Blake asked me to marry him this past Thursday evening. I didn't expect it at all because I've been so ill lately with headaches. For nearly two weeks now, I've woken up and gone back to bed again each day with the same, continuous headache. The first week, the doctor treated it as a migraine. The heavy duty anti-ache and anti-nausea pills left me dizzy and asleep most of the time. I've fallen very behind on my school work and life in general.

Upon my second visit to the student health center, the doctor decided to try treating me for a sinus infection, instead, even though I have no other symptoms. I hadn't had a stuffy nose or watery eyes or anything, but she figured we'd better give it a shot. Thankfully, I've started draining out gunk that I didn't even know was packed up in my head! Still getting headaches, but I have a few more days of medicine to take. Plus I'm on a steady regiment of as much Tylenol Extra Strength Rapid Release caplets as I can possibly take in a day. The Tylenol keeps it pretty much at bay--I just can't get too vigorous about anything.

In any case, so Blake was planning to cook me a nice dinner at home for our anniversary on Tuesday, but I hadn't started the new medication yet, so I couldn't even eat. We decided to put it off until Thursday evening, instead. I was sitting around in some of Blake's sweats feeling pretty gross, but much better than the previous week, while he made us lamb chops wrapped in turkey bacon in a plum reduction sauce with a radicchio and spinach salad topped with mango chutney.

Along with the meal, we had a bottle of a great wine we discovered Christmas 2009: B.R. Cohn 2006 Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

For dessert, we split a wonderful heart-shaped chocolate filled with mango from a local coffee shop/chocolate shop/bakery which is one of my new favorite places in town. It's called The Strands Cafe. They have the most beautiful chocolates made in-house and wonderful quiches. In addition, they have the best tasting coffee I've ever had.

I was surprised by the dessert, and even more surprised when Blake said he wanted me to see this drawing he'd been working on. He showed me an intricate drawing of a small dinosaur in full royal court garb holding a purple pillow. I told him I thought it was fantastic and asked how long he'd been working on it and why I hadn't seen it before. He told me how he wanted to make it into a full-sized wooden sculpture and said it was supposed to give me this... at which point he pulled out a beautiful ring.

He said he'd been scheming for so long but hadn't had access to a wood shop, and then I'd been so sick, and he's been working too much. In short, on Monday he decided he didn't want to put it off any longer, and so he set about planning the meal and went to buy me the ring.

We're planning to have the wedding in March 2011 in St. Louis, Missouri in conjunction with the Southern Graphics Council Conference. I know this may sound crazy, but the location is actually pretty well in the middle of where we live, where Blake's family lives in Iowa/Colorado, and where my family is in Georgia/South Carolina. Also, so many of our friends are printmakers and will already be attending.

We're going to try and organize an exhibition, the reception of which will coincide with our wedding reception. Blake's also been working on an idea for a panel at the conference with other dynamic printmaker couples (romantic, business partners, or pairs of close friends). Look for more news soon!

Labels: Blake, engagement, food, wedding