Barb wrote...
> > yesyesyes.  Oh, and I'm engaged as of Friday night.  So,
> busy? we're ALL busy and overbooked....

I *know*!!!  Bloody holiday season &c.

> =GRIN!=
> Quick, grab a sea anchor, the grunion is FLOATING!!!

Indeed!

> many congrats and much bliss (and not too much stressing over THE DAY)
> plus, a very girlfriend reaction: the tygress leans on the coffee bar, do
> tell ALL!

Well....  Okay.  In moderately abbreviated form.
We went to Asheville NC this weekend to check out the Candlelight Christmas at 
the Biltmore Mansion (43 bathrooms??  Who cleans those??).  We stayed at a 
lovely B&B a half hour away, with a room that featured a fireplace
& 2 person 
jacuzzi (which translates to enough room for one person to spread out her 
legs!).  I had also arranged for flowers, wine, and strawberries in the room.  
We went to celebrate a year of being together, so I wanted things to be 
loverly.  After the tour Friday night, we returned to our room & I took off to 
the bathroom to have words with my dinner.  When I came out, he had started the 
fire & lit candles.
He settled me down on the loveseat, murmured sweet things about loving me, 
wanting to spend life together, etc.  Then he peered over at the wine bottle, 
saying something about it looking odd.  I peeked at it & he had looped the ring 
around the lowest bits of flower arrangement just above the wine.  It's a 
pretty little diamond from the Ekati mine in Canada (african tribe - friendly, 
therefore.  I had strict requirements), that he had placed in a temporary 
holder.  
We'll get it set sometime soon, but he wanted me to be part of the selection 
process.  He did not ask my father first, saying he wanted me to be the first 
to know.  Although he has known for 2 months, having had the gem since October!
We are planning for next fall, which seems startlingly soon.
I'm still not quite adjusted to the idea, but we keep looking at each other, 
saying "Mawwied?" like in the movie 16 Candles.

We also went gambling on saturday & he made $12.
 
> > and I am halfway through letter M on christmas cards, but you 
> > international  types will get yours late because I ran out of stamps!
> Well, mine aren't going out until later this week (*SIGH* I had SUCH Good
> Intentions, too) tygress....

I started early!  Don't those Good Intentions & Early Starts count for anything 
more than paving stones?
 
> (dances for the grunion!)

emily, swing yer partner!, insouciant grunion

-----------
emily elizabeth weems / 
faerieem.at.att.net
"Look at me I'm smiling, and I'm 
not even trying."

--- Rachel's Little NET2FIDO Gate v 0.9.9.8 Alpha