HOW NICE !

When last I left you...

I was contemplating what on earth the man had planned for 

our first anniversary.

Given his choice of a folding canvass camp chair

for my birthday last year...

I truly did wonder.

Not that a canvass folding camp chair is not a great gift!

I am not ungrateful for it at all.

It made me laugh because of the conversation prior to the gifting.

A conversation that was about not knowing what I might like.

Being a silly rabbit who lives up to her name...

I wanted the man to figure it out.

But also not being stupid...

I gave a bevy of hints.

 Little did I know that the man is totally hint proof!

I left catalogs with pictures circled laying around.

I made comments about things on the TV in ads.

I talked about how much I liked this or that.

What sort of books that I liked or wished I had.

As fate would have it happen...

I also mentioned in irritation when the chair I was sitting on

decided to pinch my leg, 

that I  hated that chair...

and would dearly love to burn it in a bonfire!

The exuberance of my excitement of that moment

got through to the man.

He picked up the mail just after my declaration

and saw an ad that had a photo of a folding camp chair on the front.

The light bulb in his head shone brightly!

And so it was that I wondered, 

indeed, 

what words might have escaped my lips and inspired...

 heaven only knew what...

sort of surprise...

 would come

on May 21st from my dear husband of one year.

Like I said, do not get me wrong about the chair incident.

It proved to me that my husband did indeed hear me when I said things.

Certainly not a romantic gift, 

but one based on his desire to give me what I would like to have.

What could mean more?

And yet, it gave me a great curiosity as to what was coming.

He refused to even hint.

Last weekend arrived.

We spent Saturday most in the yard.

I trimmed vinca and removed blackberries.

I have the scratches all over to prove it.

Meanwhile,

he mowed and weed whacked .

When we had finished and I sat having a nice ice tea...

He informed me that I was to shower.
Well!

He would put the rest of the debris into the utility trailer
while I accomplished my task.

I had no problem at all with that part.

After his shower followed mine 
and most of my crazy hair had dried into ringlets...

he told me to get into the car.

I figured it out.

I was fairly sure that we were going out to eat...

something he really does not enjoy that much as a rule.

I wasn't sure if it was Red Lobster or The Fish House.

It was at Red Lobster.

We had a lovely diner with appetizers and adult beverages.

I opted for a margarita and he, 

something tall and blue.

Then we returned home with doggie bags in hand.

Roxy was ever so glad to see us...

even if the doggie bag was not for her.

The rest of that evening was spent in an enjoyable pastime.

=:]

I assumed that the anniversary was over.

I didn't think much about that happening two days before

our actual anniversary day.

I know the man had to work on our anniversary and 
it made

sense that this had been the big surprise.
I was certainly satisfied with my lovely evening with him.

Sunday we went to a bbq at a friend's home.

After that the man opened up my gift to him...

(I had to wait for it to arrive.)

It was a Babylon 5 spin-off that he did not have.

He was thrilled.

Phew!

I did okay.

Onward to reality.

Next year it would come again.

That night the man went to work at his usual midnight.

I managed to oversleep in the morning.

He snuck in before I woke up.

I did not hear him at all.

Normally I wake at every tiny sound.

But I didn't.

So on my real anniversary...

I rolled over and opened my eyes to

flowers!

Not just any flowers...
but a vase of the flowers that were in my wedding bouquet!

Chrysanthemums, my favorites.
The right colors and kinds.

 

How's that for romance?