Mr. Lixy and I opened "all" of our X-mas presents and I headed to the kitchen to make breakfast and get a cup of coffee. I was donned in my Mabel Bomgardner bathrobe, slippers and my beautifully styled bedhead look. I might have been a tad crabby cause another year had come and gone without a proposal and/or ring (I'd been waiting a few years and we were together 12 years by this time).

Mr. Lixy was lingering in "The Christmas Room" and I called to him to see what he wanted to eat. He said, "Come here...there's a gift I forgot to give you." I huffed and puffed...still feeling a bit moody and now anxious to get breakfast over with and head out on family rounds.

I reluctantly went to the doorway of the dining room and he wasn't in there. I yelled, Where the fuck are you?", as I entered the room. "Stop fooling around! We've gotta get going!" He entered the doorway at the other side of the room and I opened my mouth to "bitch" at him again when he suddenly took a few steps towards me and built momentum enough to drop to one knee and slide the rest of the way to me. He pulled his hand from behind his back and held up a black velvet box and opened it with the other hand. "Will you marry me now?", he asked, with the sweetest smile on his face. I screamed out loud like I was being murdered!

Years before I kidded him each time he'd ask me to marry him. I told him I would marry him when he bought me the biggest diamond on the planet, set in platinum, with baguettes on either side...AND he had to get down on one knee and surprised me.

I couldn't believe he remembered that. He isn't the most romantic man on the planet. He has his moments but I didn't fall for him for being a romantic. This was (and still is) the most romantic thing he's ever done for me! And...I really was kidding about "the biggest diamond set in platinum". I did want a diamond with a platinum mount because platinum makes it sparkle more. I didn't mean for the entire ring to be platinum. They sure saw him coming when he went diamond shopping. I still stare at the ring from time to time and my heart and mind go back to that X-mas day and I smile and cry all over again!

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Minds are like parachutes. They only work when they are open.

~Thomas Dewar~