My mom and dad celebrated their 25th Anniversary at our house in Altona.
All the relatives from far and wide (Winnipeg) were invited. We even ran out of pull out sofa's to provide accomodations for them and they had to stay in our one and only hotel in town.
I remember thinking "they must be rich." Or how else could they afford to rent a grubby room on top floor of a beer parlour?
Mom and I spent days cooking up huge pot's of "sloppy joes"..to feed the numbers. We must have had 20-30 people in our tiny house that week-end.
We went shopping at the "Dress Shoppe" in downtown Altona, where Mom procured a beautiful two piece turquoise suit. A suit befitting for a bride of 25 years. This was probably only her first trip to the "Dress Shoppe" as a old bride to be, and we had a blast looking for just the right suit. She always used to wear "house dresses", so this was a big deal.
Before all the guests arrived from far and wide, I "set" my mom's hair, for the big shindig. I sat her down at the kitchen table...greased my hands up with dippity do, and set her hair with those big rollers with the picky things in them. And to hold them in place I gored them into her head with those pink plastic picks. She was never "right" after that. I swear. Actually, I always did my mom's hair right from when I was young until she was about 75.
So, then it was time to get out the ..hairdryer.. it was one of those balloon thingie types you put over your head and made you look like ET. You had to stay under it for about an hour on "high"...and if you wanted to talk to someone you had to YELL YOUR BRAINS OUT, because it was really loud. If you had it on medium or low it would take two hours, but it was worth putting it on high to save time, even tho your hair felt like a horse's tail afterward. Time was of the essance, especially on her 25th Wedding Anniversary Day.
By this this time we were all ready for the onslot of guests. Dad bought 2-24's of beer and a bottle of 5 Star whiskey...that was enough for him and mom, (J/K)the guests in those days were expected to bring their own. And they did. Mom didn't drink much at all except beer, she lurved her 2 beers.
There was, Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Betty, Uncle Frank, my cousins Tony, Linda, and Chris. Auntie Anne, Uncle Oscar, and my cousins Fran and Terry. Auntie Pat and Uncle Jake, and my cousins Timmy and Teddy. (they were from Winnipeg)..then all the neighbours and friends along with me and my bros friends. It was a wild time.
Unbeknownst to us, the family had set up Mom and Dad to take their vows a second time. My uncle Frank who was Italian posed as the pope. He used a pillow from our sofa for his pope hat. And for some reason my Dad saw it befitting to wear my mothers old wig on his head, and my mother had a veil consisting of of tea towel held up by a head band. And the wedding began.
Apparently, when the "pope", asked if there was anyone who was opposed to this marriage they must speak now, or forever hold their peace...someone did..MY GRANDPA..look he has in his hands... a shotgun!! duck.
But, the uncles unarmed him, and told them Mom and Dad were legally married and my brother and I were not a bastards. Then, finally Grandpa sat back down and enjoyed another beverage...or maybe Grandma bagged him and set him out in the backyard. I can't remember.
After all the hoopla, Uncle Frank finally declared them to be married (in a broken Italian and in a made up German accent), and asked the groom to kiss the bride. Shit I almost died..I never saw my my Mom and Dad kiss..yewww!!
And then the dancing was on!! The 2-4's were drank, the 5 star was drank shot by shot, by whoever was in the kitchen at the right time. And much more. My Bro and me stole beers from the cases and set up and little deal in our rooms and sold it to our cousins.. LOL.. We used to take the plastic star from the whiskey bottles and paste them on our foreheads!! HA! Doesn't get any cooler than that.
Damit...I miss those days! I want them back.
That was the torquoise suit we picked out that day. Doesn't she look happy..luv you mom and dad..so much.
oy..this was a hard one the write..sorry of typos and stuff.
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