Jim took me out to Walter Hill in Murfreesboro one afternoon in the fall of 1972. While we were out there he chiseled our initials in the concrete wall. I thought it was so sweet.
That night we had a date and he asked if I wanted to go out and see our initials. We drove to Walter Hill and looked at them. On the way back to the car we stopped and sat on the picnic table to watch the moon. While we were sitting there he proposed. I was so surprised, but or course I said yes.
We went to Nashville the next night to show Mother and Daddy my ring. Daddy immediately asked me to take it off so he could look at it. When I gave it to Daddy, he got out his father's jeweler's glass and started inspecting it. Jim was sweating bullets and I was mortified. Daddy was just kidding around with Jim about examining the diamond. My parent's were thrilled to death about our engagement.
Jim was known as J.B. during college. After we got engaged Mother told me that I didn't need to marry a man that was just called by his initials. So I started calling him Jim. I have always joked about how I dated and got engaged to J.B. but married Jim.
We decided to get married on August 25 the next fall. I got a job teaching at Gate City in Birmingham, Alabama. We got married on Saturday, stopped at Point Mallard for one night and then moved into our apartment on Sunday. Then on Monday I started teaching.
We were dirt poor, but were very happy just living on love. Jim was still in school and I was teaching in a very challenging situation In the intercity school.
Our first Christmas we decided not to get a tree because we didn't have the money to purchase one. I came home one afternoon and found a tree in our front window. I was thrilled to death. Jim told me that he had found it in the dumpster. Someone that lived in our apartment complex got out of school early and decided to throw their tree away before they headed home. We didn't have any money to buy ornaments so I made snowflakes out of aluminum foil. I found a little box of wooden ornaments that had to be decoupaged on sale. I bought two strands of lights for $1.00 a piece. We thought the tree was just beautiful. That Christmas tree has the best memories of any of the trees we have ever had.
We have been happily married 35 years and have three wonderful daughters. There have been lots of wonderful memories. All of the girls went to Davidson Academy, Tennessee Technology University, married, and have begun families of their own. We count our blessings each day. Jim has always said that he wanted to provide for his girls, a good Christian foundation, a strong education and a very loving home. I think that we have met our goals and are enjoying watching them create their own homes.
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