Ahhhh! Romance

Georgia and I have been romancing each other since 1959. Over the years that romance has been much as the fruit of the grape. In those early years, it was guzzled down like refreshing fresh squeezed juice. Where and how we drank it was not important because it was plentiful and easy to come by. As the years passed, it of course aged, but didn't sour into vinegar. It developed it's own bouquet and took on the pungent character of the cask of our marriage inside of which it was ripening. At this stage it is more like brandy. Although no less exciting than the grape juice or the wine, it is to be sipped daily and each drop savored for it's richness. Each whiff and taste brings memories of the beautiful as well as the difficult times that affected the character of the product of our love.

So Wednesday evening we ate down by the Riverwalk here in Corvallis. While eating we talked about what to do for Valentine's Day. Decided on Iovino's, the cool Italian Restaurant on the end of the Riverwalk. Wondered if we should make reservations. After all, there were only a few people there on the Monday nite when we first started this discovery tour. Decided that since we were going right by it, we should stop in. Well (Did I tell this story before????) the guy was on the phone and had just had a cancellation leaving the only option at 8:45 (That's 11:45 in Indiana). We took it... (I saw the book... it really was the only option). So, we were set.

Thursday, I get "home" and ask Georgia, "I forgot my watch, do you know where it is?" I nearly missed the little grin when she said, "it's in the bedroom". So I opened the door and these pictures show what I saw.. Rose petals, which last year, she had strung all the way up the stairway at home and into our bedroom. With all the chaos of packing and trying to get away on this trip, she remembered and took the time, to pack the rose petals, just for this moment... That's the flavor of rich brandy! It doesn't end there. At Iovino's, the tables are terraced up to 5 levels. When we went before, she noticed that and really wanted to sit "up there". When I made reservations, we asked for that, but were told that they couldn't promise specific seating on such a busy nite. Last nite, I dropped her off and went to park the car. When I came into the restaurant, she was telling the guy that we had asked to be seated in the upper levels. He said, that might require a bit of a wait. ... So after waiting maybe 15 minutes, we were seated at the front of the 4th terrace. As Georgia said, probably the best seat in the house, looking over the other diners, with the music from the live jazz trio wafting up to us.... and the food...... oh my!. Must say it was very close to a perfect evening to sip the brandy of our love! Then the waitress was a trip. She had just broken up with her boyfriend and working in a romantic environment on Valentine's day. She even called us her "favorite couple" and slipped us a free desert tort with our bill. (Don't tell her boss). She just added spice to the evening and of course helped us to see how special our relationship was. Gotta quit.... tears might short out the keyboard.