Wednesday, April 22, 2015

A Hairy Post




Together forever, and doing OK (sometimes).

Over the years, I have lived on and off with a hairy man.  This thing about wanting follicles wherever they can grow possibly has to do with that small part of the male brain that has not evolved from the time homo sapiens first stood upright.  Women, being on the faster tract of civilization and fashion, decided that if men wanted to mate, they had to nix some of that hair and start to smell nice.  Women also wanted them to put on pants.  Shirts, for men under 30, were optional.  Men, feeling warmer with animal skins and wool sweaters, gradually gave into the female's demands due to the human species needing to survive.  However, some hair on the face, in different styles, has remained part of the masculine need to howl with the wolf and to show their dominating force of virility.  We women have accepted it, loved, and hated it, but mostly put up with it.

Hubby would grow a manly beard in winter when he was young.  I didn't complain too much.  I knew he was vain and as soon as the spring sun would shine, his need for a perfect tan would take over and then the shaver would be used.  In the past fifteen or so years, he has remained clean faced.  Last November, though, he started sprouting stubble again.  It grew into a beautiful white beard, always neatly trimmed and looking impeccable. He looked younger, more sophisticated and like a member of Mensa.  He might have even grown an inch.  Yeah, I love the look of my manly old man.  Some things do improve with age!


Photo

53 comments:

  1. Hello Arleen,

    What a dashing husband you have.

    The regal pose is perfectly complemented by the well trimmed beard and the ever so slightly present cheeky grin. A sense of humour is definitely required, no matter what the age!

    This is such a wonderful post. Witty and clever and a tender tribute to your partner in life. Lovely!

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    1. Dear Jane and Lance,

      I married a blond, all-American, beach boy. The blond got darker and then turned grey and he still has it. He has aged very well. Living together all these years, we have to have a good sense of humor.

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  2. A tidy beard is a thing of joy to the observer. Probably to the bearer, too.

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  3. Hubby has had a short, well-manicured beard for years, too. Maybe 25 years or so. He would not look the same without it. I dont' mind a nicely tended beard at all-it is the ratty-looking ones that get me! xo Diana

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  4. I'll show your post to my husband. I've wanted him to grow a beard for a while. He has beautiful silvery white hair. I call him the Silver Fox.

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  5. I think "neatly trimmed" are the operative words. He looks wonderful! I am not so keen on the unkempt beards you sometimes see around.

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    1. I don't like the Brad Pitt stubble (it looks lazy), nor the ZZ top mess. I am old fashioned and like a man who I can take places.

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  6. I kind of giggled through the first paragraph, and yet it rang true too. WOW, he really look good in the white. I love white beards, etc., It does make a man look distinguished.

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    1. White hair looks so much better on men than women. So does facial hair.

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    2. HA! Ain't that the truth? I swear, I never ever expected to grow hair on my FACE. The hairy legs and arms of my youth are long gone, but what's with the hair on my face now? God must have a sense of humor.

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    3. We could always put a clip with a flower on them. It would also hide our new chin(s).

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  7. I love the tongue-in-cheek humor in this post. I have to say your guy does look quite suave. I'd like my husband to grow a beard again, his brother who looks like his twin, has one and I like the sophistication it gives. But my husband needs to look clean cut for work so the time to grow it makes it difficult to pull off. Hopefully he can do it on one of our get aways.

    Thanks so much for your kind comments on my posts. I can't find an email address for you so it's been hard to respond. Love this post and hope to see more!!

    Jane x

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  8. During our hippie phase the spouse had a shaggy beard, but then we became adults and got jobs and grooming became important. When he retired he grew a beard, much like your husband's. He also started cutting his hair to about 1/16th of an inch! We went on a cruise last year and I could never pick him out from all the other old guys on the ship. They've all got short, short hair and white beards and wear khaki shorts and polos.

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    1. Oh, that made me laugh, Nana.

      My hubby is retiring soon and he wants to grow his hair a little longer. He has a beautiful head of hair and I am looking forward to that.

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  9. new reader here....I'm enjoying your blog and love the pictures! Your backyard is so pretty!

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    1. Thank you BG. I hope you will stay around awhile. It is good to have a new friend.

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  10. Of course, you had to leave me wanting more! I wanted to see more of your distinguished man from Mensa. His beard does look impeccably groomed. It's amazing how a white beard can actually make a man look younger. He wears it well, Arleen!

    Julie

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    1. He is a very private man, Julie, and I was very lucky that he allowed me to post a picture of the tip of his nose down. Believe me, he is a stud muffin.

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  11. LOL! My husband does the same...grows the beard for a week or two, then shaves. Only his just grows...no maintainence; and I hate it. But his pure white hair on his head....I love. Afterall, Joanne Woodward thought it looked great on Paul Newman! (le sigh; le heart thump, le dreaming) Great post!

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  12. I love a good beard, haha. Back a few years ago I heard the term 'beardlicious' and it absolutely made me smile ear to ear. Your handsome guy is a silver fox!

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    1. I never liked beards on young men, but it hides a lot of issues on older ones. I had to come to this point in life to appreciate them.

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  13. Arleen, I've never been able to grow a good beard but I'm very adept at wearing pants. I find it impresses people when I wear pants.

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  14. This post made me chuckle.....but what I want to know is this.....why do men grow more hair as the age...and we women lose it.....(in places we don't want to I might add). LOL LOL

    Jo

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    1. I am happy that we don't grow hair in our ears or nostrils like men do. However I have problems with these three hairs that tend to appear on my chin. If they were closer together, I could braid them.

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  15. You nailed it spot-on! I loved this especially: ...younger, more sophisticated and like a member of Mensa.

    Pluck those three hairs out! Or shave them?

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  16. Thinking about it now I must admit that I’ve never seen mine beardless. Not ever. It’s a short, trimmed, neat white one now but it’s always there.

    I wonder what he’s hiding?

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  17. Isn't it funny how things change, and how little deviations can be delightful? I love it when my husband puts on his reading glasses. He looks like a professor! lol

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    1. I have not been crazy about change lately but every now and then, change can bring unexpected pleasures.

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  18. This is a very nice beard and looks good on him. I'm not a fan of beards generally, only if they flatter the wearer. My husband stays clean shaven thankfully because his beard looks messy and sloppy.

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    1. I have always liked my man without a beard, but this one grew on me. Pardon the pun.

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  19. Your sweetie looks good with his beard. I never liked my husband with one and I guess he didn't either because he was always clean shaven.
    I really appreciate you leaving such a sweet comment about my daughters wedding. It was such a joy seeing how happy and in love they both are and her marrying such a good Christian man makes me so happy.
    I am taking good care of myself and least I am trying really hard too. Staying on a low sodium diet is a big challenge but soon I hope it will be like everything else just routine.
    Take care and know I think of you often.
    Love
    Maggie

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    1. You looked beautiful in your pictures of your daughter's wedding. Take care of yourself and allow others to help when they can.

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  21. My husband grows his beard longer during the winter, I prefer it short, a barely there sort of beard but as he's gotten older, he's developed this quarter sized white spot that looks like a bare spot, a hole in fact till you get up close to him. So.. he keeps it long to camouflage the spot ... hopefully it'll turn all white some day.
    I saw your hilarious comment over at Diana's and I had to come over and meet you! I'm a new follower. Looking forward to hanging out here!
    xoxo
    Sherry

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    1. Thank you, Sherry, for coming over to visit. I hope you will stay awhile.

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  22. My hubby has had a beard for almost forty years. I like it when it's well-trimmed, but one year, he and a buddy had a "contest" to see who could grow the longest beard. Let's just say I wasn't impressed. Especially since my guy has a bit of a cleft in his chin, so the beard kinda parted in the middle and flared out at the sides. Then there was the brief period when he kept the beard trimmed, but shaved his mustache. Our daughter told him he looked like an old Amish guy, so he let the mustache grow back. (SHE can get away with telling him that kinda stuff...)

    Love the bird in your header picture!

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  23. Hair, hair, I say. Some might think a beard is weird. Now you are getting used to your hubby's frizzly abundance. I'm suddenly thinking of Christmas.

    Gary, no beard but a 1970's moustache.....

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  24. He needs to grow the beard a little longer to go get that Snta Claus job. However, if there is money in it, maybe he could start his second career.

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  25. Hi--I'm new here! My husband had a mustache (couldn't grow a beard...) from the time he was 25 til he "over-trimmed" one day at 58, came out of the bathroom with a sheepish look. I clapped, told him he looked 10 years younger, and thought, "Oh, thank you, God! That bristly thing will hurt and redden my skin no more!" For such soft hair on his head--the gray mustache was painfully hard and bristly! It took everyone awhile to get used to Pop with no "stache"--(the children could not remember him clean-shaven!) My upper lip is still grateful! :)

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  26. Stopping by again, and finding a cat in a tree! Lovely cat, but clearly defiant.

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    1. She climbed my Willow because she could. On the other hand, we were very surprised to see her so high.

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  27. Awesome!!! I love a man with a nice neatly trimmed beard. My guy has had a beard for our entire life together:)
    Your honey looks quite handsome!
    Xoxo
    Vicki

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  28. I can't find a direct email for you but I want you to know that I love it when you visit my blog and leave such nice comments. Thanks! xo Diana

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