Anniversary Two Three

Selecting a romantic location for our 23rd anniversary on June 4th proved to be more difficult than I expected. As we looked over options we could have chosen Paris, Lisbon or Santorini. It could have been Nevis, Venice or Florence. In the end we decided on Hinton, a quaint little railroad town nestled in the beautiful mountains of southern West Virginia. While there we stumbled across The Chestnut Revival Café and Tea House for a delightful afternoon of conversation, reading, homemade bread and peach iced tea. Hinton was a good choice. For while we have been blessed to travel a decent amount over the last few years, we find ourselves gravitating to the simple pleasures of life.

Truth be told, we are also opportunists when it comes to celebrations. So when we traveled to Colorado last month to see Daniel at Timberline, we took advantage to have an early anniversary celebration. One of the memory makers was eating at the Encore Restaurant where we enjoyed flatbread pizza (Mozzarella, Roasted Tomato, Basil), Falafel Burger w/Hummus, and a rocky road ice cream sandwich for dessert. Encore has been described as “cloistered cool of fine dining and the comforting casualness of a hip neighborhood spot.”

Another memory maker was spending the day at the Tattered Cover Bookstore. How many people do you know who would pass up all the Denver attractions to spend the day at a bookstore? With the theme “Eat, Sleep, Read” it was our kind of place and filled with nooks and crannies, overstuffed chairs and antique tables as well as a Coffee and Tea Shop. So while we enjoy the simple I guess in the end we are a bit cosmopolitan as well.

One more thing about our anniversary, I am blessed to be married to a woman who is a lifelong learner. I read a book a month. My wife reads a book an evening. She is amazing and a wealth of insight. Whether it’s health food, flowers, chemistry, vitamins, child development, Spanish, Bible, numbers, pioneer days, exchange rates, music, Mexican history……….. she knows a good deal about it.

Now together, I am glad we are on a journey of learning together. We are learning what companionship means at mid-life. We are learning to be more vulnerable and how much we need an authentic community. We are learning there is a wonder and wildness to life, and freedom to those who obey. Together we are learning. I wouldn’t want to be on this journey with anyone else.