Funny Start To My Wedding Day--18 Years Ago!

We were getting my dress loaded into the car to go to church on my wedding.  I was going to get dressed at the church.  Simple, right?

Well, we got everything packed up and then

dad couldn't find his keys to the car!  Can you figure out what happened to them from these pictures?
If you guessed he had them in his other jacket, you are right.  Fortunately, it did not take him long to find them, but it was kind of funny.

He did not wear a tux to my wedding but his suit.  He looked very nice and I was fine with that.   We are not a family who likes dressing up.  For a long time the joke was that I would probably get married in jeans.  But no, I surprised people and actually found a dress I really liked.  It was perfect for me.  Very traditional and classic, just my style.

Even my dad is smiling before walking me down the aisle! 

After the ceremony, we went to take pictures at Stan Hewitt Gardens in Akron, Ohio.  Then I finally lost the veil and put on my Indians cap.  Gerard had a Patriots hat.  What a pair we are!  We believe we were meant for each other.  Today is our 18th wedding anniversary--time flies.

Keys, Keys, Keys--One Of Harry's Hobbies

The mind is a funny thing sometimes. As forgetful as my dad was, he could remember what each key was for and he had a whole lot of them. For awhile, he even had a little locksmith business going after he retired. He spent a lot of money on this endeavor, which my mother was not happy about, just so he could help people who needed a lock or key. Sometimes he’d be called on to help someone who locked themselves out of the car or house. Often the church would ask him to change their locks and make more keys for them. He did it so often that the Pastor’s son referred to him as the “key man.” Dad always liked to have his clump of keys hanging on his belt, all of them—they were too heavy to keep in a pocket! This was his main reason why he didn’t want the sweat pants I bought for him.

The very first key I ever got from my dad was for a ladder dime bank. It went to a little tiny lock that fit on the bank that said “turn dimes into dollars.” I got a lot of use out of that and saved a lot of dollars over the years with it. That key was a very tiny silver one with notches on both sides. I even had a diary with a lock on it, but I never bothered locking it—I never really wrote anything very interesting in there. During the 80s, I painted a big plaster key for dad that he hung in his living room! I tried selling it but no one else wanted it so today it hangs in my hallway. I'm glad I still have it.