Married after 9 months -- no I wasn't pregnant!

I got this from Joyce at from this side of the pond. Since I'm new to blogging, I thought I'd play along with Kelly's Korner and her Show Us Your Life -- How you met your husband. What a good way to get to know me. (Thanks, Joyce!)

I was working at my first "real" job. After about three months on the job, one of my co-workers said she had someone she wanted me to meet. Well, I was supposedly seeing someone at the time so I told her no. I say supposedly because he actually lived an hour away and we hadn't gone on too many dates. Plus he had stood me up one time--had a good excuse. After he stood me up the second time, I told her I was ready to meet this person.

I was working at a bank and L was working up the street for a CPA firm and did his banking business at my bank. One day my co-worker told me L was in the lobby doing some banking business, so I gathered up some papers that needed to be copied and walked through the lobby. I saw him and thought, "Is she kidding??!! He's so old!" (After we were married, L told me he thought I was too young when he was told I was 21...7 years younger.)

A few days later he and her husband (who also worked at the CPA firm and had known L in college), came to her work area (we didn't have offices) and she introduced us. I was polite but then went back to my desk. That weekend she talked me into meeting L at her house where we played cards. (I am not a good card player!) L walked me out to my car when I left and gave me a quick kiss. I asked him, "What was that for?" (Unfortunately I don't recall the answer.)

We saw each other the next week: a basketball game at UT one evening and lunch another day. We had our first date that next weekend. L asked me out to dinner and a movie. He made reservations for dinner at what was to become our favorite restaurant but is no longer in business, "Oysters on the Half Shell" or just the Half Shell. Reservations were for 8:00 so we didn't make it to a movie. He told me he owed me a movie.

L didn't call immediately after. He told me after we were married that I didn't say 12 words that whole first week. But I told my co-worker that he said he owed me a movie. She told me that he had been really busy. It was "tax season" after all...that time of year Jan. 1 to April 15. (Word to the wise...think twice before marrying a "tax man". Honestly, it hasn't been too bad. You just never know when he'll be home for dinner. Thank goodness for microwaves!) He did call to pay his debt. We saw a Diane Keaton movie (I just looked it up...it must have been "Shoot the Moon"). We went to his apartment afterwards. That's when I realized he was the one. I must have said more than 12 words that evening because he did ask me out again! (Duh!)

That was February, 1982. We started dating. We both like to watch TV. One evening at L's apartment, we were watching the mini-series "Centennial" one evening. The show had just talked about concubines. L asked me if I would be his concubine. I told him no, he would have to marry me. "Have you ever thought about it?" was his reply. Guess what I did? Clammed up! Instead of taking me straight home, we drove up through the mountains. I eventually said, "It really is quiet." (I was talking about the mountain night.) He said, "I tried to talk earlier."

A couple of weeks later, we were at my house (my parents' house). We were on the couch, talking, kissing. He moved my arm behind me. I felt something. I thought it was a toy left by one of my nephews so I pushed it back out of the way. L moved my arm again behind me. This time I grabbed the "toy" and took a look at it. It was a box, wrapped in gold paper. I looked at L and opened the box. Yep, it was a diamond ring! I looked at L...he said, "Don't tell anyone, we're getting married." Nope, he did not ask me...he told me! :)

It was a couple of weeks before we told anyone. We told my parents first. I remember sitting in the living room. Dad was sitting in "his" chair. L was sitting beside me. "Dad, L asked me to marry him." "He did?" "Yes, and I said yes." "You did?" That was it. (Wait a minute. I was right in the paragraph above. L did tell me and not ask. How was I going to tell my Dad that L told me we were getting married?)

When we were deciding on a wedding date, the first 5 months of the year were out of the question...tax season plus recuperation time. I didn't want June (too many weddings in June) or Nov/Dec because of the holidays. That left July, August, Sept, and October. My church required (I think they still do) 5 months notice and pre-marriage prep. Okay...it was May. L didn't want to wait another whole year. (What was his hurry?) That left October. Yes, October is a beautiful time of year in our neck of the woods. October it was. Since we were not UT Vol fans...no, not everyone is in TN...we didn't really check the football schedule. Our wedding was on the UT-Alabama weekend...1982...when UT won after a long dry spell!! Some of the guests were listening to the radio at the reception.
October 16, 1982...27 years ago. About 6 years ago, we each forgot. I got to work and saw the notation I wrote on my calendar and gave L a call. We both had a good laugh!

Twice in one week!

I figured since I'm off for spring break I'd try another post. Today I'll play along with 2nd Cup of Coffee and her Random Dozen.


1. Ever had any run-ins with the "library police?" I don't remember...I tend to block things like that out of my mind. If I have, it was probably at college although that library was always loud. It was the place to be in the evenings.

2. Do you have a special organizational plan and place for wrapping paper, gift bags, etc., or do you just purchase whatever you need as you give gifts? I do keep all my wrapping stuff in one place but I usually purchase whatever I need as I give a gift.

3. Have you ever been in (first-hand witness) a natural disaster? I remember in high school, we were in the area I now live at a band competition. The venue was changed and when we drove to the new venue someone said we drove through a tornado. Does that count?

4. What's your favorite Barry Manilow song? Who? OK...I had to go look at his songs first. My favorite is a toss up between Copacabana and Bandstand Boogie.

5. What's the best costume you've ever worn? Witch...I even made a spider necklace.


6. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus? dictionary

7. What's your favorite breakfast food? biscuits...they're not just for breakfast anymore

8. Have you ever purchased anything from an infomercial? no...unless QVC or HSN counts as an infomercial

9. Have you ever crawled through a window? hilarious! I don't remember (I have a short memory)...but I dreamt last night that I did!

10. Do you believe in love at first sight? I believe it can happen, but not for me.

11. How man pairs of jeans do you own? three

12. If someone were going to bake a cake to honor/represent you, what would it be? (Think creatively, like Duff and Crew on "Ace of Cakes.") They can make some creative cakes!! For me, the cake should be a marble cake with many layers...sports mom, teacher, wife, daughter, sister...etc., etc.

Wow! All that thinking made my head hurt. Now I know how some of my students feel!

Until next time.

Finally, a second postI

Once a week, huh? I never did write faithfully in a diary either. My not writing here, I think, is because I am still too much of a perfectionist. I use to be really bad, but I have learned throughout the years my life will not end if everything is not perfect. But when I kept reading other blogs and then looking at mine, I kept hearing the Joker from the Batman movie, "Where did he get those wonderful toys?" My blog seems so blah! I will learn though so please stay with me.

I was able to visit with my two sons this weekend. My husband and I took off half a day and drove to Jackson to see our oldest. He really is looking good. We met him after his work and drove him to where he is staying. (We had to bring him his bed and pillow--have to have your own pillow!) We met him again the next day and had breakfast. It was so good to see him again! (We hadn't seen him since he left the end of January to go to Phoenix.)

Here he is at work:
L and I then drove toward home. When we were just outside Nashville, we decided to try and find a place called Loveless Cafe. We had seen it on an episode of "Throw down with Bobby Flay" on the Food Network. The cafe is famous for their biscuits and homemade preserves. It was well worth the stop. The biscuits were delicious. We will definitely be stopping by there again.

On our way home we stopped in Oak Ridge to watch our youngest son compete in the SIRA Regatta. We were able to take him out to dinner. (Wow, breakfast with N and dinner with C...how good can it get!) C was very hungry! He ate a 12 oz ribeye, his broccoli (such a good boy) and potatoes as well as 1/4 of my quesadilla. At 20 years of age, he is still a growing boy!

C's team came in third in their heat which put them in the consolation round. He had about 4 hours before his next race, so we took him to get some lunch. We ended up at a barbeque and grill that one of my sisters recommended. It was real good. L noted that if we were ever out that way again, we'd probably stop and eat there again.

Two of my sisters came to watch him race. They had not been to a race before. (Of course this was only my third and my husband's second race. C just started rowing last semester.) We met C at his team's boat trailer. While we were waiting, we had to move because some rowers came through...you have to get out of their way in a hurry! Someone will yell "heads up" which is short for "move quickly out of our way, we're coming through." One of my sisters replied that when she's been with me before "heads up" meant "look out a baseball is coming your way" and you look up; at a regatta it means "duck!"

I was so glad my sisters came. C was pleasantly surprised. I think it made him feel good that his aunts would come and watch.

C raced again in the consolation round that afternoon. You can see how hard he was working (that's him on the right)--if you look close enough you can see his check puffed out:


They won their heat which put them in the consolation finals. L commented that not only did they cross the finish line first, but out of 48 rowers, C was the first rower to cross the finish line. C thought that was funny.

The consolation finals were the next day, so L and I checked into a hotel. The race was scheduled for 8 a.m. It was a little chilly. I can't image how it must of felt with the water splashing on the rowers. It must not have bothered C's team, though, because they came in second! All-in-all it was a good weekend for them.

While I was walking around between races, I saw a t-shirt that read "If rowing was easy it would be called baseball." I almost bought it for C but wasn't real sure how N would feel about it!

This week is spring break!! I slept in this morning but plan to do some much needed house cleaning and decluttering the rest of this week.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great week!

Happy Easter!

Easter Sunday. A day for new beginnings...like being a blogger.

It has been a beautiful day today and quiet. Easter dinner was just me, my husband, and my mother-in-law.

I decided to start blogging today because I've been reading a few others and felt that it was only fair that you get to hear from me. I probably won't write every day. There are some days I just don't want to turn on the computer.

I hope you get to know me through this blog. After all, it is my view from a Hill.

Have a great week!