Stories in Hand

Family Category - Spark: How did you meet your mate? When? Where?

We had never really talked to one another, Brad and I, even though we hung around all the same people.  The first time I can remember talking to him was at a high school basketball game our sophmore year... sectionals I think, at another high school in our conference.  He was there with his friends, I was with mine and because they all knew each other we sat together.  My first impression of him was that he was a nice guy and had a great sense of humor... very funny but sarcastic, dry humor funny.  Honestly, I didn't think much else of it after that night until our paths crossed again.

That year I was the manager for the boy's junior varsity baseball team.  This was something that my friend Kelly talked me into doing after I failed, yet again, to make the softball team.  Brad was a catcher on the JV team but was having some trouble with his knees and sat out most of the season.  As manager I mostly just sat in the dugout and kept the official scorebook.  So, Brad and I got to know each other since we both "sat the bench."  I really didn't even realize that I thought he was cute until I had known him for awhile, I just knew that I liked talking to him and that he had a great personality. Baseball season starts in March and we didn't have our first date until the end of April.

I finally asked him out late in April, after agonizing over it for weeks.  My friends had definitely heard enough about it and were threatening to take matters into their own hands.  We were at a baseball game at the time, the ninth inning, when I finally got my courage up to ask if he wanted to go do something that weekend with a couple we both knew.  He said "sure" and that was the start of us.

Stories in Hand

Roots Category - Spark: Describe a childhood Christmas.

The Christmas that stands out most in my memory was at age 5.  That Christmas afternoon was spent with my Dad, Grandma Ginny and Grandpa Bill, as most Christmas afternoon's were as a young child.  Dad lived in the apartment on the second floor of their house then.

That year I had short, permed red hair (think Annie) and was missing at least one of my two front teeth.  This Christmas had a couple of "firsts".  I was given my first pet, a tiny cocker spaniel puppy that I named Frisky.  I also remember getting a short white and grey faux fur coat.  Not my first fur coat, as I had a strange fur obsession as a young child and always wanted this type of coat, but I was still excited to have this one. 

The other "first" this Christmas was the first of many $50 dollar bills from my Grandpa.  I remember thinking that I was rich, and was so excited at the possibilities for that much money.  This tradition continued, from age 5 until almost age 17.  He died in November of my seventeenth year.  That Christmas there was one last envelope with a $50 bill inside from Grandpa.