Golden wishes

My friends celebrated a milestone anniversary this year... 50 years!  It's strange how young people are having Golden Wedding Anniversaries. Now.  When I was a child, only very old people did that! 

I really wanted to do something different because I try to take credit for this couple!  He was my life long friend; his mom and mine were best friends. She was and has long been one of my dearest friends.  It seemed like a great idea to introduce them at a church hayride in about 1970 or '71.

They have three children and ten grandchildren.  So.... this is my matchmaker success. 

One of my former students is an artist, and she's also the niece of this couple.  The anniversary pair recently built a beautiful lake house.  They are very spirit- filled... so I commissioned a painting from a photograph taken at their lake.  

Here you can see the stages of this process.  Lots of fun!  And I think they loved it! 

I invited them over about five minutes after I got my hands on it last Sunday afternoon.