What would you say if I told you I love you?

In the summer before my fourth year of college, I decided I needed a break from my Vermont life, and so I packed up my suitcase and headed off to work as a waitress at Rock Garden Inns in Sebasco Maine. I am sure it was God's plan, as He put Connie at Rock Gardens that summer as well. She had a boyfriend, Ace, who was traveling to Maine every weekend to see her from Quonset Point Naval Base in Rhode Island. All summer long, Ace kept telling me that I needed to meet his friend Tex. And all summer long I told him, "I don't do blind dates, and I surely don't blind date someone named TEX!!"

What a mistake! I wasted the whole summer with that attitude. As it turned out, after a spat with the boy I was dating, I defiantly said to Ace, "bring Tex up!" And thus, on Friday, August 20, 1972, I went on my first blind date...with a guy name Tex.

We went to Popham Beach that afternoon (the photo above was taken that day!) where we enjoyed low tide and walked to Fox Island. That evening, we went to a small pub where we talked the night away. The following day, back to the beach and out to the movies. On Sunday, August 22, while lying in the sun on Popham Beach once again, Tex said, "What would you say if I told you I love you?" to which I replied, "I would smile all day today, all day tomorrow, and for the rest of my life!" And so this wonderful love began...