Wednesday, July 22, 2009

My Happiness -- another anniversary



First steps
Green apples in a white bowl
acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © 2009
(This is the start of a little painting of
today's produce -- small apples
from our tree. Some are actually yellow,
the colour the ripe apples should be -- they're
cooking apples. Tomorrow I'll polish it up a bit.
(pardon the pun).




These silly photo booth snaps from that first couple of
weeks we were together say it all
This one had obviously spent some time in
one of our wallets before making it into an
official album.

Something I really love about my husband is that he is
a hopeless romantic. He gets a tear in his eye when the
loving couple in a romantic movie get together. That's
why every month since we've met we wish one another
Happy Monthiversary, and after we married we had
two monthiversaries per month.

Today is the anniversary of our first date, which I
remember very well. If the scientists I heard on the radio
are right and there's no such thing as time, but just a
stack of cards, all of them now, then this was an important
now. (By the way that time theory is quantum theory, the
idea Einstein introduced, and I am just a simple painter
who was trying to understand the program!)

On that date I had a boy cut hairdo -- short, short, was
wearing a bright pink halter top, black cotton pants
from Le Chateau,a black corduroy jacket, and flat Chinese
shoes with straps from China town. We went to a local
very classy bar in a super restaurant, where one of my girlfriends
worked. It boasted a wonderful dance floor, and we drank
Singapore Slings, danced and flirted all night. My husband
was and is tall, dark and handsome. He is mostly Dutch with
some exotic Indonesian thrown in (his grandfather on his
mother's side) and the result is a very handsome man, who
tans deeply in the summer sun. He was tanned that night,
wearing a white polo shirt, tight fitting as they were back
then, a lovely suede baseball jacket, jeans and cowboy boots.
(He thought of himself as a secret Texan, or Albertan in
Canada).


Looking at this photo I see how crazy
in love I was. I feel the same way
today. Yes. I wasn't always blonde.

We were, and are smitten. I remember walking home hand
in hand and talking. I had never felt so crazy about a man
before. Now looking back on the life we've had I feel we are
so lucky. We have two lovely sons, both kind and gentle,
creative, funny men, have a happy, vibrant (if not at all tidy)
home, loving family on both sides, and a circle of kind, witty,
creative, loving friends. When I met Steven I had a feeling
that it would be a long term relationship, looking back I
feel extremely blessed that I was right.

Have a loving-the-people-you-love day.

19 comments:

julie davis said...

I love this, Barbara! You do look so happy. Happy anniversary-of your-first-date. Don't you love those?

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Julie,

Thank you, yes I do love those. We went out for dinner, and laughed, then came home and both of us had to go back to work.

You are sweet.

xoxoxoxBarbara

Gwen Bell said...

Happy Monthiversary you two Lovebirds! This is quite possibly the greatest love story I know of that's not in a novel or movie. Nobody...and I mean nobody I know is still so in love after all this time like you two. Oh sure, I know they are out there somewhere...I just don't know them. Can't help thinking about the incredible role models you two have provided for your children.

Thanks so much for the wonderful inside look at how it all began between you two beautiful kids.
You looked Uber Cool and Arty even back then with those twinkly stars in your eyes and your Hubby was certainly tall dark and handsome...and smart enough to know that Cowboy boots are a powerful aphrodisiac!(well,at least in Texas)

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Gwen,

You make me laugh. We are definitely in love, but that doesn't mean that our lives are like a movie, or romance novel. Did I mention that we have children, and animals? Did I mention that my older cat yells for an hour when my husband leaves for work and drags socks through the house like presents? Bills, worries, all of the normal things get to us as much as anyone else. I am sure some of our friends would hoot to hear us described as a romantic pair. But we are nontheless. There are, in my experience, lots of couples who've been in love for a long time. Some, like us, have even had therapy to learn how to be happy. I

xoxoxoxBarbara
(True about the cowboy boots which were destroyed when we painted them red for a black tie, red shoe party. Everyone in tuxes and formals and red shoes -- super fun).

Catherine Jeffrey said...

Wow Barbara, you certainly remember the details. The clothes, the feelings, the atmosphere, mood. Some of us are great with dates and details. I envy them. My mother has to call me and tell me that it is my anniversary. lol I think it has something to do with being an airforce brat. Your life sounds lovely. All that creative, messy, fun, family, organized chaos. Also, I like the start of your fruit bowl. Will look forward to finished product.

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Catherine,

Some events are so life changing that they're memorable. Plus we go over the details with each other at least once a year. One of my classic lines with my friends when they recount a terribly sad story is, "what were you wearing.?" They always tell me, then we laugh. I guess in some ways I'm shallow, plus as a visual being, the visual is always vivid to me.

My life is not always lovely, there
are some sad, sad parts, just like anyone else's, but I am lucky to be a happy person, living with people who like to have fun.

Thanks for your kind comment, your work is great.

Take care,

Barbara

Marian Fortunati said...

Gosh..... That was wonderful....

Sooooooooo lucky!! lucky to love and even luckier to know you are lucky!!

Happy Anniversary, Barbara!!!!

What wonderful memories!!

Melinda said...

I am very happy for you, Barbara! These are great photos and beautiful green apples.

It's so great to see that you are a normal, happy couple. Rare, indeed.

Wishing you a multitude of wonderful anniversaries!

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Marion,

That's true. Happiness is worth working towards. And I have been so lucky, and lucky to have had help learning that happiness is something we choose to feel whenever it's possible.

Thanks for your kind comments. I hope you are well.

Take care,

Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Melinda,

I know you are in a happy couple too. I guess I went too far when I said we are "normal." I know apples eh? But what can you do when you have a whole tree full of them? I'm not that good with trees.

Now I have to go and make applesauce.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxBarbara

Liza Hirst said...

This whole post is beautiful! Your apples, you, Stephen, your wonderful story and the way you've put it into words - thanks for brightening my day!

Gwen Bell said...

Well...I was so taken with the romance that I completely neglected to comment on your beautiful apple painting! It just gorgeous. Love all that red peeking around the corners. You're on a roll with your Still Life paintings. Everything you paint has your bright sunny mark on it.

Sorry to hear about the boots. My Dad, the true Texan he was, always had his boots handmade and the 1st thing he would do is dunk them in a bathtub of water then put them on wet so they would form to his feet. Weird but it worked!

Aliaena said...

Thanks so much for sharing this story and photos - such a lovely story it is. Great those photos! You both have such wonderful eyes, and Barbara I think they need to have a new blog award that goes to you: "Absolutely best SMILE ever." Here's wishing many more years of happiness to you and yours, Aliaena

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Liza,

Thanks so much. Every painting you've ever done has brightened my day. You are such a fabulous painter. Thanks for your kind, sweet message.

xoxoxoxBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Gwen,
Long ago I had Fry boots, but never real cowboy boots. I was on a business trip to Calgary, Alberta (our true west) and bought a small
pair for my older son when he was about five, but that's the last pair we had in our house. Your dad was smart. Hand made boots and shoes must
be the ultimate in comfort.

xoxoxoxoBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Aliaena,

I think you need an award for being a complete sweetie pie. Thanks for all the compliments. It's funny how you don't know that you're cute when you're young, but everyone is. I think that all the time looking at my students -- if only you knew how absolutely lovely you are, and there they are consumed with sadness because they don't think they're pretty, or handsome, or good enough. When in fact they are all sheer perfection.

Take care,

Barbara

Susan Carlin said...

Oh, this post just made my heart swell and spill over.
Happy Anniversary!
XXXX

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Susan,

You are so sweet. Thank you. We are lucky, and I am so lucky to have met you.

xoxoxoxoBarbara

PPH said...

Ahhh, what a nice piece, your wedding was the most classy event I had ever been to, I remember it well, Dave and I were going to sneak into Hull aftewards and drink, I think I was 10!
AND, I think I was at the red shoe, black tie party at ML's too! Ahh, memories!
Happy Anniversary, send Steve my love too!

Portrait Artist

My photo
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I paint and draw on commission and for shows. To commission a portrait, or purchase one of my paintings please contact me at: barbara.muir@sympatico.ca
A major highlight in my career? Drawing Oprah Winfrey live via Skype for her show "Where in the Skype are you? Galleries: Studio Vogue Gallery, Toronto, Canada. The Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York City. Gallery at the Porch Door, Kingston, Canada. Your positive comments on this blog mean the world to me. I'd love to hear from you!