It’s been so long since I posted. If you haven’t read the first five, you can find them in “Categories” on the right side of the page. You need to read from the bottom up.
We dated regularly for the rest of the summer of 1968. We did all sorts of things, sometimes nothing more than spreading a blanket on the grass somewhere for a picnic and hours of talking. He told me about his childhood in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and the summers he spent with his maternal grandmother in Eagle River, Wisconsin. He talked about the hunting he did with his dad and their friends. He loved the outdoors, and would still rathe be outside than inside. He absolutely doesn’t love the city. He would have moved me to Nowhere, Alaska if I’d been even slightly interested. I pictured gutting fish and moose; hanging sheets outdoors and having to bring them in frozen; and of course, using the outhouse in sub-zero weather. No. I don’t mind living in the country, but there are limits.
We both knew we were becoming very serious. We talked a lot about spiritual things, and Terry shared his sense of needing to study more, know more. He never liked to read before, but he loved reading his Bible.
Finally, in mid-August, he popped the question. I’ve written the story of his first attempt here, and I hope you’ll take a minute to go read it. It’s funny 🙂
The second attempt was after a long drive to a lovely park in Wisconsin. Beautiful setting, nice and breezy and cool because the sun was just about ready to fall into bed. He didn’t do the down-on-one-knee thing–I’m not sure he even knew that was customary. But he’d clearly thought it through, and was quite eloquent. And of course I said “YES!”
This photo was taken shortly after we were engaged:
Just Writing! 
Haven’t got it all yet, but I’ve enjoyed your story.
In that photo Terry looks a lot like Prince Phillip. 😉 I never realized from your more recent pictures that he’s so much taller.
I think the “down-on-the-knee” thing is in storybooks — unless it’s become more common in this day. We sure never heard of it.
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Terry was a little over six feet tall, but when he fell and broke his heel, he also sustained three spinal compression fractures that robbed him of about 5-6 inches. I still haven’t gotten used to how short he is now.
Prince Phillip? Huh. I’ll have to go find a picture of him 🙂 As far as the one-knee proposal, I really think Hallmark love stories have had something to do with that!
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I was just looking at some photos of Prince Philip in his younger years, and yes, I can see a slight resemblance. Would be more pronounced of Terry hadn’t been bald so young.
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In that dress you look like about fourteen. 😉
I remember when that style was so popular, mid sixties
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Yes. I was just 21, and when I look back on that photo now it makes me feel very, very old 🙂
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I talked to my sister night before last — hadn’t since last fall — and she told me she had a bout with lung cancer back in January, chemo & radiation. She’s 61 and both of them have been smokers since teen years. She says about that time her husband, my age, started having problems that, after visits to specialists and tests galore, finally led to a diagnosis of bladder cancer. He had his second chemo treatment that day.
It was such a shock! She hadn’t wanted to call with bad news, now I wonder, why haven’t I called her before now? And also, those health issues which was the area of concern for the grandparents, old uncles & aunts, has invaded our generation!
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Yes. Exactly. I can’t believe how fast it has happened!
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