Romance is in the air

My husband and I just celebrated our wedding anniversary. I remember when we planned our wedding everyone said we should wait and have it on Valentine's Day. I thought that was a little too much. I liked the idea of getting married on Feb. 7th. Sevens are lucky, right?

It was a small wedding. Our pastor, our photographer friend, my daughter and my two step-daughters. It was simple and sweet. My husband wore a tux. I wore a long ivory dress. Afterwards we had a party at a lodge. Everyone brought a special dish.

I know, you're saying, a "potluck" reception? But that was the most amazing part. My husband and I both worked at a newspaper. I'm not sure if all newspapers are like ours, but the majority of the reporters, photogs, editors didn't cook. Other potlucks produced bags of potato chips and store bought macaroni salad.

So what made our wedding reception so amazing was that everyone "cooked." And you can't believe the dishes! It was wonderful. We had provided hamburgers and hot dogs. A good friend had provided the keg. But it was these homemade dishes that touched our hearts. Everyone had pulled out all the stops to help us celebrate our special day.

Each year we try to do something fun for our anniversary. Since we moved to a small town in the middle of nowhere, it's a little harder. We woke up on our anniversary this year to iced-over roads. A plan to drive north 40 miles for breakfast turned into breakfast in town at one of the three cafes. Our favorite restaurant was closed for the winter.

For dinner, we opted to stay home and make our own, then go to the only movie in town. At our wonderful old theater, one movie is shown a week from Thursday through Tuesday. This week it was Bride Wars. Not exactly a first choice for a date. :) But we like the buttered popcorn and a night out on the town. We giggled through the movie, my husband joking that it was his favorite movie of all time.

Romance is a funny thing. Or maybe it's just me. I like cooking with my husband in our small, old house kitchen. I like fishing out on the lake on an early summer morning. I like road trips and camping in our tent. I like lying in bed at night reading books with my husband next to me.

It's the little things that make for a romantic anniversary -- or a romantic marriage. Like sharing Sugar Babies and buttered popcorn at a silly movie and laughing at our big anniversary date out on the town and looking forward to even more dates just like that one.

Did I mention there was a full moon on the way home from the movie? It just doesn't get any better than that.