August 23, 2014 Marks our 40th Wedding Anniversary

Shari and I met on November 3, 1973 in at Rogers Park, Beaumont TX.  I was shooting a segment for a TV show to air on KBMT Channel 12 and Shari Richardson (singer), via a mutual friend, agreed to learn and perform a special song for the end of the show.  Well, that day we met for the first time however it did not immediately turn out well.  As Shari tells it, she had gathered several friends and fellow musicians to view the show and as luck would have it the "switcher" in control of the programming needed to make up a couple of minutes of time due to an overbooking of commercial time that night. The scene before Shari's segment just faded to black and went to commercial never to be seen.  I, on the other hand was at Vic and Al's having dinner.  When I saw the show...I knew it was not going to go well.

I got drunk!

When she found me, she had perfected her comments to include much detail about my ancestry, personal behavior and had a strong opinion of her impression of me personally.  I am lucky to be alive at all.

Once I calmed her down (seems like hours or was that days?), she allowed me to live.   We went out many times but our first "real" date was Valentines Day when we went to the Houston Rodeo to see Elvis.  In June we decided to be married.  That was how we met.  Here is a still taken from the video clip, note that not many people married 40 years have a picture of their meeting much less a video.   Go figure!

She was sitting on a horse and did a great job of the song I had asked her to sing.  In later years I found the 2" videotape, sent it to New York to a museum who had an operational machine of that format and made me a copy on Video, and DVD.  It is a treasure to be sure.

Back in 1974 when you got married 10 months after your meeting most thought it was doomed from the start.  We showed them.  Our wedding was well planned and executed well with lots of family and friends at our side.  Shari was Baptist and I Catholic so we had a Baptist Minister and Catholic Priest perform the ceremony which may prove to be the reason  why God has smiled on us these 40 years....they have been "BLESSED".

Next are from our wedding and 25th Anniversary Party

 

 

I must join Shari in sharing the joy we have had since we met.  Our lives both changed for the better and we have enjoyed every day together.  It has not been easy but when you make a life with your best friend ever and share, talk and decide every little thing together...life can be grand.

This is a recent group shot of the "FAMILY".  

Jake and Shari (Center), Bryan, Sara and Lance (Left) and Lucy, Miguel and Michael (Right)

Thank you God our Father, for the love, peace and happiness you are granting us in this life.  Thank You for our children Bryan and Sara and for bringing Lucy into our lives just at the right moment and for Miguel, Lance and Michael.  We are Loved and Blessed by your grace.