We survived the first hurdle of the holidays without a hitch. Christmas was just around the corner. What would we do?. So much to do and so little time. Janine and I would sit at night as the dark skies came ever so earlier , and wonder what the following days would bring. A tree? A gift? Parents? Siblings? We knew the business I was working for was on it's last legs, and I would soon be without a paycheck. So...gifts were pretty much out of the question, at least expensive gifts. Being the oldest of nine kids meant a whole lot of gifts, and if you bought for one you had to buy for all. There was no way we could do that. A more frugal approach was in order. we would make the gifts with the new love we had found. We agreed. But, what could we make for them. A basket filled with special things. It only made sense to us. Now...where to get the ingredients.

Williamsburg Va. The pottery! If you can't find what you want there.. it ain't for sale. We drove down on a Friday night. It was so cold. We huddled in our room and the heat was blasting away. We cuddled next to each other as we had a Sunset picnic in our room. Brie, pate, french bread and M. Tribaut. Just like the first night we met. This was so exciting. Yet, we were still freezing. It had to be 10 below zero that night. We bundled up and fell asleep in each others arms. Life sure was getting crazy. Yet, here we were, two small rabbits nestled in a burrow, holding onto each other and loving every minute of it.

We arose to the freeze of the day. We were so excited. Williamsburg at Christmas time is magical. We had our own magic...we wanted to share it with the world. We found so many cool things for our special gifts. Great baskets, cheeses, preserves, and other assorted things. The Jeep was full and we were broke. We spent all we had intended to. Off to the old section of Williamsburg. Walking around this old town is like going back in time. However, the weather was not cooperating. Way too cold to do anything but shiver. We did discover love has it's limits. Since I had skied most of my life, I dressed for the occasion.(a down filed Nordica jacket). Janine on the other hand, went for fashion (a suede leather jacket). The offers of "almost anything" for my jacket, were too compelling. I acquiesced and gave her my jacket. Our walk around the town ended quickly. Another plan was in order. Dinner in front of a fireplace. Wouldn't that be a fitting cap to such a nice day? The only place I knew was about 180 miles away. Janine was in shock. "Let's go to Ocean City, I know a great place where we can stay, and have a really romantic dinner as well." I said. She agreed. Four hours later we checked into the HoJo's on the boardwalk and made reservations at the Phillips Plaza Hotel. We requested the table in front of the fireplace for 8:15 PM that night.

So often the reality of a night, pales against the imagery conjured up so many years later. This night was so incredibly surreal; I don't think I could not have fantasized any better. When we walked to the Plaza the wind was howling off the ocean. The sky was so clear; the stars seemed to be our escort, as we huddled and walked through the cold. We entered the door to Phillips and Christmas struck us like the smell of Mom's apple pie on a cold dark night. Warming and inviting. Christmas was everywhere. Trees, bells, ornaments....a big Santa. Carols being played on a piano. What a magical time. We waited only a few minutes, taking in the lushness of the spirit, then we were escorted to "Our" table. Right in front of the fireplace A real fireplace.. real logs burning....the type that makes your face turn red when you sit too close. We had the greatest seat in the house. As we slowly thawed out, we sipped on a glass of Fume Blanc. Our love was like a love scented potpourri, swirling it's aromas for all to enjoy. The dinner was wonderful, the wine exquisite, the scenery was invigorating. The best was yet to come. As the dessert arrived we were treated to a gift we treasure to this day. A small white satin Christmas ball. "Merry Christmas. Phillips Plaza 1993" Our very first ornament. What a delight!! What a treat!!! Our excitement was overwhelming. This was so special to us. As we ate our dessert the moon rose up from it's watery slumber. A full moon! What a night, what a woman, what a place and what a life. The angels were smiling. They had done good. It was indeed "A wonderful Life"......Was that a "Bell" I heard?

A rather cold and blustery day two weeks before Christmas, we set out to do the impossible.. Find the perfect Christmas tree. Off to the country where the trees grow on farms. The Yule tide spirit was wafting in the air. Fireplaces where churning out the all too familiar smell of logs burning. The wind was lowering the wind chill factor by the minute. We had to be fools to go out on a day like today. All bundled up like two little kids dressed by their Mom's. Hats, scarves, gloves and down coats, at least we would be warm. The search took forever. First the ride on the "Hay Wagon" (A tractor and a flat bed) out to the lower forty. Walking up and down hills searching for a perfect tree. With saw in hand, we eyed every tree. "Is this our tree?" Janine would ask. We would look at the tree. Rate it by size, shape, color, height, and of course would it fit in our apartment. Each time We would think we had found the right one. I would bend down to cut at the base and discover the trunk was very bent . You can have a perfect tree on a farm, but, if you can't put in a stand what good is it. We finally did find a good tree. The "Hay Wagon" brought Janine, me and the tree back to reality. We hovered over a barrel filled with burning pine limbs. Man, I just love this stuff. I was with the women I love, and the holidays were just around the corner. It doesn't get any better than this. They baled our tree and put it on top of the Cherokee. (The Miata is cool...but not for taking your tree for a ride) On our way home, we visited an old tavern. Grolsch in the liter bottle, a warm inviting fireplace, sitting with the man she loved. Janine was in heaven. So was I.

We decorated our tree with the mirth and merriment of two year olds. We only had 3 ornaments, we added M&M's in pink plastic strung popcorn and some lights. Janine amazed me with the incredible talent of being able to write backwards. Whoa.!!! She wrote Merry Christmas in script across our 14 feet of sliding glass doors. We had jazz Christmas playing on the stereo, a cold glass of M Tribaut and we decorated all night. Our fresh cut tree added the right touch for our first Christmas.

The holidays passed without much incident. We did the normal visiting, gift giving and card exchanging. The time passed and the next thing we knew New Years was over and the holidays were a thing of the past. The tree was set out for mulch, Ornaments and such were packed off into a box. Time to get on with our lives. The business I worked for slowly sunk into oblivion. Mind you, not with out a fierce battle. Next thing we knew.....My pay check was going to stop. Soon!!!

A very dear friend of mine, with whom I had worked with for 15 years, decided she was moving to Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Her husband was a letter carrier and got a transfer to that area. As I watched her make the preparations for the move I thought. "Man, I don't want to find another job here in Baltimore! This is a time to change our lives." I called Janine at her office. "How would you like to move to Florida?" "Cool!" she proclaimed.. It was set. She gave her two weeks notice and we started to pack. Look out Florida.....Here we come!!!

Janine admitted she had never been to Florida. I had gone to the west coast of Florida all my life. We had to make sure this was going to be the right move for Janine. So, we planned a trip to pop down to Indian Rocks Beach to be scope our possible new home. We decided if we could live on the water we would do so.

The weather that year had been the worst in decades. One ice storm after another. It was so bad they even started naming them with numbers. Between storm 12 and 13 I woke Janine at 4:00AM "If we are going to go, we have to go now or we will be sitting here another 3 days." We gathered our things and tossed them into the Cherokee. Off to Sunny FLA. The ice on the car finally melted somewhere along I-95 in South Carolina. By the time we got to Ocala Fl. We had stripped down to shorts and a T-shirt.

We drove around Indian Rocks Beach for 3 days. We found a cute duplex on the intercoastal. Our first home in paradise. It was cool. Two bedrooms, modern kitchen, and a dock out onto the water. We negotiated a deal, and we headed back home to pack our things and come back to Florida.

We had so much to do. Yet it all seemed to be so easy. Boxing up all our junk. Giving things away we would never use in Florida. Before we knew it we had packed the truck and we were on our way. Three days later we would be moving into our new home. During the trip we celebrated our first Valentines day. We could only laugh. We had given each other so much in seven months what better gift could we give each other than a new life in Florida. A gift that would keep on giving for years to come. We arrived on Janine's birthday. Another great present. A new home, a new life and a great woman by my side. My life was so cool.

The time seemed to pass with ease. Every day was like a dream. Janine had always wanted to be a server. She got a job at Murph's in three days. It became her second home. Outdoor dining, great seafood and cold beer. It doesn't get any better than that. The money was good and the hours were long. Before too long I was working with her. After so many years in corporate life I decided to grow a pony tail, I had the perfect look to be the host. So many people thought I was the owner. I sure looked the part. real tan, long blonde hair and a "Buffet kinda attitude". Life just seemed to get better and better. It sure seemed like it was going to last this time. The idea of getting married was preying ever so much on everyone's mind but mine. "Why should we ruin a good thing?" Everything was cool and life was great. Should we get married? Well.............

So many things pass through our life without a whisper of a notice. One would think asking someone to marry them would be an event of such incredible significance that one would pay attention to the signs of life. Well Janine in her ever frenetic frenzy to snatch every slice of life that passes her, sometimes just doesn't see the signs. A case in point. As I have described previously, Janine and I met on July 31, 1993. What more fitting day, than three years later, to ask her to be my wife. The question was not when, but how! A dear friend of ours helped play the role of the naysayer to enhance the explosion of surprise.

Our friends, Kimberly and Tom, had gotten married in June 1996 after a whirl wind courtship. Janine had been the "Maid of Honor". I had told Kimberly in April I was thinking of asking Janine to be my wife. Kimberly had played this information to the hilt. Janine would pine about how she would never have a wedding and she felt she had been cheated. Kimberly remarked that it was probably true. I would never get married again and she would have to accept the fact that our arrangements of life had hit a stasis. Janine and Kimberly continued this conversation for the next two months. Whenever we would get together the conversation always turned to their wedding plans and the sundry blissful events leading up to the big day for Kimberly and Tom. Janine continued to froth over the issues of their wedding and how she was sad it was not her. Privately Kimberly and I had arranged for Janine to catch the bouquet. As planned, she did. The gauntlet had been passed and the stage was set. Now how would this play out in reality? I sure was stumped. It had to be in the tradition of our lives, yet sharing with others......

The marquee of SkipJacks offered the perfect medium for my question of life. I had gone out running on July 30 around eleven o'clock. Chris, one of the owners of SkipJacks was back in the kitchen. I asked if I could use the marquee letters to ask Janine to marry me. He was thrilled. he called Sondra (his wife and other owner) and told her the great news. That afternoon Chris put the words. "Janine, will you marry me? Michael." It was done. The trap had been set, waiting for Janine to go to work and see the sign. The appointed time came and she trundled off to SkipJacks. I stood by the phone with anticipation of an expectant father. No Phone call came. I was panicked. The story recanted later was. Janine had walked to work a different way than normal. She never saw the sign. When she was asked what was her answer. She inquired with agitation "What answer?". "Didn't you read the sign?" "No, what sign?" They told her to go out and read the sign on the road. After reading "Janine, Will you marry me? Michael" She flew into the kitchen and dialed our number screaming "Yes!! Yes!!! Yes!!! Yes!!!." The stage was set. I walked up and we kissed and hugged. Applause was the lace on the bodice of our love. It was perfect. We had each other, our friends and now a wedding to plan for. Life certainly had woven a wonderful patch work of blessings for us to enjoy. Indeed my questions had been answered. How long will it last....Seems like forever. That night Chris posted Janine's response on the other side. "SHE SAID YES" For two weeks we enjoyed the spirited barbs from our customers. "Well, Who are Janine and Michael?" As people realized it was us. They would beam a Cheshire cat smile and wish us well. This was so cool.

I had cajoled some coworkers into working for Janine on July 31. Everyone knew it was the third anniversary of our meeting. We always celebrated it in a way that was fitting to the time. This day we had planned to bar hop. We went from place to place, Lounging in the love for each other and sharing our adventure of the night before. It seemed every where we went, people had seen the sign. It is hard to miss. A big sign on Gulf Boulevard with wedding proposal is certainly an oddity for the beach. As we spun our tale, people chimed in "Are you Michael & Janine? We saw the sign and wondered who they were." If one person said that 50 people did. It was a day I will never forget. The day passed into the night so quickly. The hottest question in our lives. "Did you set a date?" We had no clue. We would want it to be soon. How soon? We had so much to do and so many people to call. This was great.

Chris and Sondra offered SkipJacks as a place to hold the reception. So, a Friday or Saturday were out of the question. Sunday seemed to be the perfect night. The day was set, now the date. We pondered for some time. The autumnal equinox. The time when day and night were equal. Our relationship had been based on equality; why shouldn't our wedding reflect that. The date was set. September 22, 1996. The day we would join as one. A thrill of joy had surrounded us. The culmination of 3 years of love were going to be displayed for all to see. A beach wedding, an outdoor reception at SkipJacks. Life had finally dealt us a cosmic royal flush. I had found my best friend, lover, and now a wife. Could it get any better than this. Believe it or not it does.

Updated 05/12/99