Wednesday, September 27, 2006

More than I Bargained For



Charming and I will celebrate thirty-one years of marriage next month. This means, among other things, that the words "I didn't know that about you!!" don't come out of our mouths too often anymore. I know most of the stories about his childhood, and vice versa. We met at eighteen, so it is not so far in the future that we will have known each other twice as long as we "haven't."

The picture above is a well-known painting, "Portrait of a Young Girl Reading." I had a copy in my bedroom growing up. One summer, the grocery store was giving away a "painting a week"
with a $5 order. (think "$20 order" in today's money.) My mom got lots of "still lifes" for the living room and family room--I got the Girl.

The paintings came on cardboard, but imprinted to look like canvas. I never got a frame for mine, but set it up on my bookshelf. Eventually, the corners got bent, and all, so when I moved out, I threw the painting away.

Through the years, I thought I would like to get another copy. Finally, last week, I found one (FRAMED!!) at the thrift store for $5. I thought it would look good in our bedroom, along with the copy of Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" I found last fall. Read about that here.

You could have knocked me over with a feather when Charming came home that night and saw the painting. His first words were, "Where did you find the picture of the Girl in the Yellow Dress? That was one of my favorite paintings growing up." He also said, "it was one of my first standards of feminine beauty."

Wow. To find that we both had a connection to something, but didn't share it "together." Like I said, this doesn't happen too often anymore. I've been kind of excited since then, like when we were dating, and everyday was an opportunity to find out something new.

Turning a corner...Charming worked until 1am last night. (I was in bed, of course.) When I got up about 1:30, I heard him downstairs, playing guitar and singing, worshipping the Lord.

Just another reason why I Love This Man.


Young Girl Reading courtesty of
Allposters

7 comments :

tam said...

That young girl is also a Fav, absolute FAV of mine...Gram has had her hanging in her home for many years!

What a delight you have in your man! "first standards of feminine beauty"???? This man's Mama must have taught him well...at the very least he knows beauty when he sees it (he chose you did he not?)

The worshipping the Lord at that hour of the morning? Oh...this gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes...what a sight to behold...your Earthly groom worshipping your Heavenly one...

Happy 31st Anniversary of Wedded Bliss Mrs. G.L.H.!

G.L.H. said...

Tam,

Thank you for your sweet, sweet comments!
Love you always!!

--Barbara

Anonymous said...

What a lovely post. So nice to hear a woman so honoring of her husband and still so obviously in love with the man after many, many years of marriage. How fun to have had that experience with the painting!

R said...

Okay... I'll have to come back to read your post, but saw your image in my comments (replied, by the way) and just HAD to come say I ADORE IT!!! It's vintage - YEAAAAAAAAAA! ;)

Isabella in the 21st Century said...

This is a lovely,lovely story. Thank you for sharing...your husband has good taste, such a pretty picture! (and you, of course!)

R said...

What a fabulous story, Barbie - Wow! Happy Anniversary!

Shari said...

oh that's beautiful!