Mother and Daddy

Having managed to almost finish the first chapter of my thesis, I decided to reward myself yesterday with a trip to the Georgia Renaissance Festival. This annual event actually deserves a post all its own since I could certainly go on at length about my longtime love affair with the Tortuga Twins and the delicacies available for sale there--including the King's Codpiece. But I digress...

After my satisfying day at the RenFest, I drove home, admiring the newest addition to my ring collection (a celtic design thumb ring) while my hands rested on the steering wheel. I was struck, not for the first time, at the appearance of my hands. I have my Mother's hands. When I load my no-longer slender fingers full of her turquoise jewelry, the resemblance is truly uncanny. This isn't a bad thing--I love my Mother more than words can express--and while I would prefer the size 4 ring fingers I had when I got married, I realize age brings imperfections and I'm okay with that. What concerns me is the image I see when I look at myself in the mirror. Most women my age see their mothers. I see my father. In drag.

My Dad was a handsome guy, don't you think?

I just think he looks much better as a man than I look as a woman who looks just like him. Does that make sense? Anyway, in honor of what should have been my parents sixty second anniversary on June 1st, I thought I'd write just a bit of their story.

My Daddy, Arthur Jackson Hardy, Jr., was known as "Jack" during his early years, and "Andy" once he began serving in the Army Air Forces. After serving in the 8th AAF in England during World War II, he was transferred to Boling Field near Washington D.C., to become the Chief of the Personal Equipment Branch at Continental Air Forces HQ.

Here's my Mother--she was a stunner wasn't she?

My mom, Margaret Osburn Shutt, was the daughter of a Colonel in the Army, had just barely turned 18, and got her first job as a clerk typist in the same office. Well, the sparks flew and they had their first date on Halloween--it ended up being a scary event for poor Mother. In her words, "We were invited to a party at some people's house that your father had known in England and it was supposed to be strictly "casual," so, being 18 years old, I wore a skirt, sweater and "bobby sox" (the rage of the day). EVERYONE ELSE there had on cocktail dresses, stockings and high heels. I was so humiliated I didn't know what to do but bravely entered into all the games and such but I've NEVER forgotten it! I was really furious and your father felt badly for me but guess he was so in love it didn't matter a hoot to him. I never dated anyone else and by Christmas we were engaged!"

Here's a picture of them ring-shopping in DC:

Gas and cars were still in short supply in those days, so Daddy usually rented a car to take Mother out but on one snowy evening, he decided to take a bus from DC out to Clinton, Maryland, where my Mother lived with her parents (always known to us kids as "Colonel" and "Dardy"--another long story!) in a furnished home that they were renting. Well, the weather was terrible and the bus driver had to stop the bus to put chains on in order to make the trip. Daddy offered to help the driver get the chains out of the luggage compartment. The bus continued on its way to Clinton, and Daddy and Mother had a lovely evening together. When it came time for Daddy to return to DC, my grandmother, Dardy, wouldn't hear of it. The weather was too bad and the trip too dangerous. Daddy would stay in the guest room for the night.

In the wee hours, Daddy began to dream--in his dream, he was helping the bus driver with those chains and became locked in the luggage compartment of the bus. Frantically pulling on the compartment door (in his dream) he awoke in his future in-laws guest bedroom when the headboard of the bed he was sleeping in cracked in two as he desperately tried to get out of that bus compartment!

An inauspicious beginning to a lifelong love affair! They were married on June 1, 1946, in the post chapel at Andrews Field, Maryland. Is this a couple in love or what?

I'm lucky to have a letter written by Dardy to my Dad's mother, Ruth, (who wasn't able to attend) just three days after the ceremony. In Dardy's words, "Andy stood at the altar all eyes (and love written all over his face) when the bride came in. Without a single mistake the ceremony went off and I hope never to see anything sweeter than our Margaret looked like in her long bridal dress and veil. She looked so like an angel, so young, and above all so sure. They were the dearest looking young couple!" Her letter also mentions the fact that they were not too sure about the quality of the wedding pictures since the photographer had been tasked with stirring the punch for the reception while the wedding party was at the church. By the time they returned, he was rather sloshed. Doesn't seem to have dimmed his talent much, tho, huh?

They honeymooned in Lake Lure, North Carolina, and the rest, as they say, is history. Here are a couple more of my favorite photos:

So, if I do look like my Dad in drag and if my hands do look just like my Mother's--well, I can live with that. I can't think of any two people who I'd rather be like.


Now if I could just figure out a way to have my Dad's face and my Mom's hands and Cameron Diaz' body, I'd have nothing left to wish for....