27 Years Married
It all started 27 years ago, a little time before that, actually. We have always marked our first dinner together at my house as an important milestone in our pre-marriage relationship. I fixed everything determined to impress Nancy with my cooking prowess. I set up my place setting for dinner on the coffee table in the living room. The dining room table was too covered in magazines, books, and papers to have time to deal with using it. I found it very hectic to fix my lasagna and coordinate the details of table setting. I had had advice from my neighbor’s twelve-year-old daughter. First she advised me at my age this relationship was my last chance and I should not blow it. Then she said I had to have napkin rings and matching glasses if my efforts were to be sufficiently impressive. I was hoping that my superb lasagna would carry me.
Christy was sincere and very emphatic that these were the keys, so I borrowed napkins rings from my mother. My eclectic house ware collection didn’t consist of matching glasses. I did have two smurf glasses, which had been Hardees give-a-ways that were identical. So with my coffee table set with napkin rings and matching smurf glasses Nancy and I had our first dinner where we cooked for each other. Christy will tell you it was the napkin rings, but I am sure it was the lasagna that allowed Nancy to see something in me and ignore, if not forget the clutter in the house.