"Cherish your work; take profit in the task. Doing's the one reward a Man dare ask."
--John Updike, Midpoint

1982 | 1983 | 1984
1985 | 1986 | 1987
1988 | 1989 | 1994 | 1998



TOP

1982


Charlie & Bette

Our Wedding


"Because you come to me with naught save love
And hold my hand and lift mine eyes above,
A wider world of hope and joy I see,
Because you come to me.

Because you speak to me in accent sweet,
I find the roses waking 'round my feet.
And I am led through tears and joy to thee,
Because you speak to me.

Because God made thee mine, I'll cherish thee
Through light and darkness through all time to be
And pray his love may make our love divine
Because God made thee mine.

June 20. 1982
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church
Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Pastor Father John Gvostes married us.














Our lives begin here!








Photos by my older brother Bill


Bill with his plane that he built!


Home to 49 Clark Road for the Reception






Wedding Cake made by Oma!







Charlie's Mother
Mothers were different in 1982. Charlie lived with his mother until he married me. When she heard he was going to marry me, she was horrified, and I understood. Any Greek mother in 1982 would be horrified that her son was marrying a divorced woman with three children who was not Greek. She refused to attend this wedding! However, on the day of the wedding cousin Mary from Salem called to tell Yiayia she would pick her up to go to the wedding. When we looked back in Church and saw her, we were thrilled. She even came to the reception!

It wasn't only Greek mothers! When I first dated Charlie in 1971, I called my mother and said, "I can imagine marrying this man." My mother, who had never uttered a swear word in her life, said "Oh s---!" and slammed down the phone. Her problem was that Charlie never went to college! Her response was difficult for me. I was always very close to my mother.

However, time passes, changes things. My mother's angina problem caused recurring hospital times. She spent a lot of time after each one living with me, hearing how Charlie had kept in touch with the children and hearing Mia ask, "Can we invite Charlie to dinner?" Later Mia and I stopped at the shop and invited him. Charlie made an appetizer, fried liver dipped in a wine sauce wrapped in bacon, eaten on a stick. I think my mother began to love him then.

In December 1980, my mother went to the hospital for the last time. She was on a respirator for 17 days and could only write notes when we visited her. Her last note said, "marry charlie". I stopped in the hospital every day before and after school, but one day there was a snow storm and no school. Charlie said he'd drive me after work to the hospital in Stoneham, I could visit with my mother, he would come back in awhile to pick me up and we could go to the Hart House for dinner. Late that night my older brother Bill called. He was with her when she died.


1982

7.21.1982, Charlie's Birthday

Our Honeymoon
Ireland
June 21, 1982

Mayo

Finding my Grandfather's Family

 
The gravestone says "Thy Will Be Done" which is also on all the Flynn Family gravestones here.
 

Ballymartin, County Mayo, Ireland
Home of My Father's Father
 

The original family home.

The new home.
 
 
The only member of my Grandparents' family who chose to stay in Ireland.
 
 
He was so nice. It was a lovely visit! I was so glad Charlie got me here.
 


Saturday Night at the Dance

When we first arrived, Charlie asked somone in town if he knew our cousin, who said,"Go to the dance Saturday night and you might find someone who knows him." He was right. A man Charlie met at the dance said, "Go to the Pub at 3:00 in the afternoon, and he'll be there".
That is how we met my cousin. And the dance was fun, the Irish music, the dancing and the people having a good time.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Roscommon

Finding my Grandmother's Family

 
We knocked on the door and found my grandmother Bridget Murray's family.
They were so welcoming! I was so happy!
 

They took us to Church.

both new and ancient.
 

We visited the family graves,

both ancient and new.
 
 
They took us around their property.
 
We got to know the children, the pets and the donkey.
 
A beautiful Family!
 
 


The Great Surprise!
This still unpaved road to the Murray's home.
My grandmother Bridget Murray, 16 years old, walked down this road for the last time
on her way to the boat that would take her to the United States,
and to Stoneham, Massachusetts, where she met amd married my grandfather.

It was a thrill to be walking in my grandmother's footsteps.
I am so greatful for Charlie's encouraging me to find my ancesters while we were in Ireland.

On the Road

 
 

Dublin & James Joyce

2">ON HIS CENTENARY, DUBLIN HONORS THE JOYCE IT ONCE SCORNED

The Irish nation, which shunned and often vilified James Joyce throughout his lifetime, celebrated his 100th birthday today with a joyful exuberance that would have tickled even Leopold Bloom.

In this opening phase of a national celebration that is to last all year, there were speeches and special exhibitions, a highbrow symposium this afternoon and a high-spirited anniversary banquet this evening. The bar in Blooms, a gleaming new hotel named for the hero of ''Ulysses,'' was serving ''Molly Bloom cocktails,'' a blend of orange juice and Irish Mist, and in its lobby there sat a birthday cake shaped like the seaside Martello tower where the opening scene of the book is set.

"In a sense, Ireland is paying Joyce back for all those years when he was an outcast here" said Robert Nicholson, who runs a Joyce museum that has been established in the tower.

"Finally, he is appreciated here at home". --The New York Times
 
 

One of Charlie's goasl in Ireland was to find my ancesters.
I was so excited to be in Dublin on James Joyce's 100th Anniversary that one of my goals in was to find places from James Joyce's stories.
 
 
"God, he said quietly. Isn't the sea what Algy calls it: a grey sweet mother? The snotgreen sea. . . . Ah, Dedalus, the Greeks. I must teach you. You must read them in the original. Thalatta! Thalatta! She is our great sweet mother. Come and look."
--Ulysses, chapter 1.
 


Home in Ipswich


He likes his new home!

TOP

1983


Our Second Honeymoon
Greece
February 1983

Our First Stop
Greek Orthodox Church



 
 
 

Mauvria
Charlie's Father's Family Home

 
 
 
 

Charlie's cousins, Georgia, Costas, Panayioti and Vasiliki!
We love them. They have become our dearest relatives/friends forever!

On the Road

 
 
 
 
 

From the sunny Port of Kalamata to Dhyrachi, Charlie's Mother's snowy mountain-top village.

.
 
 
 
A terrifying ride up the narrow, winding, icy road, half broken-up in some places. We reached the village, parked the car and walked around. Charlie showed me the original family home remains, the Church at the top of the village and the school built on land his mother had donated to the village. We met no one on our walk.The whole village was cold and still.

Charlie had been here before. He knew one elderly aunt, Constantina. She was so happy to hug Charlie again. It was very dark inside. She apologized and told him the electricity was temporarily off in the whole village. She and Charlie conversed in Greek. I was happy being there. In the dark, she prepared food. The only thing I remember is cooked spinach, which tasted very good even though it was cold.
 
 
When we came back to Dhyrachi in 2003 with Alexander and Molly, Constantina had passed away.

Exploring Ancient Greece

 
 
 
 

Greece! We'll be Back!

 
 

A Dream Come True!

Charlie & Bette

Our first date was in 1971 with my best friend Helen and her husband Bob, Charlie's childhood friend. Helen had tickets to a Boston Theater to see Jacque Brel. It was love at first date for Charlie and me, which made me nervous. When I caught myself walking too close to him down Tremont Street I would move away.

Charlie first met my children at the Whittier Motel, which had a small dining room, and a small bar. Charlie was the bartender. I didn't have a car. Helen would call me every once-in-a-while and say let's take the kids to the Whittier for dinner. She'd drive over in her blue Volkswagen bug with the red stripe she had painted on the roof and we'd pack the kids in. We were always the only ones in the dining room and no one was ever in the bar, probably because we were so early. They knew if they behaved well we'd go after dinner to Dairy Queen

Charlie and I went out together for a year and a half. Then I made a decision. I had to raise these children and finish my education. We stopped seeing each other. But Charlie and my children had stayed in touch. They'd walk across from school to the shop and he'd bring them to Dairy Queen, they'd called him on the phone. He took one to a doctor to have a mold removed and one to a college interview.

In the winter of 1982 when my two oldest girls were in college and the youngest in high school, Helen did it again. They were returning from a trip, Charlie was picking them up at the airport, and why didn't I drive in with him. I did. We went back to their house while they changed. I was alone in the living room with Charlie and I said, "Do you remember when you wanted to marry me?" He smiled and said Yes. "Do you still"? "Yes." That was in February. We got engaged on St. Patrick's Day and married in June.



Poker 25th Anniversary!

The Originals



hmmm....!

TOP

1984


Our Trip to Prague
February 15, 1984



TOP

1985


Our Trip to Italy with Mia
February 14 to February 27, 1985
Milano, Virona, Mestra, Venezia, Bologna, Firenze
Sorrento, Pisa, Pompei, Capri, Amalfi Coast, Roma

 
CLICK HERE FOR MORE ITALY PHOTOS.





Lori and Jim's Wedding
September 28, 1985

 
 
 
 


TOP

1986


Our Trip to the Soviet Union (Russia)
Stalingrad (Moskow) & Leningrad (St.Petersburg)
February 13, 1986


CLICK HERE FOR OUR TRIP TO THE SOVIET UNION.

TOP

1987

Our Trip to France and Belgium
February 15, 1987



Poem for Cobbler

The cobbler "and his wife" is not accurate.
This trip to China was Charlie's last full trip alone, in February before our wedding in June.
On future trips, I had to leave after 10 days to go back to work and Charlie headed to another country.
I was sad, but I knew how he looked forward to these adventures


TOP

1988


Our Trip to Portugal: Lisbon, Lagos, Malagar & Tavira
February 12, 1988

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PORTUGAL PHOTOS.



Wedding October 1988

 
 


TOP

1989


Our New Home
October 1989

Christmas morning Lori, Jim, Deahn, Russell, Mia, Charlie and I were sitting around the floor opening Christmas presents. Charlie looked up at me and said, "I think we need a bigger house!" That week he called Bob May, our local arcitect.


A couple of weeks later I looked out the window and several young architectural students, sent by Bob May, were sitting around the front yard, each with a pad of paper, staring at our house.

Charlie had a vision of what he wanted, so he got together with Bob May and they came up with a plan.

By Spring, we had the detailed plans, which doubled the house's size, and the building project began. Charlie was the head contractor, hiring the right person or company to do each job and regularly inspecting their work.

In October we had our first family dinner in our new home!


Our New Home.
 
 
Our new home added a garage, a fireplace, a back deck and a FRONT PORCH.
 


TOP

1990


Our New Boat!
Summer 1990


Charlie & his brother George brought the boat down from Maine to its mooring at Ipswich Wharf.
They said it was a wild ride, cloudy, raining and a rough sea, but Charlie looked so happy.
Charlie and George named this boat Adelphia (brothers).
Our boat just before this one was called 'ippy, the name of Charlie's online clog business.
Adelphia 24 years later is still moored in the same spot, still in the Tsoutsouras family.
 

Mia loves our new boat!
 
 

 
1st Trip on our New Boat
 


TOP

1990


Grandchildren!
Our Second New Life!



TOP

1994


In April, Charlie & I and my Winchester High School colleague, Cheryl,
took a group of our Students on an exchange trip to Brecon, Wales.


It was the 900th anniversary of the Cathedral. We got a call from the Brecon School to tell us that Prince Charles, the Duke of Wales, would be attending the morning prayer at the Cathedral, and that we would be invited to attend the Service and the garden party following the Service
 
 
 

Our Students
 
The Cobblers' Altar
 

The Guild of Cordwainers (cobblers)
 
Prince Charles looked at me and shouted, "Are these all yours?" I thought he meant my own children, so I yelled, "No!"
He walked over, shook my hand and asked, smiling, if I had them under control. Then he shook the kids' hands.
One of my students took these photos.

July 1994. Brecon Students Come to Ipswich

As we were leaving Brecon we said, "You gave us Prince Charles. Who could we have for you to match that?" Someone said, "John Updike" and everyone cheered. So, the next time John was here for poker, I mentioned this, and he said he would be happy to come to our house and meet them. It was an awesome afternoon. John talked to them, they asked questions, and Charlie had a clambake waiting in the back yard.


TOP

1998


Wedding
October 26. 1998

 


TOP



March 2022
His last picture.
Riverside Park, Vero Beach, FL

CHARLIE & BETTE'S STORY
CONTINUES UNTIL
1:15 a.m. on SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

Click here for the rest of our story.



Our Last Time Together in Greece
August 2021

CLICK HERE




Bette Home Page
Valid XHTML 1.0!