A Very Special Evening

Each year on Valentine's Day, the husband/lover/best friend and I don't go overboard.  That is to say, we don't spend a lot of money booking a hotel suite, getting couple's massages, or drinking champagne and eating bon-bons in front of a dozen roses.

However, we do try to celebrate our love for each other in some small and meaningful way, even if it is just exchanging greeting cards.

This year, because it is the year of a milestone anniversary (our 35th), I wanted to do something a little out of our ordinary, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money.

I told the hubby to be ready to leave town immediately after work, and to anticipate something special.  The only other information I gave is that he didn't need to change out of his work clothing and shower, and he didn't need to bring anything along.

When he was ready to go, I told him we would travel in his truck, as it was possible that the roads where we were going could be treacherous from snow.  As we left home, I had him pick up a loaded picnic basket that I had prepared and stashed in my car.

I explained to him that I wanted to return to the place where he had asked me to marry him, oh, about 36 years ago.  We would have our little picnic there and reminisce about that special day.

We drove about 20 miles out of town to the Raymond B. Winter State Park, and headed way up into the mountains to the lookout point where IT happened all those years ago.

There didn't seem to be any road maintenance off the main roads, and I was glad we didn't attempt these roads with my car.  Here is what it looked like going up:

And here is THE SPOT:

Although it was cloudy because we don't get sunshine here in central Pennsylvania, it is truly a beautiful view looking out over the mountain ranges and the lake below.

Of course, he reenacted the proposal, and I was prepared and presented him with a tiny card with the following wording:

     "Yes, I will.
       Yes, I did.
      And yes, I would again - in a heartbeat."

We had a lovely time, enjoying our subway sandwiches and chips, the girl scout cookies we had recently purchased from our granddaughters who informed us that they did get their cookie selling badge, and a bit of chocolate.  Of course, chocolate.

There may have even been a bottle of wine in that picnic basket, but unfortunately, due to a moment of stupidity on my part, when I packed the basket, I grabbed a jar opener, not a wine bottle opener.  We did have a few belly laughs on that one, though.

Oops

On our way out of the park we spotted this questionable thing sitting on one of the fishing platforms at the lake - is it a snow covered stump, a snow fisherman, or what?

For the last part of our Valentine's Day celebration, we watched a movie at home, "Couples Retreat."  In this hilarious flick, Vince Vaughn leads an all-star cast in the laugh-out-loud comedy about eight friends whose vacation in paradise is one they'll never forget.  The group rate vacation comes at a price when they discover that participation in the resort's unconventional couples therapy activities is anything but optional.  This fun 2010 movie was an enjoyable way for us to end our celebration.

I would love to have another 35 years with this wonderful man.  Just saying.