Love and Larks

Our dating years were marked with miles of separation and long distance phone calls. The professor was in graduate school in Ohio while I finished my undergraduate studies and entered the workplace closer to home in the Deep South. Our relationship was born in these circumstances and continued so for 2.5 years until we married. No, it wasn't easy, but it was good... for us. I'm thankful for the ways that God used distance to knit our hearts together.
Instead of typical Friday night dates we enjoyed telephone dates, and we were always anticipating the next semester break when we'd have a chance to actually spend time together. "We'll have larks," is what he would always tell me, quoting Dickens. "What larks we'll have!"
We always have had very happy larks.
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Our little town sounds its tornado sirens every Wednesday at noon. The professor tells me that they did the same on campus at Ohio State when he was in school there. Every Wednesday as the sirens would begin to sing he would think of me. Today when I heard the sirens I smiled as I imagined him, years ago, sitting in the studio with the windows open listening to weather sirens and thinking of me.
Sweet memory larks.
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We enjoyed watching "Julie & Julia" several weeks ago. {Yes, I realize that we're ridiculously behind in our movie viewing!} On Valentine's Day he surprised me with a beautiful copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. His sweet gift has been fun to read and fun to use in the kitchen!
Delicious kitchen larks.