A Very Special Day

Since September has a fifth Tuesday, I thought I'd swap the topics and give you a very personal post today. Thirty-seven years ago on September 4, 1977, I married the perfect man. Yes, I know, perfection is in the eye of the beholder, but I promise you that John is the perfect man for me. He's loving, caring, sacrificing, loyal, and always supportive. I owe my entire writing life to him and his support. 

So, I thought I'd share a few pictures from our happy day. We met at what was then West Georgia College, now know as the University of West Georgia in a political science class titled Foreign Relations. Since we're from two different towns in this area, we were blessed to share this class. By the way, the first day of class was on my twentieth birthday. Now that's a gift that keeps on giving. ;-)

May you all find the happiness we've shared. 

I love you!

The entire wedding party on the steps of Kennedy Chapel

Oh, how young we were! And we'd do it all over again.

Yes, it's the perfect setting for a small wedding

Next Week: A Writing Tip ;-)

Anniversaries (and an update on FRIENDLY FIRE)

Copyright, Zan Marie Steadham
1977

Anniversaries are lovely things when they mark happy occasions and evoke fun memories. In fact, our thirty-sixth anniversary is this week and we'll be gone for a couple of days.

I'm working hard to make another anniversary a happy one, too. In March 2008 I woke from a nap with the first scene of FRIENDLY FIRE in my head. By the end of the day, I knew the basic story outline. Mind you, the story has undergone some major revisions and thematic changes, but the story is still there. Laura Grace and Samantha have lived in my mind for five and a half years. I'm working hard to have a complete draft by the end of this year, but if I don't manage it, I do hope to be able to say the rough draft is done by the end of March 2014. That would be a fitting way to celebrate the sixth anniversary of my story, don't you think?

So, keep your fingers crossed, throw a few good thoughts and supportive prayers my way. Maybe you'll be able to celebrate that anniversary with me, too. ; )

Update: I've finished the reread corrections--all bazillion of them. ; ) I'm going to pull all the individual scenes that got noted to need additions, the scenes that are only stubs, and the scenes that exist only as jot lists for a concentrated session of "fill-in-the-blank". Keep your good thoughts coming my way and cross your fingers. ; )

This is for when you are just tied up in knots and know you don't know enough to do the job right. Ira Glass has it all explained. ; )

Flowers for Our Anniversary

Aren't they beautiful! Imagine our surprise and delight on Sunday morning to find that one of our friends--Barbara Billert--had bought the flowers for the Sanctuary in honor of our anniversary. We had no clue until someone pointed out the notice in the bulletin. Our dining room table is five feet wide and the flowers are over three and a half feet wide. They made an amazing centerpiece. And if you wondered what was piled up around the flowers, it's stacks of A Christmas Walk. Where else did you think I'd put them? ; )

33 Years! You have to be kidding!

No, I'm not kidding. Thirty-three years ago on September 4, John and I got married. We were twenty-one years old and ready to take on the world. Since we met at what was then West Georgia College in a Political Science class titled "Foreign Relations", you might not be surprised that we get married at Kennedy Chapel on the Front Campus. At eight in the morning. Really. We knew how busy Maple Street was during the day and wanted the ceremony to be outside on the steps amid the trees and flowers of Front Campus. So, early in the morning on Labor Day Sunday, we said our "I do's". Pleasantly cool air greeted the twenty-three guests. I had made my dress and John's shirt and tie.

After the ceremony, we ate brunch in place of a reception. So is it any wonder, that we celebrated our anniversary with a buffet breakfast this morning? What could be better?

We drove to Savannah for our honeymoon and loved every minute of it. In fact, on our honeymoon, we found that we have a very special freight line. Really. One day during our week in Savannah, we were out on Tybee Island and saw a containerized freight ship coming in the Savannah River channel. It was the Arnold-Mersk. Later stopping at Pulaski National Battlefield, we saw the same ship coming up the river. Hurrying into town, we found the ship sailing slowly past River Street. So now, when we see railroad car after railroad car of Mersk containers, we turn to each other and grin. Some couples have a favorite song. We have a freight line. ; )