December 1st 1990

Happy 20th Anniversary to my hubby Steve !

We have been married for 20 years now !  Wow, we look so young in that photo.....

It has not been an easy road for the both of us.  We have had a few bumps along the way.  Our perspective on life and marriage has gotten us through good times and bad times.  I am amazed that time has passed by so quickly.  It is such a cliché to say it was just yesterday that we fell in love.  We have been together so long that I can barely remember a time when I did not know Steve.

We met in 1989, at "Bobby McGees", a restaurant/bar/club.  My friend Lynda Cary ( now Lynda Finance) and I went out to celebrate me getting a cast off of my foot.  Steve and Lynda knew each other because Steve worked there as a cook & Lynda was a frequent patron of this establishment.  He asked me to dance.  I remember it was Soul II Soul, "Back to Life, Back to Reality".  We had a great time that night.  He asked me for my number.  I actually gave him a correct # since he knew Lynda. ( I would usually give out bogus #s)

He called the next day.  I was a bit shocked.

He wanted to come over to my house to get to know me better.  I wanted to go to a movie because I thought there would be less talking.  He insisted on coming over and going for a walk or something.  I had a roommate at the time, who was virtually never home.  I was nervous on having this stranger come to my house.

We made an arrangement for him to come over the following Thursday.  I gave everyone at work my phone #, as well as his phone #.  I did not know if he was an ax murder or not.  It was not like me to be so trusting and give out my number to anyone, let alone let them know my address.  I wanted to make sure my co-workers knew about the date, just in case I did not show up to work the next morning.

He came over, we chatted.  He tells the story that I was very nervous and somewhat stand off-ish.  He says I was sitting on the couch clutching onto a sofa pillow the whole time & hiding behind it.  I do not really remember that, but if he says I did, I believe him.  It might of been subconsciously.  I was not looking for a relationship.  I had broken up with a longtime boyfriend only a few short months before and I was still pretty devastated and very mistrusting of men in general.

We got to know each other over the next couple of weeks.  I found myself really starting to open up again to him and found that our relationship was much different than my previous one.  Ours was based on maturity and we were able to communicate at such a higher level.  He became someone that I admired and felt like I could spend the rest of my life with.

Our first real "date" was a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  It was a 2 hour drive each way.  We were able to really get to know each other better being stuck in the cab of his little pick up truck.  We had a wonderful time.  I think this is the first time we went to our favorite restaurant, Rosini's in Monterey.

I remember that we could not stop calling each other  & would talk for hours.

On October 17, 1989 there was a HUGE earthquake in California.  We had only been dating for a month or so.  I think it was then through some of the panic that we both realized how close we were getting to know each other.  Both of our concern for the other during this time of craziness was overwhelming.  I was at work.  He was attending his cooking apprenticeship on the other side of the bay.  For hours there was not any communication between us.  ( There were no cell phones back then in the dark ages)  After we were able to communicate, we were so happy that each was ok and safe.  I think that going through this event really brought us closer together and we were realizing that we were staring to fall in love.

December 17th, 1989  Steve took me to see the San Francisco Ballet performance of "The Nutcracker".  I had always loved seeing it.  It was a wonderful surprise.  During the intermission we were sitting at a table.  He had seemed a bit off that night & somewhat elusive.  I thought it was something I said or did.  I couldn't have been any more wrong.  We were sitting there drinking our hot chocolate.

He said,  " I need to ask you a question"

( this was a usual dialog with us & I would react and automatically say "No")

He then got down on one knee and presented me with a golden wrapped small box with a red bow.

He then said, " So you don't want to be my wife?"

I was speechless.  ( I know, hard to believe)

All of a sudden those around us started clapping.  I was turning beet red.

I hugged him & said YESSS !

I opened up the package and there was a beautiful emerald cut solitaire engagement ring.

He slipped it on my finger.

We went in for the second act of the Nutcracker.  I sat there in utter amazement looking down at my left hand and seeing the rock on it.

No one had ever made me feel so special and loved.

I had always wanted to be married in December, so we were engaged for almost a year.

We were married 20 years ago today.

Happy Anniversary HONEY !