Page 52 - February Sun Rays

NANCY GREATHOUSE & Nancy Greathouse and Harry Cullipher
HARRY CULLIPHER
DANCE PARTNER FOR LIFE which had been stationed in Delaware. attending sock hops and the memories
I had hoped to have a good time that they inspire. I’m glad we have a photo to
When I moved here in 1999, despite the night, but I didn’t expect to enjoy three help us remember our first date and our
loss of my love and dance partner, I hours with a stranger who would become first dance.
was determined to continue enjoying life. my dance partner for life. We still enjoy
I’ve loved social dancing since the days of
American Bandstand, and my husband
and I knew all the popular dances. In
September 2006, my friends and I were
excited about attending the Fifties Sock
Hop and thrilled to dress up and act like
teenagers again. We had an extra ticket
to the sold-out event, so I waited in the
lobby for a ticket buyer to appear. I found
my buyer when Harry, new to Sun City
Texas, walked in expecting to be able to
buy a ticket at the door. Harry joined our
table and shared his dancing skills with
the single ladies. He turned out to be easy
to talk with, and we were surprised to
find we had both lived in the same part of
Florida, attended the same dance club in
Austin and belonged to Air Force families

DON & CONNIE GARBE PAUL AND SUE OLSTAD
THIEF WITH A HEART OF GOLD FAST CARS, COLD BEER

On a rainy night in November 1981 I was in the parking lot of a mall in We met at a wedding rehearsal – he was an
Aurora, Illinois, searching for a parking spot near a restaurant. I noticed an usher; I was a bridesmaid. (Sounds romantic
open spot at the same time another driver but, being closer, I took it. In the already, huh?) This was Houston in May 1968.
lot I saw the other driver, obviously upset that I had stolen her spot on a rainy We sat next to each other at the rehearsal
night. Wanting to make amends, I offered to buy her a drink at the nearby dinner and discovered we both had red
restaurant. She accepted. Thirty-five years later, Connie and I enjoy living in sports cars, and both had gone to college in
Sun City Texas, where I still hear about stealing her parking spot that cool, Massachusetts. Our first date was the next
dreary, rainy night. day at the wedding, followed by a stop to
change clothes and pick up a six-pack from
MARK & LYNDA ELLEY Mark and Lynda Elley making music my apartment fridge before driving to Stewart
together Beach in his ’67 Mustang Fastback. There
AN UNEXPECTED FIRST DATE was live entertainment at the nightclub we
After cake we retired to the rec room parked next to and Paul, being a struggling
Lynda and I both worked at our local where Lynda began to play the piano. grad student, really wasn’t into paying cover
swimming pool when we were in When she played the theme from A charges. We had a wonderful evening sipping
high school. I was fond of her and got Summer Place, I asked if I could beer and sitting on the hood of his car, listening
the vibe that the feeling was mutual. sing with her. We have been making to music and getting to know what more we
On her birthday I decided to walk over beautiful music together ever since. had in common. He proposed five weeks later at
to her house and ask her to dinner a Fourth of July beach party, and we celebrated
at the local diner. When I knocked our 48th anniversary last November.
on her door, her mom answered with
this “What are you doing here” look
on her face, then politely let me in.
Unknown to me, Lynda and her best
friend Charlotte shared the same
birthday week and had a tradition of
celebrating together. Charlotte was at
Lynda’s when I arrived, and she too
gave me the look. I had now became
the “fifth wheel.” Lynda explained the
situation but asked me to stay and
have some birthday cake with them.

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