The Proposal: David's Version, Part 1

(Originally posted at David's blog, The Oak Hermitage.)

Most of you in the loop already know a good bit, but some of my dear readers may yet remain in the dark regarding current events of earth-shaking import: namely, that I am engaged. The lady in question has been featured at the Hermitage before (here and here and here), but here's a short refresher course:

Name: Katie Norman
Age: 23
Home: McDonough, GA
Education: Berry College 2006 (BA, English Literature and Spanish), UGA 2008 (MA, English Literature, emphasis on British Renaissance)

Naturally there's more than this to know about so phenomenal a person, but this'll do to start out with.

Anyway, we began dating in the early spring (February) and quickly discovered how much we had in common and how well suited we were to one another in taste and temperament. Things progressed, and we started discussing what ought to happen next. I've long fancied matrimony, and she found the notion agreeable. Still, there were many things to sort out before we could march to the village square and post the banns. So we spent the months that followed dealing with each issue that presented itself, making sure all the lights were green and all the doors open before proceeding.

Nonetheless, though we were agreed in our future plans, nothing was yet official: a question remained to be asked, and there was the ring to consider as well. The first business was the ring. Fortunately, my future mother-in-law has a friend (Nancy Wilhite) at an Atlanta antique store (Wilson and Son's). Katie and her friend Leslie browsed through the selection of rings at Wilson and Son's, and found a few that suited her tastes. Later, while she was in Nicaragua, I went to Wilson and Son's myself with Leslie and Bethany, Katie's sister, on our own hobbitish quest for The One Ring to Rule Them All.

Being able questers, we were successful:

Now all that remained was a time, place, and manner for the Question. The time: this past weekend, on Father's Day. The place: Frost Chapel at Berry College. The manner: a sonnet. Actually, Frost Chapel was a backup location: my preferred setting was at the Oak Hill Gardens by Berry. In fact, the sonnet itself assumed a recitation in a garden. However, thwarted at every turn by closing times and locked doors, I eventually just asked Katie to close her eyes and pretend she was in the garden. The tactic was successful.