Pipe Widows

[gatorlope]

Not to be taken literally, of course. Hopefully our choice of pipes will not have as deleterious an effect on our health as other forms of tobacco.
This might not be as pertinent to those among us who are already widowers themselves (as am I- remarried now for almost 20 years to lovely Russian lady who is a constant source of exotic charm), but they might still like to share some memories or an occasional bit of humor.
I think that it’s part of the marriage contract that as they pretend not to be any older, we are obliged to keep our thoughts to ourselves as we acknowledge that Mother Nature trumps their optimism.
Generally, though, I think that many of us have significant others that may envy some of the time that we spend with our pipes, viewing the as mistresses that compete for our time, money and affections.

 

[alaskanpiper]

My wife definitely hates the amount of time I spend with my pipe. Even though it is only once a week, it takes away a solid 1.5 hours, during which time she is alone with our 3 month old. That much time is always a dice roll. Could be 90 minutes of smiles, giggles, and sleep. Or it could be a shit apocalypse, fussfest 2019, or both.
The amount of ire my pipe habit draws week to week depends largely on the above variables.
Livin' is a gamble baby, lovin's much the same.

 

[lawdawg]

I usually smoke my pipe in my living room, and my wife is usually there with me, so it's no competition. Sometimes, if she like the smell of whatever I'm smoking, she'll take a puff. I even bought her a pipe that she smokes once in a while.
I've never pressured her into joining me in any of my hobbies, but she has taken interest in several. She loves canoeing with me and sometimes fishes with me too. I think she gets a little bummed if I go paddling and don't invite her, but if I'm not going with her its usually because I'm planning to go with my one of my small handful of really good friends or with my dad, so she is understanding. Basically, it's nice when your wife doesn't begrudge you for the time you spend on your hobbies.

 

[hauntedmyst]

My wife hates my pipes but then again she seems to hate most things that bring me pleasure :lol:

 

[jaytex1969]

My wife is tolerant. She hates smoking but sits beside me in the smoking room and watches silly TV programs.
Partially because I've put good effort into the ventilation and partially because the pipe is no where near as foul as the cig habit I used to have.
She also has a good outlook. Several years ago, she bought a magnet for the front of the fridge that says:
Never laugh at your husband's choices. You are one of them.
I responded with a wall plaque that says:
We've been through a lot together and most of it was your fault.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Mine has her own cellar.

 

[cortezattic]

Mrs. Cortez, aka Shoe Lady, is too distracted by her own obsession.

 

[pipestud]

As soon as I figure out what "deleterious" means, I will probably have a better response, but for now - when my wife and I were dating she gave me a pipe, some tobacco and a year's subscription to Pipes & Tobaccos Magazine for my birthday. After receiving the gifts I dropped to one knee and asked her to marry me. Here it is, 20-years later, and I still love that gal as much as I love my pipes... well, almost. And she's perfectly fine with that.

 

[prndl]

I have pipes.
She has Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Jo Ann's, Big Lots, Kohl's, Belk's, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Kirkland's, Wal-Mart, Target and Tuesday Morning. On one block.
Somehow, it works.

 

[hawky454]

Yeah my ex wife was not only jealous of my relationship with my Pipes but she was also jealous of my relationship with my dog. Soo... I took my dog and my pipes and I divorced her.

 

[pappymac]

My wife may not be perfect but...
1. She will find me estate pipes to buy and then let me buy them.

2. She will often ask me if I want to go have a pipe. (I don't smoke inside the house. One of our daughters has asthma and allergies and is often over at the house.)

3. I smoked a pipe when we first met and she liked it. My first meerschaum was a Christmas gift from her and I still have it and smoke it. Every year she asks if I want a new pipe or some tobacco for Christmas.

4. She has also given me new pipes for birthdays, Father's Day and our Anniversary.

5. She supports my participation in the New Orleans Pipe Club.

6. She sees my pipe hobby as actually being cheaper to my belonging to a Mardi Gras Parade Krewe. I rode in parades for 14 years and usually spent around $2,000 per year on average. Most of that was for things I threw off the float to parade watchers. She sees that as pipes being a less expensive hobby.

 

[mso489]

My wife is quite participatory with my pipes. I'm active in many of her areas of expertise, like cooking and baking, though I'm only an understudy. She's the pro there. She has the uncanny ability to gift me with pipes I really like, and blends.

 

[disinformatique]

If your partner/wife/husband/mistress/boy toy cant support your basic hobby then why be married at all?
If my future partner objects to my pipe smoking, which is less than a bowl or two per week, then I shall have a serious talk with them and if they dont understand, I will let them go.
Cheers,

Chris :puffpipe:

 

[mso489]

Funny but now that I think of it, I once heard of a woman who wrote a letter to her local paper threatening to sue her local pipe shop for alienation of affection for luring her husband away from her.

 

[mortonbriar]

My wife is very understanding of my need to keep hold of one thing that is not directly connected to being a father, husband or paying the bills. She and my daughters get me pipes for birthdays etc, in fact this last birthday I got a pipe, the father the flame dvd and two different books on growing your own tobacco!
Isaac

 

[charf]

Partially because I've put good effort into the ventilation and partially because the pipe is no where near as foul as the cig habit I used to have.
She also has a good outlook. Several years ago, she bought a magnet for the front of the fridge that says:
Never laugh at your husband's choices. You are one of them.
I responded with a wall plaque that says:
We've been through a lot together and most of it was your fault.

Thanks Jay. My wife and I had a good laugh when I read her this. However she is still not going to let me smoke inside the house. Them’s the brakes I guess.

 

[anotherbob]

my girlfriend (basically think wife without the extra paper work, don't have any reason to register our relationship with the government), loves smelling my tobaccos in the tins and loves the way all but a few blends smell on me after I get back from smoking. She doesn't like smoke much for whatever reason she over reacts to it. I sometimes find it sad because we both love taking walks and it would be nice to have a pipe on our epic walks (three to four hours average), but it does give me an excuse to talk walks by myself. Weirdly I've also noticed a lot of woman seem to love the way pipes smell, though according to them it's almost always because their really cool grandfather smoked one.

 

[warren]

basically think wife without the extra paper work

Unless you qualify as "common law" and your state recognizes such, with no legal commitment from you she hardly qualifies as a "wife." More like a "maid with benefits."

 

[peregrinus]

My wife is a nonsmoker, never has smoked. Ever since I gave up cigarettes and transitioned to pipes I have chosen to keep my smoking out of the house. I smoke in my shop or outside.

She is not fond of my pipes but believes it is not the worst thing about me so she is generally supportive of my pipes.

 

[seldom]

My wife doesn't smoke, never has, but encourages my pipe smoking. She even says I should smoke inside which I choose not to do because we have very young children. She likes the smell of pipes although she is totally intolerant of cigarette smoke, even outside. I mostly smoke a pipe while taking the dogs for a walk. I actually like when the weather is a little crappy, not wind, but perhaps a little cold or wet. That way I'm doing everyone a favor by taking the dogs out while getting a chance to enjoy a pipe away from the wife and children.

Right now I am smoking a pipe on a park bench getting ready to go inside the library to work on a paper from my research. This is time I'd be away from my wife anyway.