Slowman:
Late last October, a thread was started thanking you for providing this forum. Here is the link to that thread:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...s%20slowman;#1044016
I posted that I had the most to thank you for and that I would reveal specifics later. It is now later.
At sunrise yesterday morning on the beach at Jekyll Island, I proposed to susanherself, whom I met thru this forum. Wedding date is TBA. Here we are celebrating our engagement over dinner at the historic Jekyll Island Club Hotel.
http://i11.tinypic.com/4y4yx3n.jpg
Here is Susan’s description of the events of the day:
Yesterday morning on the beach at sunrise, Ivan asked me to marry him. I was thrilled to say yes, and he put his mother’s engagement ring on my finger. Later that morning before I left for work, Ivan stressed to me that I must get home from the office on time–no working late–so we could enjoy a quiet evening together on this special day.
Ivan was already home when I got there in the afternoon, and we talked and laughed, recounting the events of the day, planning a happy future–discussing everything and nothing, as usual. Suddenly, Ivan jumped up and said, “Go put on a pretty dress, and let’s go somewhere!”
In the car, I asked Ivan where we were going and told him I couldn’t think of anywhere I wanted to go, we didn’t need to spend any money, etc. He asked if I’d like a chocolate martini. No, I said, no chocolate martini.
Notwithstanding, he turned the car into the Historic District and headed toward the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. I thought we might go to the coffee shop there to have a sandwich and share a pastry. But no. He walked me past the bar and to the entrance to the grand dining room. He gave the hostess his name, and she led us to a table for two, where there was a vase with an extravagance of flowers and a card that said “Mr. Ivan Glymph, Grand Dining Room, 7 p.m.”
Ivan had arranged in advance for the chef to prepare a 4-course vegan meal that began with a cauliflower tapanade, proceeded through a pureed melon soup with Midori and fresh mint, to vegetables wrapped in phyllo pastry accompanied by rice, and finished with a chocolate torte drizzled with raspberry and orange sauce. Afterwards, the chef came out to our table to talk with us and make sure we had enjoyed our meal.
It turns out that Ivan had spent days planning this engagement dinner–coordinating the menu with the maitre d’, separately arranging for the flowers with the hotel florist, and keeping me in the dark about all of it.
On the way home, I thought about what a prince of a man Ivan is and how lucky I am that he wants to marry me.
Ivan drove the car into the garage, got out and hurried briefly into the house, then came back to get the vase of flowers out of my lap. As we walked into the kitchen, I noticed that the door to the dining room was closed. As we walked through the den, I noticed that the door to the hall was closed. As he opened the hall door, Ivan said to me, “Close your eyes.” He led me through the hall and into the living room, where I opened my eyes to see a cellist!
I was dumbfounded. Ivan and I sat down on the couch, and the cellist said to me, “I understand you like Bach,” and proceeded to play the prelude to the first unaccompanied cello suite, and then movements from two more of the suites! (Ivan had casually asked me some time back what my favorite cello pieces were.) The cellist was from the Jacksonville Symphony, and Ivan had paid her to drive 3 hours round-trip to come and play for me! His flawlessly-executed plan included her arrival while we were at dinner and her parking at the neighbors’ so I would have no inkling that anything was afoot.
I am so happy when I think of spending the rest of my life with Ivan. It’s not true what I always thought–all the good ones are not already taken!
Susan (susanherself)
Ivan (Jacki&Boudreaux)
edited to try to get a picture and not a red X!
