Every Love Story is Amazing but Ours is My Favorite
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| East Cost Greenway |
As the title implies, every love story is amazing but ours is my favorite.
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| ECG plane take off |
It was Labor Day Weekend 2018. We had made a plan to go to Washington, DC that Saturday. We rented bikes and rode from Old Town Alexandria to La' Fante Plaza with a few laps around the National Mall. The views on that trip were simply amazing. Watching a plane take off over your head was well scary and exciting all in the same moment. We rode 17 miles by bike and then walked 4 miles. (the dogs were barking by the time we got home) It was a great time in DC. We rode on the East Coast Greenway, which starts in Maine and goes all the way south to Florida. There were so many great scenes on that trail, friendly people, the time I tried to kill Jim....(I had to slam the brakes to avoid hitting a stroller and he swerved to avoid hitting me and crashed....I really didn't mean it. I swear) I am looking forward to repeating this bike trip. Its amazing. I would make it a full weekend trip.
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| Aquia Harbor |
That night we decided we didn't want anything to do with cooking but we were STARVING. I mean come on 17 miles by bike, 4 miles by foot oh yeah all the carbs were happening that night.
After exploring DC the day before, we spent the next day at the beach which was a relaxing day where we just sat on the beach enjoying the sun because what was to come the next day was not a happy moment. The next day would be the day I had to drive back home to New York. The beach we went to was Aquia Harbor but it was my safe place, my place where I could calm my anxiety, get myself centered, breath and get focused for the days ahead. It was and still is my place of calm. I make it a point to visit there every time I'm in Stafford County.
As I have said before, we take turns cooking for each other, I had cooked Friday night, so it was his turn to cook for me. Dinner was completely amazing. I was looking forward to it all day. On the menu was seafood stuffed lobster tails, sauteed spinach and mushrooms and baked sweet potatoes with butter and brown sugar with a glass of Cranberry Chablis wine from Glenora winery.
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| proposal dinner |
Now every story has an "I know what I saw" moment. A vantage point from everyone there. This is no different. So the rest of this post is going to be told from each of our vantage points.
"I know what I saw" ..... her story:
The night Jim proposed to me I was a hot mess, no spicy disaster. I knew that in 12 short hours, I was scheduled to head back to New York. Jim is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Coming from a “not so friendly relationship” to having someone treasure me, show me what love is supposed to be like, what a man is supposed to do for his woman has been a real eye opener. I wish I had it sooner, So while I was banned from the kitchen as it was his turn to cook for me and he didn't want me to see what he was doing. I needed a good yoga stretch. So it was off to the basement I went to stretch out from our exhausting day in DC. Thankfully, my man has everything I need for my workouts at his house, so I don't have to transport back and forth. Autumn Calabreese did a get job that day getting me all stretched back out so I could get ready for our date night. One thing I always told Jim was that if I was proposed to in public without advance warning I would say NO. Legit, public proposals are a forced yes. After yoga and getting defunctified from yoga I was finally allowed back in the kitchen and welcomed with a glass of wine. One thing we've always done at our home date nights is to hold hands and give each other a kiss and our gratitude for making dinner. Its one thing that I hope we continue to do for the foreseeable future. That dinner is one I will always remember. The time has come in my customary style to start packing for the drive home, I told Jim I would be down to watch a movie, I was packing my things and the next thing I know Jim was standing behind me giving me a one armed hug, I looked at him cross-eyed like “whiskey tango foxtrot” are you only hugging me with one arm. He asked me "do you love me?" (at this point, I'm already beyond spicy disaster) I gave him the hesitant um yeah, and that's when he pulled his other hand out and said "will you marry me" I did the ugly cry first and then said yes. It was the exact proposal I was looking for, genuine, sincere, private. It meant everything to me. I delayed leaving the next morning by a few hours because well yeah duty calls.
"I know what I saw" ......his story
What can I say about this woman... As Comfort posted, we first met through a friend of both of ours. She came down to Virginia with that friend in 1996. Fast forward to 2016....I am bored one night and actually looking through Facebook and I see a post of our friend and Comfort had posted on there. The name stuck out there because it is so different....not a normal name someone would have. So I posted asking if this was the same person that visited so long ago. Come to find out it was. So we just started talking...neither of us was looking for a relationship. We just talked.....and talked....and talked.....and talked. As I said...neither of us was looking to get involved with the other....but as time went by and we talked everyday...all day long. We talked about everything. We even had the serious talks...you know....Core Values. Next thing I realize.....I had fallen for this woman and other than that one time 20 years ago...had not seen her in person. So we made the plans for her to come down for another visit. When I opened my front door and saw her standing there....something just clicked and I knew...she was the one I had been looking for all my life. A few months later, I went to visit her and that was such an amazing Memorial Day weekend. At that point, I knew I wanted to marry her. Fast forward a year of many, many visits of her coming down to VA and me going to NY to visit her. She was here for a visit and I sat her down. We talked about our feelings and how we felt about each other. I then gave her a ring....not the engagement ring....but a Promise ring. Letting her know that I was ready to move forward with our relationship. Fast forward yet another year. She was again here for a visit. We had an amazing day, biking and walking around DC. I knew that she was not is a good mood because the next morning....she was leaving to head back to NY. We both hate the night before one of us has to leave.....so I wanted to make the night as special as I could. So I kicked her out of the kitchen....which is hard because we both love to cook. Neither of us has had any cooking training.....but we both are very good cooks. I went out of my way to make the dinner as special as possible. Dinner turned out amazing. We relaxed a little and then she went upstairs to start packing. I could tell that she was hating every minute of it. So I waited for the right time....then walked in the room. I gave her a quick hug with one arm....because I was hiding something in my other hand behind my back. Then I brought it out and asked her the question...."Will you marry me?" She instantly started crying....but I could tell that these were tears of joy. She looked at me and replied....."YES!" After holding her for a good amount of time, I helped her finish the packing and then we watched a movie....well...we started watching it.....was not long into the movie when we were not paying any attention to the movie as we were paying attention to each other. Now we are only a little over 9 months from our wedding and things are starting to fall into place for us. I am so look forward to spending the rest of my life with this woman!
As I said before....we both love to cook. That is why we are starting this blog....to share the meals that we have been cooking and plan to cook. Again...neither of us has had any training. Everything we have learned, is self learned! She is way better with her presentation than I am...but my flavors are outstanding. Don't get me wrong, her flavors are outstanding as well. We both are very good cooks. What was a serious test of our relationship....how we cooked together in a small kitchen. Both of our kitchens are about the same size...both on the small size...lol But we made it work! Again, we just clicked and we knew how to help each other and work a a well-oiled machine to make amazing meals. I am looking forward to all the meals that we will be making together and for each other.
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| Post DC Date night |
Warmest wishes,
James & Comfort
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