Thirty-five years ago today {May 7th, 1976} Dw and I had our first date.
{So weird that my parents let me go when I was only a year old. *giggle*}
He was finishing his junior year of college.
I, a high school senior,
had just broke up with a young man.
Dw had just transferred to Buffalo to attend the University.
We met at Christian Fellowship Baptist church on Niagara Falls Boulevard
in Amherst, New York.
The first time he saw me, he said all his good intentions for going to church went out the window.
Later he told me that he had been attracted to my long, long {past my waist} brunette hair
and my petite stature – *all 97 pounds of me* –
{those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end,
we’d sing and dance for ever and a day!}.
{those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end,
we’d sing and dance for ever and a day!}.
I loved his blonde hair {yes, he had tons of curly blonde hair!}
SOOOO…
The second time he visited the church he asked if my parents let me date older guys?
I quipped back, “What are you, like 30 or something?”
He told me he was 21.
I told him they wouldn’t care.
Actually, on our first few dates he asked if he could see my license.
I refused.
I didn’t want him to know I was not quite 17.5 years old.
That second Sunday, when he asked me out, we set it up that we would go
the following Friday night {May 7th} to a movie and get something to eat.
Suddenly he remembered, as we were parting ways,
that he did not know how to get to my house.
So he offered to drive me home that beautiful Sunday morning.
The funny thing is that he had not yet even asked my name.
I, on the other hand, after talking to him that first Sunday had gone to our
pastor to see if I could look through the visitor cards. I searched through
the pile and found his visitor card.
pastor to see if I could look through the visitor cards. I searched through
the pile and found his visitor card.
College student.
Name: Dwight
Address: 386 ……..etc.
Crazy thing is that years before, when I was about 9 or 10 years old,
I had heard the name Dwight and told my mom that I would
someday have a son named Dwight because I loved that name.
I had heard the name Dwight and told my mom that I would
someday have a son named Dwight because I loved that name.
So when I saw on the visitors card that his name was Dwight, I was quite taken
{not to mention that blonde curly hair}.
{not to mention that blonde curly hair}.
As I stared at his visitor card, stinkin’ shy as I was, I decided to drive by his home.
That was before they called it STALKING.
But truly, I would have passed out if he had seen me.
Good thing he didn’t.
Driving a car and passing out don’t go too well together.
Well that second Sunday when he asked me for a date,
we decided that he would drive me home from church so he would know
where to pick me up for our first day the following Friday!
All of a sudden, as we were driving home, he started to laugh and said,
“Hey, I don’t even know your name!”
I thought that was pretty funny and there was no way, no how, that I was going
to tell him that I had taken the visitor cards the week before and
found out his name and thenstalked cruised his house…
to tell him that I had taken the visitor cards the week before and
found out his name and then
I laughed and said,
“Why don’t you guess what my name is?’
“Why don’t you guess what my name is?’
It’s always kind of amusing to see what someone thinks you might “look like”.
He guessed as we drove toward my home. He guessed every name he could think of.
Amy
Mary
Nora
Ellen
Kathy
Kristi
etc.
Finally, he said, “I give up. Please! Tell me your name!”
I started to laugh and {being a rather smart bee-hind personality}
decided to say the name that I had always found to be about
one of the most amusing sounding ladies names…
decided to say the name that I had always found to be about
one of the most amusing sounding ladies names…
{and if this is your name, I sincerely apologize in advance}
cause this name just always had struck me funny,
although,
quite honestly,
I had never met anyone with this name.
But being that sassy 17 year old that I was,
I said,
“My name is
Gertrude”
and
I burst out laughing.
To which he replied:
“Ummm, that’s my mother’s name.”
He wasn’t kidding.
And the moment I heard that this Dwight’s mom’s name was Gertrude,
I thought,
“Oh my gracious.
I’m probably gonna’ marry this guy and have a mother-in-law named Gertrude.”
Which I did.
Happy First Date 35 years ago today Whitey.
I love you with all my heart.
And thank you for taking this journey through life with me.
Nobody on all the earth I’d rather snuggle with.
Ever.
That is just the sweetest thing…seeing how you guys met. Love it!! Happy first date celebration!! I sure won't tell you how I met B. Hugs and love
What a sweet story…I love it!
So sweet!! Thank you for sharing with all of us. Too bad I was still an embryo when this story took place 😉
Love ya Linny!!
That's a great story! I love it. 🙂
Ahhh, what a sweet Love story. Guessing your name is funny:) Really it is a storybook romance…
……Ahahahahaha Gertrude. That's so awesome! I do so love a good love story 🙂
That is SO funny about his Mum's name. What a lovely story.
Lots of love, AMx
awesome!
That is such a sweet story:) Gertrude…that is funny! I can't believe you did that! God has such a hilarious sense of humor:) Praying for Lil Miss Jubilee!
I could read stories like this all day long. It's so cute to hear how people first met! LOVED IT!! 🙂
That is too funny, Linny!! My aunt's name was Gertrude. She came to the US from Germany when she was 9 yrs. old..How sweet your story is,,God Bless
Sandy in NC
Thanks so much Linny for putting a smile on my face tonight! I needed that! What a great story. I love thinking of you and DW being so young and at the very beginning of this wonderful adventure you have shared together. Precious!
Love the story! Do you have any pictures????
Oh, bad luck! haha! Too cute!
I won't even tell you what Tim did to me on our first date 🙂
Ha –
my stepmother's name is Gertrude.
Maybe it was a favorite western NY name way back when…
Love you guys!
Happiest Anniversary ever!
hugs,
lisa
LOVE it…but ahem…I need pictures!!! Come on…you must have a couple laying around somewhere;)!
Smooth, Gertrude, smooth. Happy 35th first date anniversary!
First time I met my husband I thought, "Oh my Lord! What a geek!" God knew I needed an IT man.
Happy first date anniversary! Such a sweet start! Happy early Mothers Day to you as well!! 🙂
That is such a precious story… I am so glad that you shared… LOVE IT!!! I can't wait to see a pic of your Mother's day tomorrow with your treasures…:)
Great post! 😉
Happy mothersday!
Adriana
LOVE this story!!!!
Happy Mother's Day!
thanks for the laugh this morning! it was good for my soul 🙂 ahahahahha LOVE YOUR STORY (from beginning to present)….
Great story of how you got together! Loved every word of it, especially "Gertrude!" Ha!
Gertrude Eh!!!! And it was his Mom's name???? LOL bet you were embarrassed and just not telling….ROFL
Happy Mom's day to you :o) and would you let DW out of the crawl space just a little more? he hasn't updated his blog in forever…
happy anniversary, Linny and Dwight, and happy mother's day! 🙂
Wow, what a wonderful and funny story. I sure do enjoy reading your blog.
Happy first-date anniversary! And Happy Mother's Day!
Today is my 1st – thirteenth anniversary (my husband and I eloped, then had a public ceremony later… so we enjoy two anniversaries each year). 😉
Yay – latte's and cupcakes all around – time to celebrate!
Hmm… my mom named me Evelyn, after her mother, who's middle name is Gertrude. I always thought I might have had a lot of fun with the name Gertrude, if only I had gotten that one instead. Lol.
Seriously laughing out loud! Linny you totally deserved having a mother in law named Gertrude for your sass! Happy {first date} anniversary!