Sadie Hawkins Day, an American folk event, made its debut in Al Capp's Li'l Abner strip November 15, 1937. Sadie Hawkins was "the homeliest gal in the hills" who grew tired of waiting for the fellows to come a courtin'. Her father, Hekzebiah Hawkins, a prominent resident of Dogpatch, was even more worried about Sadie living at home for the rest of his life, so he decreed the first annual Sadie Hawkins Day, a foot race in which the unmarried gals pursued the town's bachelors, with matrimony the consequence.

By the late 1930's the event had swept the nation and had a life of its own. Life magazine reported over 200 colleges holding Sadie Hawkins Day events in 1939, only two years after its inception. It became a woman empowering rite at high schools and college campuses, long before the modern feminist movement gained prominence. The basis of Sadie Hawkins Day is that women and girls take the initiative in inviting the man or boy of their choice out on a date, typically to a dance attended by other bachelors and their aggressive dates. When Al Capp created the event, it was not his intention to have the event occur annually on a specific date because it inhibited his freewheeling plotting. However, due to its enormous popularity and the numerous fan letters Capp received, the event became an annual event in the strip during the month of November, lasting four decades.

Rusty, I used to look forward to Sadie Hawkins day every year as a young girl in elementary school (Pine Ridge Elementary) in Fort Lauderdale, Fla....we used to have a Sadie Hawkins Day Dance each year and I would invite my "love interest" (at age 8, 9 and 10, LOL) for the moment. It was pretty funny, too, as there were a lot of "us" trying to ask the same fellas to the dances....quite the competition at such a young age. But, I guess it taught us "reality" at a young age as it certainly did not do us any harm! I'm still pretty assertive today and I think I can attribute some of that trait to Sadie Hawkins Day events in my formative years! LOL. I wonder what those fellas are doing now??? Hmmmmmm. (Eddie Lampert, Billy Banta, Donnie Walls, Paul Splane and John Wilson...are you guys still out there???!! ) LOL. Carole

Good morning Rusty...maybe I should get out there and chase someone down! LOL
It's a little foggy today after the rain, the roses are drooping with water from the rain

And the cats are cuddling for warmth

OOps...where'd those roses go?

Carole, now that Alison is a young teen, I see the same thing happening with all the girls picking on just a few boys...so many of the boys are still not mature so I am looking forward to seeing the "ugly ducklings" blossom and turn the girls heads in a couple of more years!

Well my dears...the dirty deed is done.....

Oh my, and was it a shotgun wedding?! LOL You guyz are so funny.

Well Rusty..the way he's acting today..you'd think it was...MEN!

Meryl....did you guys really do "it" or are you pulling our leg(s)???!! Joe and I were together for 12 years before we "did it"....LOL....at least made it legal, so they say. Great pic of the two of you!! Carole

Yep...12 years here also! amazing....it was quite the ceremony

We had the Mayor come to our house...and my daughter and steve's nephew were "trick or treater" witnesses

Meryl, congratulations! So you really did it? For reals????

my mom asked my dad to the Sadie Hawkins dance...twas their first date...and as they say...the rest is history!!!

We had such a great time at the party last night...I'm trying to download all the pics and my puter keeps crashing on me!

OK, my pirate garb


The work crew

Cynde..yes for real! Great pirate costume...Wheres the parrot!

Meryl, congratulations! What a way to reverse those roles! my friends (whom pics I will be posting momentarily) met at a halloween party 20 years ago, and have been married for 18 years!

We had a "decorate your mummy" contest. You split into two teams, and you decorate someone with toilet paper into a mummy. Creative style counts! Here are Jeff and Norma (they got a prize for being the guinea pigs)

Here are Michael and I

with all the fires in the mountains, we did have two party crashers. we all felt so sorry for them, we let them come in out of the rain and have some food and grub

But the good news is there is less wind and some rain, am I right??? That's what they tell us on the news here in Holland

Yep, Martin you are correct. We got quite a bit of rain here on the coast. I haven't pulled up the news this morning yet to see what the mountains are doing.

Graveyard...well, the fog machine and dry ice had run their course by the end of the night...so imagine thick fog here! The bat was hooked up to a hydrolic thing so that it jumped up from behind the headstone, and the coffin lid also moved up and down

Cynde great costumes! Is that smokey the bear!

Cynde, I wish we lived closer - you two throw the best parties! What a riot. Is that a spotted owl on Smokey's head? LOL

Your pirate costumes look so good on you! Argh!

A real live punkin' patch:

Ahhh the beauty of New England! looks very festive! Rusty was your email about Ladybugs done today? Lots of Ladybugs in South Joisey today for some reason...
Yeah I agree Cynde does have some great Halloween parties!

Rusty, looks like some of those pumpkins got smashed! LOL! I wished yous guys lived closer too! We need to have a massive BT gathering sometime! Hey, I just realized, tomorrow is the big coney island shingdig!

Man I go on the boat for the day and all sorts of things happen!!
John Liddington can't make it to the mini meet tomorrow..{Sunday}

AND

Meryl and Steve Tie the Knot!!!!!!!

Meryl & Steve...congratulations! Joe and I were also married by our township mayor....we have a lot in common here (plus being in NJ). Ours was a "unique" gathering and ceremony as we had a few friends and relatives (about 25) join us at our favorite Chinese restaurant...yes, you read that one correctly!....in Madison, NJ and the mayor joined us (figuratively and literally) there for the marriage and then our friends were able to drink what they wanted to (BYOB place) and also order whatever the heck they wanted to eat right off the menu....everyone said they had a better time at our wedding than most of the huge, super elaborate ones most folks throw today! LOL. We had a wedding cake, too. It was fun.

It was, however, an out of body experience for me....I remember being there (sort of) and seeing the exchange of vows from above the ground! LOL. I guess I was a wee bit nervous as I was not even consuming any alcoholic beverages!

Your wedding garb is so great!!! Carole and Joe

I don't believe it. Meryl, you and Steve finally took the vows?

scary huh? Guess we picked the right day!
Carole....definatly an out of body experience...
Steve's dress was gorgeous...don't you agree! An ebay special! He's NEVER been married before...(Isn't that amazing?...)the only one left in NJ and " I " got him....
We have to start doing these holidays together once an awhile!

Have a great time tomorrow at the "mini meet" Weather seems to be in your favor! Wish there was a cam!

Meryl, are you changing your name? I never did...I had "Baker" for soooo many years before our wedding day (which happened to be on the Ides of March, (March 15) by the way! LOL) that I am still "legally" Carole Baker and not Mrs. Joseph Ward...poor Joe...he gets "Mr. Baker" stuff all the time. He's good about it tho! I would never remember to sign my "new" name as CArole Ward if I tried...I would screw everything up, so I am still CArole Baker! I'll bet lots of "older first time brides" do that....this was my "first", as well. LOL. Carole

Carole still not sure...I love Virga..and Steve's last name is so long...I hate having to spell each time you give someone your name...maybe He will change to Steve Virga!

I think a wedding where you laugh as much as you cry is a great wedding! You two are special people, Meryl & Steve! No wonder you were too busy to make the mini-meet today. LOL

Maybe a bit late... but I did not see this thread 'live' and I did not know what was going on exactly, reading the other threads.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MERYL AND STEVE!!!

Diana - you are not the only late one - CONGRATULATIONS MERYL AND STEVE - love the description of the wedding!!!

I can't wait to see the reality show - The Bride's Mustache Tickled?

I can't wait to see his parents' faces! Thanks again all!

Guess we'll have to call you Sadie Hawkins from now on, Meryl.

You haven't told his parents yet? Or they haven't see the pictures yet? Oh my!

They haven't seen the pictures yet...