A Love Story.....
I almost did not go to the Christmas party that friends Lori and Joe were having during the holiday season of 2001. I wasn't sure I really felt like going alone. But I did go. Joe and Lori are interesting people and neighbors and I usually see friends from my high school days, business acquaintances or older couples who are friends of my folks and whom I've known for 40 years. I went, and I did see many friends......however I didn't see the girl who saw me.
Joe and Lori live in the next block, and their alley is on my regular dog walk route, so it didn't surprise me when I saw them several days later. What did surprise me was that Lori said there was someone at the party who had asked about me. Who was I and was I unattached? A tall blonde girl Lori added. It had been a moderately large party and I had been speaking with friends, so I said, no I had not noticed and then I wracked my subconscious mind trying to remember a tall blonde. Lori asked if I might be interested in being "fixed up" with the tall blonde, Julie . Frankly I was in no hurry to be fixed up, but I consented.
Lori told me that Julie was also in no hurry, having things in her own life that needed to be attended to, so months went by with Lori asking me periodically if I was still interested. I was, but nothing seemed to happen to move the situation forward. Then sometime in April, with Lori asking me once again.....we decided that I would just give this Julie a call. So, call I did, and call and call. The line always seemed busy or the answering machine engaged. I was about to give up, when one day there was a message on my answering system from "Julie" indicating that she heard that I was trying to call....and to please try again. Luckily I did, we talked and made a date to go to a baseball game.
It seems like yesterday that I was readying myself for my first blind date in decades, if indeed I had ever gone on a blind date. I can't remember. But go I did, driving to her house and again I can still feel the nervous anticipation of a first meeting as if it just happened. Then the door opened and I saw a beautiful smiling face. After the first few moments, I can't recall any jitters between us and certainly no lack of conversation. Julie is interested in art, as am I. Julie is interested in history, as am I. No subject was foreign to our common interests. We had a great time at the ballgame, and I took my first picture of her there. When I look at that photo today, I still have the feeling I had then......"this girl is something special".
The next day Julie stopped by my house and we went to an art show where she helped me pick out a perfect oil painting for my fireplace.....our fireplace actually because this last Sunday Julie said that she would be my wife.
Julie is a sophisticated small town girl. A sweet, kind, beautiful, intelligent, loving person. My best friend, and a terrific mother to her kids Amanda and Jack. I never dreamed that I would find anyone so perfectly matched to me. Although I think that at times Julie had her doubts about the outcome of our relationship, probably caused by me. I have never had anyone who so obviously loved and adored me, and tells me so on a daily basis. I suppose I really didn't know how to fully react to this. I do now. I want her to be my wife and tell her every day how much I love her and what she means to me. And to have Jack in our family with all the joy that brings to enhance my.....our lives.
The engagement was made "official" last night when I asked nine year old Jack for his Mom's hand in marriage. Graciously and gladly he consented, adding with a sly boyish grin, "I suspected something like this........" So did I.
I almost did not go to the Christmas party that friends Lori and Joe were having during the holiday season of 2001. I wasn't sure I really felt like going alone. But I did go. Joe and Lori are interesting people and neighbors and I usually see friends from my high school days, business acquaintances or older couples who are friends of my folks and whom I've known for 40 years. I went, and I did see many friends......however I didn't see the girl who saw me.
Joe and Lori live in the next block, and their alley is on my regular dog walk route, so it didn't surprise me when I saw them several days later. What did surprise me was that Lori said there was someone at the party who had asked about me. Who was I and was I unattached? A tall blonde girl Lori added. It had been a moderately large party and I had been speaking with friends, so I said, no I had not noticed and then I wracked my subconscious mind trying to remember a tall blonde. Lori asked if I might be interested in being "fixed up" with the tall blonde, Julie . Frankly I was in no hurry to be fixed up, but I consented.
Lori told me that Julie was also in no hurry, having things in her own life that needed to be attended to, so months went by with Lori asking me periodically if I was still interested. I was, but nothing seemed to happen to move the situation forward. Then sometime in April, with Lori asking me once again.....we decided that I would just give this Julie a call. So, call I did, and call and call. The line always seemed busy or the answering machine engaged. I was about to give up, when one day there was a message on my answering system from "Julie" indicating that she heard that I was trying to call....and to please try again. Luckily I did, we talked and made a date to go to a baseball game.
It seems like yesterday that I was readying myself for my first blind date in decades, if indeed I had ever gone on a blind date. I can't remember. But go I did, driving to her house and again I can still feel the nervous anticipation of a first meeting as if it just happened. Then the door opened and I saw a beautiful smiling face. After the first few moments, I can't recall any jitters between us and certainly no lack of conversation. Julie is interested in art, as am I. Julie is interested in history, as am I. No subject was foreign to our common interests. We had a great time at the ballgame, and I took my first picture of her there. When I look at that photo today, I still have the feeling I had then......"this girl is something special".
The next day Julie stopped by my house and we went to an art show where she helped me pick out a perfect oil painting for my fireplace.....our fireplace actually because this last Sunday Julie said that she would be my wife.
Julie is a sophisticated small town girl. A sweet, kind, beautiful, intelligent, loving person. My best friend, and a terrific mother to her kids Amanda and Jack. I never dreamed that I would find anyone so perfectly matched to me. Although I think that at times Julie had her doubts about the outcome of our relationship, probably caused by me. I have never had anyone who so obviously loved and adored me, and tells me so on a daily basis. I suppose I really didn't know how to fully react to this. I do now. I want her to be my wife and tell her every day how much I love her and what she means to me. And to have Jack in our family with all the joy that brings to enhance my.....our lives.
The engagement was made "official" last night when I asked nine year old Jack for his Mom's hand in marriage. Graciously and gladly he consented, adding with a sly boyish grin, "I suspected something like this........" So did I.
