Now, we didn't get engaged on Tuesday, March 31, 2009. There were actually 3 proposals across the span of 25 years:
Proposal 1 was made by Harley at the end of our sophomore year (1983) in high school (see above photograph of said proposal). Harley didn't actually show up at my house to throw rocks through my window and elope with me to Niagara Falls. Maybe it had something to do with the very large, very vicious dog my father posted outside the house for the entirety of the summer... Of course we should have seen this proposal coming as Harley had been pining for me since our first date and 2-week relationship (ended by my mother because I was "too young to have a boyfriend... and yes, Mom did call Harley to "let him down easy" telling him that it wasn't him. It was me.) toward the end of 8th grade.
Proposal 2 was made by Harley in the upstairs bathroom on my birthday this past year (2 June 2008). We had just finished brushing our teeth together (separate brushes, same sink). All day long we had been talking about getting married and I suggested that he just propose but he resisted because he didn't have the ring yet. I told him the question was what mattered, so he proposed, I said yes, and we used a silver twist tie as a temporary ring (Yes, I saved it.) Of course, this proposal came several months AFTER I dared him to marry me as he said for a $50 donation (which I made) to his Leukemia/Lymphoma Society fund-raising efforts he would take ANY dare. "ANY DARE," he said. "Hump." I say. He stonewalled my dare (but took the $50 donation) and so I asked him to be my "virtual" fiancee on Facebook to play a trick on my grad colleagues. This was actually my evil plan to get him to think about marrying me, and apparently it worked! Hehehe (evil laugh).
Proposal 3, the final proposal, came on August 2 when Harley flew in to surprise me with THE RING (a beautiful circa 1938 multi-diamond & white gold engagement ring which had belonged to Grandma Jane Jebens). Harley was going to make good on his sophomore year proposal and throw rocks at my window and then propose. Several days before his "surprise" arrival I freaked out and called him in an "are we crazy for getting engaged after only 2 months of letter writing and 1 month of long distance dating?" mood. He calmed my nerves by announcing his upcoming "surprise" visit. I met Harley at the airport, but unfortunately, his luggage was delayed. Later that night he drove to the airport to retrieve his bag while I finished up a conference proposal which was due at midnight. As I wrote, I heard a sound at my bedroom window. At first I thought it was a cat climbing the screen. The sound persisted, got louder, and became more frequent. I grabbed by gigantic Mag-Light and snuck outside, convinced that there was a peeping Tom outside. I thoroughly intended on beaning who ever it was over the head with the flashlight. Much to my surprise, Harley came bounding around the corner, calling, "It's me. Don't kill me!" (Or something like that.) Then he got down on one knee and proposed. I accepted (again), put on the ring, admired it's sparkliness in the romantic light of the entryway, and then went back in the house to finish writing and submitting my conference proposal (which was accepted!). We celebrated later with champagne.
Gotta love the guy's persistence... and mine, too! A match made in heaven
Now, we didn't get engaged on Tuesday, March 31, 2009. There were actually 3 proposals across the span of 25 years:
ReplyDeleteProposal 1 was made by Harley at the end of our sophomore year (1983) in high school (see above photograph of said proposal). Harley didn't actually show up at my house to throw rocks through my window and elope with me to Niagara Falls. Maybe it had something to do with the very large, very vicious dog my father posted outside the house for the entirety of the summer... Of course we should have seen this proposal coming as Harley had been pining for me since our first date and 2-week relationship (ended by my mother because I was "too young to have a boyfriend... and yes, Mom did call Harley to "let him down easy" telling him that it wasn't him. It was me.) toward the end of 8th grade.
Proposal 2 was made by Harley in the upstairs bathroom on my birthday this past year (2 June 2008). We had just finished brushing our teeth together (separate brushes, same sink). All day long we had been talking about getting married and I suggested that he just propose but he resisted because he didn't have the ring yet. I told him the question was what mattered, so he proposed, I said yes, and we used a silver twist tie as a temporary ring (Yes, I saved it.) Of course, this proposal came several months AFTER I dared him to marry me as he said for a $50 donation (which I made) to his Leukemia/Lymphoma Society fund-raising efforts he would take ANY dare. "ANY DARE," he said. "Hump." I say. He stonewalled my dare (but took the $50 donation) and so I asked him to be my "virtual" fiancee on Facebook to play a trick on my grad colleagues. This was actually my evil plan to get him to think about marrying me, and apparently it worked! Hehehe (evil laugh).
Proposal 3, the final proposal, came on August 2 when Harley flew in to surprise me with THE RING (a beautiful circa 1938 multi-diamond & white gold engagement ring which had belonged to Grandma Jane Jebens). Harley was going to make good on his sophomore year proposal and throw rocks at my window and then propose. Several days before his "surprise" arrival I freaked out and called him in an "are we crazy for getting engaged after only 2 months of letter writing and 1 month of long distance dating?" mood. He calmed my nerves by announcing his upcoming "surprise" visit. I met Harley at the airport, but unfortunately, his luggage was delayed. Later that night he drove to the airport to retrieve his bag while I finished up a conference proposal which was due at midnight. As I wrote, I heard a sound at my bedroom window. At first I thought it was a cat climbing the screen. The sound persisted, got louder, and became more frequent. I grabbed by gigantic Mag-Light and snuck outside, convinced that there was a peeping Tom outside. I thoroughly intended on beaning who ever it was over the head with the flashlight. Much to my surprise, Harley came bounding around the corner, calling, "It's me. Don't kill me!" (Or something like that.) Then he got down on one knee and proposed. I accepted (again), put on the ring, admired it's sparkliness in the romantic light of the entryway, and then went back in the house to finish writing and submitting my conference proposal (which was accepted!). We celebrated later with champagne.
Gotta love the guy's persistence... and mine, too! A match made in heaven