The Red Dress Diary Entry #17: Living On Easy Street

Things are starting to settle down a bit after our June 14th wedding, and I am amazed at how easily I am adjusting to being Mrs. Tom Lyons. I can still recall how difficult the transition was for me in 1968, when that nineteen-year-old college girl became Mrs. Sid Bailey.

Now I am not so emotional and don't sweat the small stuff like I did when I was younger. We are both better at going with the flow, and have more flexibility with our schedules. And maybe this relationship is more relaxed in part--because we are too old and lazy to fight! Or maybe that is called "older and wiser." We also don't have the financial burdens and responsibilities that we had in our first marriages. In addition, expectations are more realistic this time around. All of these factors have enabled us to live on Easy Street!

So there you go--just one more advantage to being over fifty. Love, marriage and life are all easier!

Melinda

I Present to You Mr. and Mrs. Tom Lyons

What a great little family wedding we had! I proudly wore my red dress and Tom sported a matching red tie. My sister decorated our neighborhood clubhouse with Tyler, Texas grown red and white roses (where we live and the rose capital of the United States). Tom made our beautiful wedding cake and his daughter Amanda decorated it. My twelve-year-old niece Simone was my lovely attendant; Tom's daughter Amber was the "music coordinator;" and my sister-in-law Becky Bailey was the "official" photographer.

Our sweet, simple non-traditional ceremony was followed by a reception that almost 100 people attended. I could not have asked for a more perfect day. I may be well over fifty, but on June 14, 2009, I felt like a young, blushing bride and the luckiest woman in a red dress in the world!

Melinda