Baseball Fan
George had been a major league baseball fan all of his life. Every opportunity to latch onto a few tickets found George in his favorite seat--first seat, second row, right behind first base.
In the three years he had been seeing Mary he had never been able to interest her in going to one of the games. She didn't like the traffic, she didn't like the crowds, and she was content with hearing about the excitement of the game from George when he got home.
Determined to share a game with Mary, George secured a pair of tickets, handed them to her with a bow, and said, "Tomorrow afternoon, please be my guest at the game." With a cute little "you won this time, buster" smile, she finally gave in.
Mary was very taken by all the activity...the vendors, crowd reaction, airplanes flying overhead trailing colorful banners, and, of course, the athletes on the field.
As the seventh inning was drawing to a close, Mary glanced up to see what bright banner was flying overhead and was amazed to see "Mary, will you marry me? I love you. George" flying through the sky.
Mary did a double take, turned to George with wide eyes, and saw him beside her on his knee, left hand extended and right hand poised to put a beautiful engagement ring on her finger.
The inning had come to an end, and behind George, Mary was amazed to see the players on the field lined up on the first base line waving their hats as she told him, "Yes, I'd love to be your wife." The organist burst into "Here Comes the Bride" and George's baseball buddies who had all been seated nearby rushed up to congratulate both of them with beer and hot dog toasts!
A new baseball fan had just been born!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
Part 2-Memorable Ways To Pop The Question By: David W. Richardson,CSP
Angel in the Choir
Singing in the choir at my church is a passion of mine made even more wonderful by the fact that my future husband is the choir director. We met the first night I attended choir practice and had an enthusiastic discussion about music choices appropriate for our church and our large choir's capabilities.
Every week we meet to practice for the upcoming Sunday services. We sing at three services on Sunday and are all very dedicated to the successful creation of a service filled with uplifting, well-executed music. Peter and I hit it off that very first night and not only enjoyed seeing each other at practice and church, but spent a lot of our spare time together as well. Before we knew it we were considered a "couple."
Christmas at the church is especially exciting, but the behind-the-scenes work it takes to create a wonderful holiday celebration filled with joyous voices usually leaves us time for little else. My second year in the choir found me running around like a maniac trying to squeeze in shopping, baking, and gift wrapping between all of the extra practices we were having. I knew, of course, that all of the practicing would be worth it in the end, but little did I know just how special it would turn out.
Christmas morning came and the choir was bustling around the dressing room decked out in crisp red and white robes. Peter was rushing around like a red blur as he gave last minute instructions and reminded everyone of their cues for solos and Bible readings. I smiled as I watched him and wondered when we'd have enough time to celebrate Christmas ourselves, just he and I.
We filed solemnly into the church before many parishioners had arrived and began a beautiful rendition of "Silent Night". I lost myself in the wonderful Christmas music as we moved from one song to the next. Peter stood at the front gently guiding us, a satisfied smile on his face.
The church was nearly full, Father had come to the side of the choir, and we all began to sing very softly. Father nodded at Peter, but what happened next was not what anyone in that church was expecting.
Peter leaned toward the microphone at his left and said, "Before we begin this celebration today, I ask that you all join me in a celebration of my own." As he said this, he was looking right up at me. I felt butterflies in my stomach as he continued.
"On this special day, I want to share my joy in finding the woman I want to share my life with. So, if Jean would come down here for a moment, I'd like to ask her to be my wife." My knees were shaking as I walked down through the choir to join Peter at the front of the congregation. He knelt before me and took my hand.
"Jean, in front of the people who care about us most, I ask you to be my wife," he said as he slid a fabulous diamond ring on my finger. The whole congregation seemed to be leaning forward to hear my whispered "Yes" as Peter rose to give me a hug.
I could barely walk back to my place in the choir, and my voice was shaking so much I could only mouth the words for the rest of the service. What an incredible Christmas gift!
Singing in the choir at my church is a passion of mine made even more wonderful by the fact that my future husband is the choir director. We met the first night I attended choir practice and had an enthusiastic discussion about music choices appropriate for our church and our large choir's capabilities.
Every week we meet to practice for the upcoming Sunday services. We sing at three services on Sunday and are all very dedicated to the successful creation of a service filled with uplifting, well-executed music. Peter and I hit it off that very first night and not only enjoyed seeing each other at practice and church, but spent a lot of our spare time together as well. Before we knew it we were considered a "couple."
Christmas at the church is especially exciting, but the behind-the-scenes work it takes to create a wonderful holiday celebration filled with joyous voices usually leaves us time for little else. My second year in the choir found me running around like a maniac trying to squeeze in shopping, baking, and gift wrapping between all of the extra practices we were having. I knew, of course, that all of the practicing would be worth it in the end, but little did I know just how special it would turn out.
Christmas morning came and the choir was bustling around the dressing room decked out in crisp red and white robes. Peter was rushing around like a red blur as he gave last minute instructions and reminded everyone of their cues for solos and Bible readings. I smiled as I watched him and wondered when we'd have enough time to celebrate Christmas ourselves, just he and I.
We filed solemnly into the church before many parishioners had arrived and began a beautiful rendition of "Silent Night". I lost myself in the wonderful Christmas music as we moved from one song to the next. Peter stood at the front gently guiding us, a satisfied smile on his face.
The church was nearly full, Father had come to the side of the choir, and we all began to sing very softly. Father nodded at Peter, but what happened next was not what anyone in that church was expecting.
Peter leaned toward the microphone at his left and said, "Before we begin this celebration today, I ask that you all join me in a celebration of my own." As he said this, he was looking right up at me. I felt butterflies in my stomach as he continued.
"On this special day, I want to share my joy in finding the woman I want to share my life with. So, if Jean would come down here for a moment, I'd like to ask her to be my wife." My knees were shaking as I walked down through the choir to join Peter at the front of the congregation. He knelt before me and took my hand.
"Jean, in front of the people who care about us most, I ask you to be my wife," he said as he slid a fabulous diamond ring on my finger. The whole congregation seemed to be leaning forward to hear my whispered "Yes" as Peter rose to give me a hug.
I could barely walk back to my place in the choir, and my voice was shaking so much I could only mouth the words for the rest of the service. What an incredible Christmas gift!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Memorable Ways To Pop The Question~By: David W. Richardson, CSP
Over the next several weeks we will be posting short stories from David W. Richardson's book titled Memorable Ways To Pop The Question. Hopefully these stories will inspire you to make some beautiful memories of your own!
An Airplane Full of Roses
A young man boarded a plane for Dallas with a huge armful of beautiful red roses. He was on his way to ask the love of his life to marry him.
As he walked down the airplane aisle, he handed each passenger a rose and showed them a picture of his fiancé-to-be who would be meeting him at the gate.
At his request, as each passenger left the plane upon landing they walked up to the surprised and curious young woman and handed her a rose with a word or two of good wishes. With her arms full of roses the passengers began laying the rest of them around her feet.
With his fellow passengers gathered in a semi-circle around her, all beaming with pleasure, the young man walked up to his love, knelt on one knee, presented her with a beautiful diamond ring, and asked her to be his wife.
An Airplane Full of Roses
A young man boarded a plane for Dallas with a huge armful of beautiful red roses. He was on his way to ask the love of his life to marry him.
As he walked down the airplane aisle, he handed each passenger a rose and showed them a picture of his fiancé-to-be who would be meeting him at the gate.
At his request, as each passenger left the plane upon landing they walked up to the surprised and curious young woman and handed her a rose with a word or two of good wishes. With her arms full of roses the passengers began laying the rest of them around her feet.
With his fellow passengers gathered in a semi-circle around her, all beaming with pleasure, the young man walked up to his love, knelt on one knee, presented her with a beautiful diamond ring, and asked her to be his wife.
Friday, June 7, 2013
June Pearls~JCK Re-Post
$1.64 Million Pearl Necklace Highlights Christie’s London Sale
Warren Buffett isn't the only one putting money into pearls.
A three-row natural pearl necklace sold for $1.64 million at Christie’s London sale on June 5.
Photos courtesy of Christie's
The auction was 77 percent sold by lot and 90 percent sold by value.
Other top items at the auction included a diamond and natural pearl brooch that fetched $663,829, and an antique sapphire and diamond necklace that sold for $461,869. The 278 lots sold totaled $13.4 million.
Diamond and natural pearl brooch
Antique sapphire and diamond necklace
The sale also included an 18.79 ct. circular-cut VVS2 diamond single-stone pendant, selling for $425,149, and a 7.07 ct. rectangular-cut fancy yellow, VVS1 diamond ring, which earned $305,809.
“The London sale of Important Jewels saw competitive bidding in a busy saleroom and a strong online presence with nearly 30 percent of the lots being sold to or underbid by clients via Christie’s LIVE,” Keith Penton, head of the London jewelry department, said in a statement. “The results illustrate the continued strength in the market for natural pearls.”
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
June Birthstone~Pearl
Pearl is the birthstone for the month of June. When certain mollusks get an irritant in them, the mollusk will respond by secreting what is called nacre. Nacre builds a smooth coating around the irritant (sand, or a parasite for example) and creates a pearl.
The two types of pearls are Salt Water and Fresh Water, and they come in several different colors.
All items by Cartier
The two types of pearls are Salt Water and Fresh Water, and they come in several different colors.
All items by Cartier
Monday, June 3, 2013
The Journey of the Pearl
Pearls: New Documentary Dives Into the History of the Pearl & More
Jewelmer Tropics necklace with 16 mm golden South Sea pearl and 15 cts. t.w. diamonds in 18k yellow gold; price on request
‘Power’ Up
When Taylor Higgins signed on to produce The Journey of the Pearl, a documentary about global pearl farming (including Chinese freshwaters), for the Cultured Pearl Association of America in 2010, he didn’t expect his link to the pearling world to last beyond the film. But just as collectors fall in love with the luster of pearls themselves, Higgins—the co-CEO, writer, director, and producer of Austin, Texas–based On the Reel Productions—was so bewitched by the backstory of pearls that he didn’t want the Journey to end. So he and business partner Ahbra Perry embarked on a new doc about saltwater pearling in the South Pacific, specifically the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia.
Goldenberry ring with golden Philippine South Sea pearl and 1.11 cts. t.w. diamonds in 18k gold; price on request; Jewelmer, Makati City, Philippines; 632-810-0266; jewelmer.comThe filmmaker was at the AGTA GemFair in Tucson to drum up excitement—and, more important, to raise money to finish the film, which needs a $150,000 cash infusion. Thus far, pearl producers in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia have funded half of each country’s budget and Higgins secured the rest by his own fundraising. The $150,000 would, in part, help complete post-production, which Higgins estimates will run at least $50,000. He enlisted cinematographer/producer Kalyanee Mam to help polish the film in hopes of qualifying for grants—and, eventually, for film festivals including Sundance and Tribeca.
Potential buyers, says Higgins, could include BBC or the Discovery Channel; the doc also could go somewhere like OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network), National Geographic, Netflix, or On Demand. “We’ve had nibbles of interest, but they want to see a finished product,” he says. “We’re at a crossroads now where we need funds to complete the next portion of the film.”
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| Left: a pearl diver hanging shell; right: filmmaker Taylor Higgins | |
Log on to powerofpearlmovie.com to make a donation in any amount or to inquire about donating a larger sum in exchange for recognition in the film’s end credits.
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