High Falutin Family

Warning: This is very long but only about half of what is on my mind. I may do a second part tomorrow. lol....

I was a young bride. I was not savvy in the ways of marriage without an example at home nor men really, but I thought I was old enough to get married and get out on my own.

I still remember when the Potential In-laws came to visit my home. They came into town from Hollywood , Florida in a late 60's Cadillac to an old farm house that was sometimes lucky enough to have a mule to plow the garden. It was a culture shock for them and for me. The boy that I had chosen was from the South and a sailor at Whiting Field but he was from old money on his step-mothers side. I did not even know what that meant but I came to, in the next few months.

I also didn't know that a marriage had already been arranged for him. Some girl whose Daddy owned an Island, but he fell in love with me and his parents came to "check" me out.

I could tell how uncomfortable they were in our driveway of sand, daddy in his overalls with a well worn shirt, and our "country" ways. His step-mother was a tiny woman with hair as high as her entire head and dressed in those floral pant suits of the 60's with heels and a purse big enough to carry all of the essentials. I was so intimidated by her that I could barely speak. The Dad was a handsome dark haired man who was dressed in slacks and a summer shirt. He was a little less intimidating than she was, but still made me tongue tied.

They looked like they had just stepped out of some wealthy family business and we were barefoot with cut offs on.

That day I had taken great care to make sure my hair was silky clean. I had dried it in front of the fan like I always did and it was soft, midway down my back. I had on a mini dress but of a decent length. When I bent over, you couldn't see my underwear so it was acceptable to me.

She sat in a chair in the living room, perched on the edge like she was going to take flight. Her back was straight and she did not smile much but tried to make small talk. I could see her taking in our simple life as her eyes swung around the room. A swing and a couple of rockers on the front porch and a few more inside. Our tile floor was clean but it had a break line in it across the room and I could see her eyes find every flaw. It wasn't perfect and neither were our lives, but we had every thing we needed and most of what we wanted.

I think they stayed for a full half hour. They wouldn't eat but the Dad did accept a glass of tea. I could see how unhappy she was as she said to me, " you and he are from two different worlds." She wasn't saying it outright but she was giving me the full meaning in the way she said it. I was not good enough for her son.

After they left, I was pretty devastated and my husband to be, tried to console me. The wedding was in two days and the "to be" in-laws were staying in a hotel in Milton. There wasn't anywhere in Jay for them to stay and they weren't happy with the accommodations in Milton either. I knew next to nothing about them but they felt that they knew every thing that they needed to know about me.

I guess that my intended let them know that he was going to marry me come hell or high water and two days later they met us at the church in Flomaton and Daddy walked me down the aisle.
( My Sister Donna was kind enough to go get these pictures of the Church for me. Taken Aug 5, 2017)

I was holding a white Bible with flowers on top that my new mother in law had procurred for me. She also bought me a brush for my hair. It was made of boar Bristle. I had never heard of such a thing but she said it would be easier to get through my long hair.

The vows were read and said to each other and we were married. My brother and sister in law had made us a hasty reception complete with a cake that I really appreciated and then we went to the same Motel that my inlaws were staying at, to celebrate our wedding night. When we got to our room a chilled bottle of champagne was in the room along with a blue peek a boo nightie with black lace at the edges. I was embarrassed that someone had bought something like that for me, but this was my wedding and I loved my husband.

The next day, they left to go back to Hollywood with a promise that we would come there in a couple of months to visit.

The next two months flew by. We were both busy working and we were living with daddy until we bought our own place.
The trip went quickly. We were in his 66 Chevy impala, the Carpenters , "Close to you" was playing on the radio and the ride was nice. I had been on trips with Daddy and Donna but this was different. I was going to the unknown.

We arrived in Hollywood and entered their home. It wasn't a mansion but it was nice in a Southwestern style with arches at the entrance. I was mesmerized because it was really nice and I was getting an inkling of just what I had gotten myself into.

When we entered the living room, I looked to the left and it was FULL of wrapped gifts and she told me that they were for us from her friends and family. She informed me that she was having a party for me. A small one to welcome me into the family, maybe 100 people. I panicked and cried. I was not prepared for this. I was beginning to wish I had listened to daddy when he said to me, " Y'all ain't gonna marry no foreigner, are you?" Anyone that wasn't from our surrounding areas was a foreigner to him and I was starting to understand what he meant.

He knew better than me that I had married out of my comfort zone and I was fast becoming aware of the same. When I cried, she then began to understand that I was afraid and shy. She started to take care of me like a broken winged bird. She stayed by my side at the party and she made sure that I had a gown to wear so that I would not be the only one without. I had never had a Gown in my life but she bought one for me and it was so pretty. It had black velvet on it , something I had never felt and I thought it was the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. I had my first drink but I couldn't handle the taste and only took a sip or I knew I would be sick.

This venture into being wealthy was just beginning because on Dec 31st, we were going to visit her sister and her husband who lived in Miami. I had never been to Miami and even though it was a warm 70 degrees, the streets were filled with women in Furs and men in Fedora's.

When we pulled up to their home, I know my mouth flew open. It was a castle with a long walkway leading up to the front door. I could tell that one floor was underneath the ground and that there were two more above the walkway. There was an honest to God Mote to the left of the curved driveway and palm trees swaying in the wind like a South Pacific movie. LOL

If I had entertained thoughts of the in-laws being wealthy, they were poor second cousins to this one.
It was grand, from the entrance which was up two floors into a foyer with a curved stairway and a third floor for their only son. He had a bedroom, luxurious bath and a sound proof room where he played drums. When you went down the 20 feet of stairs, you landed on marble floors and I saw a tall decorated Christmas Tree from the bottom floor to the top. It must have been 30 feet tall. My eyes were trying to take it all in and failing miserably.

I will never forget the tour of their home. Long marbled hallways with artwork and fine collectibles. Their bedroom off the back with a huge round bed that moved in a circle and massaged. Off that a private solarium where she could sunbathe nude if she wanted too, away from prying eyes, their bathroom that was larger than our first apartment, another long hallway to the dining room and that was a whole nother experience in dining.

When it was time to eat, We sat in the dining room and there were little cut outs in the wall with shelves . They turned around in a circle so that the maid and cook from the kitchen could put the completed dishes on the shelf, then with a flick of the wrist, it made a 360 circle into the dining room where the maid would come and then serve the dishes onto the table.

It was a trip and I was like a kid as a new carnival ride. My eyes were as big as saucers trying to take it all in and I could barely eat for the excitement and fear. The long hallway had another bathroom. and a sound room which dead ended into the fun room. There was a leather bar, a huge ornate pool table and comfortable chairs every where.

About an hour later the guest started to arrive and every one was dressed to the nines. Hair piled high, flowing caftans made of silk, enough Jewelry to fund a third world country and the table full of hors d'oeuvres was out of this world. Black Russian Cavier, crackers, Cheeses of every type arranged on trays, cold cuts, little tiny tea sandwiches on tiered trays, pate, canopies of every type rolled with toothpicks through them and any type drink you could order.

The husband of the home was an important guy in Miami politics and she was a stay at home wife with a grown son still at home. She played her part well. She was elegant, charming, and Rich and all of the people arriving were too. We partied and laughed, people talked and mingled and I sat on the leather love seat and observed.

Right before midnight , two individuals came into the room, one dressed in a diaper and one in a new suit to signify the outgoing and incoming New years. The man in the diaper was not embarrassed but I was. lol It was not anything I had ever seen.

I asked my husband who the elegant white haired lady was that was the Old Year and he told me Mrs. Woolworth. I about fainted. That was not the first nor last time they hobnobbed with American Royalty or Celebrity and I got to do that a few times in my marriage to him also.

Once we went out to eat and instead of Her walking around the tables in the restaurant , the wait staff, moved them out of her way so that she could enter like the Queen she was. She was wearing a white satin evening gown in the Empire Style and she later told me that it was a nightgown. I was always trying to keep my mouth from flying open in this family but I could not contain it when I saw George C Scott and his wife Trish Van devere sitting at a few tables away. Mr Scott waved at Bill and time moved in slow motion as I watched the diners, the waiters, and the 125 dollar tip when we finished with our dinner.
All I could think was, " Who are these people?" LOL.

That was my introduction into being married and it made a lasting impression. There is so much more that I could share and say and I will save that for a part two...

Thank you for coming along with me on my first trip as a wife and thank you for providing a place where I can let the words flow. I love you, Kimmee

(google image of a similar in-laws home except theirs was white and did not have any houses really close to it. It was a nice sized lot)