Compatible weirdness and Halloween honeymoons
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| Decked out for Theatre Bizarre: The Greatest Masquerade on Earth |
Doug and I are celebrating our 37th anniversary today. We were married on October 24, 1980, and spent our two-week honeymoon driving around New England after the wedding. Not that I had any doubts, but I knew this marriage would last when Doug agreed to stop in Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween. How many guys would want to tour the creepy old house that Nathaniel Hawthorne made famous in The House of the Seven Gables — on their honeymoon? We also visited the historic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, where several of America’s greatest authors are buried. Such is love.
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| Cindy La Ferle |
Given that Halloween falls so close to our anniversary, we decided to kick off this year’s celebration by attending a formal Halloween masked ball in Detroit — a first for us. As you can see from the photo above, we looked as if we were characters out of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus. I wanted to look dignified in the photo, but one of the clowns near the entrance was trying to solicit “clown hugs” while we posed, and I couldn’t keep a straight face.
What’s the secret to an enduring, loving marriage? I believe the answer is different for everyone. Speaking for myself, I feel lucky to be married to the best friend I’ve ever had. I also think it’s essential for married people to retain their spirit of adventure, their flexibility, and a wicked sense of humor — because you really can’t predict what life’s three-ring circus is going to throw at you next. ~CL
Cindy La Ferle
Throughout my career, I've worked as a book production editor, travel magazine editor, features writer, and weekly newspaper columnist. My award-winning lifestyles features and essays have appeared in many national magazines and anthologies, including Newsweek, Reader's Digest, The Christian Science Monitor, Writer's Digest, Victoria, Better Homes & Gardens, Bella Grace, and more. My weekly Sunday "Life Lines" column ran for 14 years in The Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI) and won a First Place (Local Columns) award from the Michigan Press Association. My essay collection, Writing Home, includes 93 previously published columns and essays focusing on parenthood and family life.
