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Elation

Posted by Marilynne on February 21st, 2008 filed in Everything Else, Writing
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I am totally elated to be busy writing, more writing, and planning a web site.  I feel very busy, very productive, and I’m having a good time.

It’s time to tell all of my daughters about this blog.  They are my first readers.  They always give me good comments - comments like, It looks great!  <grin>

So, I am enjoying my blog.  I hope you do too.

Marilynne

What happened?

Posted by Marilynne on February 21st, 2008 filed in Everything Else
Comment now »  Marilynne and Roy/Don

I’m not all that used to my blog yet.  I’m not sure if the last was posted or not.  Let’s try it again.  Sorry that you have to put up with me while I learn.

Prom Night

Posted by Marilynne on February 17th, 2008 filed in Everything Else
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Did you have a Prom Night?  We like to think that all teens have a special Prom Night - or at least one in their future.  Isn’t it true?

My Junior Prom was a horror for me.  I didn’t have a date.  I didn’t have a dress.  I was humiliated because no one had asked me to go.  So, you’d think that was enough, wouldn’t you?  No. 

My dear mother, who sewed more with love than with skill, spent her nights making me a pink confection consisting mostly of cheap netting, dotted with rhinestones.  She stayed up all night the night before the Prom sewing on those rhinestones.   

I think it was a surprise.  I don’t remember trying on the dress until it was nearly done.  The netting was scratchy.  It scratched on the little netting “sleeves” and it scratched horribly at the waist where the gathers came together.  It also sort of pooched out at that spot, making a bulky, not trim waist.

I took one look at the dress and decided I didn’t want to go.  It was bad enough going without a date, but in this dress . . . too much for this shy kid. 

I told my mother of my decision.  She said nothing, but a few hours later I got a call from one of her friends.  She told me how hard my mother had worked on the dress.  How she had spent the night sewing on the sequins.  She also told me how my mother had cried when I told her I didn’t want to go.  “Young lady,” she said.  “You are going.  Period.”

And so I went.  I felt ugly in that dress sitting on the sidelines.  My girl friend’s brother asked me to dance.  I know she put him up to it.  My mother’s advice to unwanted invitations to dance was to act like the most wonderful person in the world has asked you to dance and you are enjoying it immensely.  She said other guys would ask me to dance because they wanted to be that wonderful person.  They didn’t. I mostly sat until my Dad came to pick me up.

Then there was the Senior Prom.  I was still a Junior, but I had been asked to lead the grand march with someone I admired, but was not dating.  His mother was the same one who had told me to go to the Junior Prom.  You got the picture.

I went in a goldy dress my mother had borrowed from one of my friend’s mother.  It was OK, but not what the other kids were wearing.  The hem of the skirt didn’t reach the floor.  That was the style.  So, when my stockings came unhooked and started sliding down my leg, I knew it was going to show. 

We were leading the Grand March, getting ready to do the last walk up to where they would crown the King and Queen of the Prom.  I held a huge bouquet of flowers in my arms that I would present to the Queen when she was crowned.  I was trying to press the bouquet against my leg and keep the stocking at least partially up with the same arm that held the flowers.  The stocking slipped down without mercy.  Everyone was watching us.  I was about to be publically humiliated.  (Things are more dramatic when you’re 15.)<

When I felt the stockings begin to slide the last little way, I turned to the girl behind me, gave her the flowers and ran for the ladies room crying.  Did I say everyone was watching me?  To make it worse, the girl who came to find out what was wrong, told everyone including my pseudo date.  It was not the highlight of my teen life.

So, when people speak glowingly of going to the Prom, you have to know there are people like me who don’t glow when they think about it.

So, tonight we were invited to a Prom Night.  The hostess was throwing a party for her 65 birthday.  It was an extravaganza of a party.  So much like a Prom Night.  She even hired a DJ to play the songs of our youth so we could dance.

I was there with my sweetie.  It was our first prom together.  I wore one of my favorite dress-up dresses and my dancing shoes.  All of us oldies and a few youngers related to the birthday girl were dressed splendidly.  No longer were we confined by our parent’s budgets.  No longer did we have our kids wanting their own prom dresses.  This was our night.  Our chance to shine.We danced a slow dance.  I put my head on his shoulder.  He gave me a kiss.  This felt like the prom I never had.  Maybe we just needed to mature a little before we could appreciate it. Happy Birthday Bert.  It was a swell party. Marilynne  

Blown Away

Posted by Marilynne on February 16th, 2008 filed in Everything Else
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I was blown away today by the gift of my own blog!  I love it!  I feel like a kid at her own birthday party.  Hyped!

 I’ll write more later.  First I have to play.

 Marilynne