This day, twenty years ago ...

Travis County Court House

30th October - it was a Tuesday, in 2001, Larry picked me up outside my office at 11.30 a.m. We drove to the Travis County Court House in Austin, about 6 miles. We parked and made our way through the metal detectors and followed the signs to the second floor, we took a number and waited in a totally empty room to be called - that didn't take too long. We had our IDs and that was all we needed apart from the fact that we swore we fulfilled all the requirements for common law marriage - which basically are 'swearing we fulfilled the requirements'.  We took our brown envelope containing the marriage certificate. I was back at my desk within the hour.

To be more precise, this website explains the law in Texas:

Common law marriage, also known as marriage without formalities or informal marriage, is a valid and legal way for a couple to marry in Texas. Texas law states that a common law marriage may be proved by evidence that the couple:

• agreed to be married; and
• after the agreement they lived together in this state as husband and wife; and they
• represented to others that they were married

No one knew, well Larry and I knew of course, but no one else knew.  We had planned this only the day before, we said "let's get married, how does tomorrow sound?"  Or words to that effect. I did dress up a little, but because I had only been working at Newgistics a few months, it wasn't obvious that I was 'dressed up'.  At about four in the afternoon I emailed my manager and said "As I got married at lunch time, I think I will go home early". And I left. 

Today, twenty years later, I still think it was a very memorable day, and one I don't regret.  Oh sure, we have had our ups and downs like any married couple, but we have - so far - done really well at working through them. 

We remained happily married through more than eight years of my mother in law living with us. I worked from home all through the pandemic and then retired in May of this year (I constantly refer back to this post that explains why I retired), it was not entirely my choice. Larry was already retired. He had retired early to care for his mother (I also blogged about that here). Through those eighteen months of being housebound we got along fine; and we continue to remain happily married.

Here is to another twenty!