Wednesday, October 19, 2011

An October Engagement


An October Engagement

He likes to give magic at Christmas. Antique bronze kaleidoscopes, first edition fairy tales, hand painted lockets.
Like most writers, he sees the world uniquely, finding the greatest meaning sitting unnoticed between the lines.
He sees humour in the the prosaic, beauty in the commonplace.
He makes me laugh.
He checks the locks and slays the bugs.
And I feel safe when I’m with him.
He loves The Beatles and Saint-Saens Organ Symphony #3.
He reels me in whenever I drift too far out to sea and cuts me loose when I need to fly.
I once caught him singing to Apple as he brushed her black coat.
If you're going to San Francisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you're going to San Francisco

You're gonna meet some gentle people there
Apple hates being brushed. She wiggles and squirms, rolls on her back and bats the brush with her paws. But that afternoon, she lay as still and calm as sleep. I’ll never hear that old song in the same way again.

As teenagers, we were best friends. And then when we were older, on a gold October day, we went on a picnic to a mountain lake. He asked me to marry him. For years I had planned, as every girl does, how I would react to this question if it were ever put to me. I intended to respond as I imagined Grace Kelly would ... softly saying, “Let me think about it overnight”. Instead, I grinned like Christmas and said, “Of course”.
That was many years ago, and every year since, on the same day in October, we pack a picnic lunch and head back to the same mountain lake. We've never missed a year.
And I still say “Of Course”.

68 comments:

  1. What a perfectly lovely post, Pamela, it just tickles me pink...may you be celebrating in just this way for many, many more years!

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  2. Precious and perfect--the two of you--the four of you--Happy Anniversary, and many, many more.

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  3. Oh, those Blue Ridge Mountain Lakes . Georgia's greatest secret ?

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  4. Finding the right one isn't granted to everyone. For the lucky few there is no other answer but "of course" and it remains so forever after.

    Mazel Tov!

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  5. This is so beautiful, Pamela. I just adore hearing and reading the love stories of people I admire. My best wishes to a lifetime of happiness for the both of you.

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  6. Happy anniversary and many, many more....lovely post.

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  7. Beautiful and magic.
    Congratulations!!!!!

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  8. Just wonderful, Pamela. Enjoy your picnic celebration of a beautiful proposition and acceptance.

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  9. Happy Anniversary Pamela, to you and your Songwriter. Staying together is just an achievement...staying in Love is life's true goal.
    Takes dedication, I know...37 years and counting!

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  10. Well of course we all knew that your 'Songwriter' would be romantic and make your proposal day into a personal faerie story. . How wonderful Pamela! Many many congratulations to you both and may you be enchanted together for many more!

    Hugs Jane

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  11. Happy Anniversary Pamela. What a beautiful story of your love for the misician.

    Your comment "he reels you in when you are going too far to sea but when you want to fly he cuts the slack" This is trust! I also love his singing to the dog.
    May your life continue to be one big picnic filled with the sound of music and barking of dogs.
    Helen xx

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  12. Oh that made me smile and smile with happiness for you both. Wishing you a wonderfully glorious October anniversary!

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  13. Absolutely fabulous...............the photo, the words of how you met and married, your fur darlings who share your romantic life, the fact that The Musician not only keeps you safe, he sets you free and makes you laugh, I love that. How fortunate we are when we have a partner who is close to perfect!

    October anniversary wishes, may you have many, many more.

    I know how you love this time of year Pamela, me too. I'll be off though on Thurs. to the far reaches of the world where Summer has arrived - I'll think of you at that lake on a golden Autumn day.

    Happy Anniversary!
    Hugs - Mary

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  14. Ahhhh, what a sweet post. You two are adorable with your dog friends and each other :)

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  15. Beautiful post! Congratulations and happy anniversary! We just celebrated 12 years on Oct. 15th. I, too, would say yes all over again. Having the right partner is the perfect musical score to my life.

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  16. Enjoy your day of once again climbing a mountain with a picnic lunch and your best, best friend. You will, of course.

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  17. Happy Anniversary, may you be bless with many more! Mom and Daddy celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks; October is a grand month!
    As B. W. Overstreet said, "October is a symphony of permanence and change."

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  18. Beautiful story, Pamela. Happy Anniversary!

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  19. Happy Anniversary Pamela. You and the Songwriter are meant for each other!!

    I just saw you featured at Un Femme....Beautiful!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

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  20. Happy Anniversary! I love how you go back to where it all began for every anniverary. Enjoy your day! Wishing you many more golden moments. xo

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  21. True love does exist...and it's so lovely to see it cherished and honored by those whose lives it has blessed. ♥
    What a sweetheart the SW is....
    xo J~

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  22. Congratulations on finding your soul mate and wishes for many many more special picnics!

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  23. tears in my eyes. of happy for you.
    how very lucky you are. my soulmate went to heaven many many years ago. i never even considered another taking his place. for some of us it only happens once.
    love,
    tammy j

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  24. Who doesn't love a happy love story? Congratulations on your anniversary and may you have many, many more years of shared joys. This year was our 36th anniversary and we celebrated it with close friends honoring the engagement of our son, the songwriter, in Asheville where we spent our honeymoon. Yes, life is a circle.

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  25. beautiful, and said with such love.
    happy anniversary!!

    joan

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  26. Congratulations! Happy Anniversary. Your writing always makes me smile and somehow calms me. Are you a calm person...you seem like you would be from your writing. Thank you for sharing such a sweet love story.
    Karen

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  27. Thank your for sharing this lovely story with us. Your way with words always makes me have the warm and fuzzy feeling. May you two enjoy each other for many years to come.

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  28. You two remind me of Brownings quote,"Come grow old with me, the best is yet to be." So touching...thank for sharing your life with us!

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  29. Perfectly lovely! I am so happy for you both (and the dogs!!)

    and I adore your new car!

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  30. Happy Anniversary!
    How could it be anything but joyous with two such romantic people planning the celebration?

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  31. Very, very touching. How wonderful you found each other. So nice to see when magic DOES happen in life.

    Happy Anniversary.

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  32. It is the simple things, isn't it?
    Sharing a picnic every year that is much more than just a picnic. It carries the memories of each picnic over the years and a life built together.
    Wishing you many more shared memories.

    xo
    Brooke

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  33. That is such a romantic proposal and all the more romantic because you both seem just as happy today, if not more, than then....Congratulations to you both, this is a wonderful achievement....xv

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  34. Congratulations on such a long and perfect marriage. What a happy family you look sitting under that tree.

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  35. Lovely time of year for an engagement...a great photo for marking the place and time in your lives...

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  36. how wonderful for the two of you!
    congrats!

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  37. Pamela,
    I am a sap for a beautiful love story and just reading this, I too am smiling like Christmas.

    Wishing you a hundred pinics under the tree with your dear sweet man and of course, the dogs!

    Happy Anniversary!!!
    xo,
    ~Rebecca

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  38. What an absolutely beautiful story!

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  39. i adore love stories and happy "endings". yours pamela is touching
    xo
    debra

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  40. You are a shining star in blog world. I love this post.

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  41. Oh, sweet friend, your story is fabulous and perfect as marriages go! Happy anniversary and many more picnics for you two (and two) together!
    It is wonderful to be married to your soul mate, I know about it too!
    We are wonderfully lucky!
    Give the songwriter a hug and wish him happy anniversary from me too! He is a blessed man!

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  42. So sweet! Happy anniversary - and many more :-)

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  43. What a lovely love story !
    Happy Anniversary ~

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  44. Omg. I loved this!!!!! So sweet.

    Many many more!!!!

    Grinning from ear to ear!
    Joni

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  45. We all love your lovely blog about your lovely place and dogs.....and we all love love. And you have it!

    I am lucky in that way too!

    It is rare; however it should be celebrated!

    Bravo!

    ps there has been some serious nastiness recently. Please don't post it if it attacks you. It has attacked the most sincere and lovely bloggers. Let's just ignore it!

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  46. Hello Pamela

    Very happy for you both!

    Best
    Tracy :)

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  47. Oh, Pamela, how beautiful.

    Love is wonderful isn't it?

    BTW, thank you again. You are absolutely gorgeous and the two of you make a stunning couple. I think two dogs complete a marriage. . .

    xo,
    Tish

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  48. Your Songwriter is such a gentle soul....and, he loves The Beatles as much as I do, and that's saying something !
    Your post is beautiful and romantic and I wish you many, many more happy times and picnics together. Much love to you both. XXXX

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  49. Oh, that we all should be so lucky.....Congratulations!

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  50. As we say in Maine, "He's a keeper!" I love that photo of you two and the dogs. Marriage gets better every year. You can see that on your smiling faces. Here's to many, many more years!

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  51. What a beautiful declaration of love. Happy anniversary. And thanks for the beautiful comment on Oscar's birthday post!

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  52. Oh so lovely.
    Happy Anniversary and congratulations on sharing a wonderful life together.
    Not an easy thing to do.... takes lots of love!

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  53. Pamela, this is so lovely. What a wonderful tribute to your marriage and October engagement anniversary. You are both writers and so have the gift of words which is a lucky thing when it comes to communicating your feelings to your husband and obviously your best friend! Thanks for sharing this with all of us!
    xx Sunday

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  54. Inspiring couple,both talented and fun.Congrats to both of you.

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  55. Many congratulations Pamela and to the Songwriter too. You have warmed my heart.

    I need inspiration to get writing again and have come to read your blog; if I don't find it here I will be surprised.

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  56. I am late reading this Pamela, but it is so sweet, - I hope you and the Songwriter have many glorious October celebration days.

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  57. How very, very wonderful! And I do love those dogs. I wish Apple showed up more often.

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  58. Belated Happy Anniversary... what a sweet way to celebrate... so nice to read about happy relationships...
    Cathy B*****y
    pbprojecthope at yahoodotcom

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  59. Hello treasures, oh my what a wonderful, moving post. I have been away so long and now im back and u bring a tear to my eye. A beautiful story of love x x

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  60. Hello treasures, oh my what a wonderful, moving post. I have been away so long and now im back and u bring a tear to my eye. A beautiful story of love x x

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I love to read your comments! Each and every one! Though I'm always reading your comments, I may not respond in the comment section. If you want to write me directly, you may do so at pamela@pamelaterry.net. Thank you for reading!