50th anniversary

In light of Mom's and Dad's upcoming 60th anniversary, I decided to re-run the poem I wrote for their 50th. We (Ed, Sue and I) - with David's support, dedication,creative input, labor, and supervision, rented the party room in a restaurant, invited over a hundred people, including all of our many out-of-town relatives and all the congregations of all of Dad's old churches (only 2 of which were actually close enough to draw many people), served food, had beautiful flower arrangements (made by Bonnie Hamilton, David's friend from Christ the Servant), and were entertained all through dinner by a professional string quartet. And under David's supervision, it was all very affordable for us, Anyway, at the end, we did a long program where we showed slides of their lives through the years while
Ed, Dayna, Sue, and I alternated reading aloud sections of the following poem. which I'd written for the occasion:

PLEASE REMEMBER, ALL THROUGH THIS WE ARE SHOWING SLIDES OF THE THINGS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.

DEB
They were so different
In how they were reared,
You’d not expect marriage
That spans 50 years.

For him, northern cities
Were what he called home,
While she in the heart
Of the mountains was grown.

The one thing they shared
Was a hunger for knowledge,
So they both set their caps
To attend Union College.

And it was at school
That they met up one day.
Then in Dad’s senior year
They just both slipped away

Off to get married
At Cumberland Falls.
Then they went back to school
And told no one at all.

They returned to their dorms
With their own separate rooms
And never let on
That they were bride and groom.

Dad graduated.
Mother dropped out,
And they then, together,
Their lives set about.

Now let me just pause
For a moment or two,
For I have a question
I must pose to you.

What, do you think,
Would have been the reaction
If one of their kids
Did commit that infraction?

(Words had previously been distributed to all songs, so all could sing along. David provided accompaniment.)
TO: THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES THEME

Come and listen to my story ‘bout a man named Ed,
Poor college boy, Pennsylvania born and bred,
Then one day he was acting in a play,
Saw Mil there and she stole his heart away.

Next comes the story of a mountain lass.
One look at Ed and her heart beat rather fast.
Thought, “Kentucky boys now all seem rather lame!”
And from that moment on her whole life was not the same.

Next thing you know, young Edward took a bride.
Went for a time up to Boston to reside.
Said, “Virginia is the place we want to be,”
So they loaded up the Ford and the rest was history.

When it comes to kids,
Well, they had their share.
The first was a daughter
Who had no compare.

Look at that youngster!
She’s cute as can be!
And smart as a tack ,
As you plainly can see.

Oh yes, you can tell
That the first was the best.
And the next one, I fear,
Well, he’s sort of a mess.

ED
Hey, wait just a minute!
Now I’ll take the floor,
For next came a son
Whom they simply adored.

The boy was their favorite,
Of that there’s no doubt.
“He’s a fine fellow,”
Our parents would shout.

SUE
Now that’s quite enough!
And I sure don’t mean maybe!
Their favorite, of course,
Was their last darling baby.

She was adorable –
Cute as the dickens.
Beside her, the others
Seemed rather slim pickins.

TO: RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN’ ON MY HEAD

My brother hit me in the head,
And that stupid jerk will very soon find out he’s dead.
I will have a fit.
That
Edward is going to bite the dust, he’s a goner.
Hey, he just changed off the TV from my show.
It’s my turn to pick the station, which I’m sure he knows!
Give me the remote!
Oh,
Edward’s a freckle faced freak-o, little monster!
Oh, aren’t kids fun?
A joy.
You think they will outgrow it, but you know it…
They never do.
They’re adults now but they don’t show it.
Still each one wants to be the best.
Each one still will put the others to the test
With sheer jealousy.
But
You’ll never stop them from their love of complaining.
No, not these three.
‘Cause they love it, you see.

ED
Dad’s been a preacher
For most all his life.
So Mom, all those years,
Had to be preacher’s wife.

Think of the pot lucks
And bake sales galore.
The picnics, the camp outs,
And, oh, so much more.

TO: THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS

There’s no business like church business, like no business we know.
Everything is done by a committee.
Even things like fixing up your house.
Therefore it would be an awful pity without a witty
And patient spouse.
There’s no preacher like Ed Taylor and
no spouse like his wife.
They go with the youth group to sleep in a tent.
And they have many hours spent
In attendance at each church group’s big event.
They’ve put on a good show!

SUE
Methodist preachers –
They go where they’re sent.
So we’ll show you some of
The places we went.

The very first places
I just can’t recall,
For I was an infant
Or not born at all.

The beach was the place
They gave birth to their boy.
And in Roanoke
To their pride and their joy.

Winchester next.
We all loved it a lot.
No better place
To raise kids could be sought.

And Mom learned to drive
While she lived there, and so
The kids then to scouts and
Piano could go.

Colonial Heights
Quickly proved to us that
It’s not the right city
For good democrats.

DEB
Charlottesville next,
That place was great.
And one year the family
Had two graduate.

For from UVA,
Much to Debbie’s surprise,
She got a diploma.
And, oh, how time flies,

Mom got her degree,
To her family’s loud cheers.
A project that took her
Just 29 years.

To Harrisonburg.
And then Falls Church lurked,
At this time all 3 kids
Found meaningful work.

Then off to Manassas –
And Ed 3’s ambition
Became to create a new
Family addition.

DAYNA
And so Dayna Taylor,
As here you can see,
Became a new branch
On the old family tree.

ED
Then to Roanoke
They quite gladly retired,
Where Dad took three churches
And Mom joined the choir.

DEB
And finally decided
It was in their wishes
To be near their girls,
Though I’m rather suspicious

That’s not the whole reason
They moved here at all,
Into a high-rise
Right at Tyson’s mall.

For Mom has become
A complete shopping nut,
And Dad seems to love it
With no grass to cut.

Whatever the reason
They moved in so near,
We both of us know that
We’re sure glad that they’re here.

TO: THE BEVERLY HILLBILLY’S THEME

Now the next thing you know they’re living everywhere.
Bishop says, “Ed, move away from there!”
Says, “I decided on the place you ought to be!”
So they loaded up their stuff and they moved the family.

The best part of moving,
We, all, of us found,
Is meeting nice people
As you move around.

And the folks sure enjoyed
All their family and friends,
The hours they shared, and
The good times they’d spend.

At magical moments
Distinctions would end
And friends became family
And family good friends.

Sitting and chatting
Or out in the sun.
When they got together
They always had fun.

And holidays, they
Were another fun time.
(Let’s wrap them up quickly,
And so end this rhyme.)

For these verses, see,
They could go without end,
‘Cause 50’s a long time
To cover, my friends.

At least 50 pictures
You’d be forced to see
Of us in our jammies
All under the tree.

And 50 more pictures
Of fine Easter clothes.
And then birthday pictures –
Now don’t forget those.

So let us just quit
And we’ll leave it right here.
And not show each occasion
The whole 50 years.

TO: WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS

We have got a lot of pictures,
We have got a lot of pictures,
We have got a lot of pictures
Of holiday cheer.
Of food and of gifts,
Of times that were fun.
We won’t show them all ‘cause we’d never get done.

So we’ve covered friends
And our different locations.
We’ve covered a lot
But we’ve not done vacations.

Our family went somewhere
Away every year.
We always found this
A time of good cheer.

Though have you ever noticed
The wild destinations
Our parents did choose
For their later vacations?

As children they took us
To mountains or beach –
Someplace quite fun
But within easy reach.

So we all grow up
And are no longer here,
And then Mom and Dad –
They shift into high gear.

Off to Korea,
Jerusalem, too.
A boat through Alaska
They decide then to do.

And so, with their luggage
Held tight in their grip,
They’re all the time off on
Another big trip.

But I’ve not been fair,
For they once took us all
Over to Britain,
And we had a ball

Until, I do fear,
On the very last day,
When off to the airport
We all drove away.

And friend Robin said,
With voice that was steady,
“Everyone got
Their passports all ready?”

Mom panicked, of course,
As she tore through her purse.
The rest of us sighed
As we silently cursed.

“Where can it be?”
She inquired of us,
As her frantic hands
Quite dismantled the bus.

The passport was found
In the first place she’d looked –
Safe and secure
In her own pocketbook.

With this ends the story
We’ll tell of their life.
One question remains, though,
Of this man and wife.

What is the magic
That, through all the years,
Has caused these two hearts
To together adhere?

How did they manage
When children threw scenes?
How did they make it
Through three surly teens?

Were there not times
When their money was low?
Times when their ducks
Were not quite in a row?

Yes, they were forced
To face troubles and such.
What keeps them together
Is loving so much.

They love each other
Through good times and bad.
They love each other
When sad, glad, or mad.

They love with a love
That on nothing depends.
They love without limits –
Their love has no end.

TO: BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND

How many years can a couple be wed
Because they desire to be?
Yes’n how many times can strong egos lose out?
They smooch and agree to agree.
Yes’n why do they cling to each other when they
Know that they could each be set free?
The answer, my friend,
Is love that has no end.
The answer is love that has no end.

W