while looking for something else in the basement.   We opened it up and there were envelopes upon envelopes filled with memories of our lives.

These pictures range from the 1960's to the late 90's.  Now that is a big chunk of history right there.  What I could not help noticing, was my change of hair styles.  It told a story in itself.  The early 60's was the" bubble or bouffant (preferred by many white-haired women of today), to the Sassoon cut at about '64 (Beatles), to the Afro in the 70's (anarchy) . I can say this last one was not the most natural look for a blue eyed, red haired Irish-American, but I thought I looked really cool. As the years progressed my hair seemed to get bigger and bigger, with it  reaching it's pinnacle in the 80's.  I don't think Marie Antoinette had hair so large.  The big do's of the day and the need for hair spray might alone have done more damage to the Ozone Layer than anything else.  The 90's brought it down, and I think it might have to do with getting comfortable with myself.  I have kind of kept close to that style since, only there is less, shall I say, body to it now. 

We had a great time looking at those old pictures.  There were those that I took when I met my hubby on a vacation to Michigan to visit my sister in the late 60's.   Three days after our first hello, I knew he was the one.  He proposed on our 12th date and our 30th date was our wedding ceremony.  Looking at the pictures, I remember what a cutie he was, blond hair, all-American, Robert Redford type boy - he was what we called in my youth - a hunk!  Over the years his hair turned dark, then gray, and today he remains with  a full head of hair, and is still quite a handsome man.   Nothing  has been easy, like most marriages, but we have weathered it through and will be celebrating our 45th anniversary next year.   It is mind-boggling when I think about it. When we started out, we were not unlike the characters from the movie, he a mid-western conservative and I, well, a strong willed, left leaning liberal who was all for protesting the war.   We felt like strangling each other many a time, but after an argument, he realized that I was always right -  not. 
I am happy to say though that I have brought him to my political thought of mind, albeit it, a little more moderate.

Have you seen a picture of Robert Redford lately.  His face has aged (he is 75), but his hair hasn't.  However,  he will always be Hubble to me.  Be still my heart!

So, it's the laughter, we will remember, when we remember The Way We Were.





20 comments:

  1. Hello Arleen:
    How lovely that a case full of old, possibly near forgotten photographs, should bring back so many memories most of which, we are sure, were both joyous and entertaining.

    And how wonderful to have been married for nearly 45 years when we live in a world where, so sadly, so many marriages fail to reach 45 days, let alone weeks or months. We do hope that you are both planning something very special in the way of celebration.

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  2. Wonderful! all those photos - all those memories.
    Arleen with both of us, you and me with 45 years of marriage each. If we'd have known what was going to lie ahead, probably instead of saying 'I do' we might have said, 'Can I think about it and come back to you on that one' But looking back I wouldn't change a thing and I expect neither would you. xx

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  3. Oh Arleen- that line "I don't think Marie Antoinette had hair so large"! I'll be chuckling all day! I remember those days well- and I also had the afro. Good grief what were we thinking?!

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  4. What an experience that must have been: viewing the years through hair styles and clothing. I have been looking at my long dead grandmother's photos, from the late 1800s. Thank God for photos.

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  5. Oh the hair styles we have tried. I can't tell you the years I spent trying to straighten my naturally curly hair. I was happy to let it lay long and curly through most of the eighties. A photograph is truly a beautiful treasure chest full of the most precious jewels....memories. Congratulations on your years of marriage, and bringing your husband over to your way of thinking.

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  6. Dear Jane and Lance,

    Thank you for your comment. Yes, we will celebrate, but we might argue about how, when, or where. In the end, we will go where he wants to go, but drink what I like to drink. Compromise is the name of the game.

    Hi Molly,

    When the hormonses were running fast and stupid, and it was a cute guy (Prince Charming), the answer was usually yes. Nothing is running fast and stupid anymore. In a few years, one of us is going to have to help the other out of a chair.

    Hi Austin,

    I am glad I gave you a laugh. Heck, with our wild Afros, we were bitchin' babes

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  7. Just took a quick look back over the photo albums myself...oh my.

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  8. It is great looking at old photos. We got a box out the other day and, as you say, the memories come flooding back. Today is our 41st Wedding Anniversary. Not always easy, especially at the moment with my man's Alzheimer's and Parkinsonism but they have generally been good years.

    We will go down town and have a meal at our favourite cafe.

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  9. I meant to ask what the flower is in your header photo.

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  10. I've found the opposite, my hair just keeps getting smaller and smaller - tummy, different story.

    Come on, post a few of the photos for us to enjoy - you can even choose the most flattering ones. We all lived through those years, the good, the bad and the truly hideous, that should never see light again.

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  11. Susan - it is a branch of a Crepe Myrtle Tree. This is my only pink one, I have three others that are white. They bloom for about 3 months here (July, August, September, and are my favorite trees.Happy Annniversary to you. Life is sweet and sometimes difficult as we grow older.

    MG - No way, no how!

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  12. Bonnie,

    Thank you for your comment. I never had naturally curly hair, but had plenty of perms. They were usually awful.

    Arleen

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  13. Susan K and Delores - Looking back can have its painful moments, but gosh, more times than not, you can have a laugh or a smile just remembering the times.

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  14. Dear Starting Over, THIS IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH, tantalizing us with stories of pictures but not showing them to us. I'm waiting to see them in your next post!

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  15. Dear Rosemary, As I said to Musical Gardner - no way, no how. I have my pride. Thank you anyway.

    Thinking it over, maybe I will blog the Afro, but will sleep on that idea.

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  16. Just googled Crepe Myrtle and they are horrendously expensive here so will pass on that one. Pity as it looks very pretty.

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  17. So sorry, Susan H. They come in bushes and trees. Eight years ago I spent $12 for 2 white bushes. I took cuttings from the suckers that grew on it and planted them in potting soil and when I thought it was healthy enough, planted it in the ground. As it grew, we pruned it into a tree. That one blooms earliest and the longest, so I guess I lucked out there. We bought our pink tree a year or so later for about $40. We are now looking to buy another pink or rasberry tree, but the prices have escalated to $80.00 to $149.00. If we buy one, it will be the smallest and cheapest because they grow very quickly, so there is no point in paying money for a large one. I wish I could send you a cutting, but 1) - It would probably die before it got there and 2)I also think there are some legal issues about transporting plants and seeds into other countries. You could possibly get a bare root plant for a CM bush on the Internet for a smaller cost and start from that. If you are in Zone 6 to 10, they grow wonderfully.Check out http://www.ag.auburn.edu/hort/landscape/crapemyrtle2.htm for information.

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  18. One of my favorite movies of the day! However, I much preferred Robert in Out of Africa; but maybe that's because I prefer Meryl! Thanks for the memories.

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  19. It sounds like you're straight out of The Way We Were, which is one of my favorite films. Nice that your'e still together!

    I have noticed that Robert Redford's hair has grown more yellow in his age. He needs to get a new stylist. If he's going to dye it, he should have someone give him the right color! Or, he could do what Cary Grant did, just get a nice pair of cool black glasses and let it all go gray. He looked awesome like that.

    Nice post!

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  20. Thanks for that. We don't actually need any more bushes or trees so I may well leave it unless I happen across a reasonably priced one. Or come across one via a Garden Club.

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