The Wedding Path: How I Popped the Question

This was a great summer. I was able to spend some extended time with Ruth in Oxfordshire. Previously she had dropped a hint or two about Blenheim Palace and the area called the Secret Gardens. She mentioned that she thought that it was the romantic spot in England. I knew that was the place to propose. I had already spent a week there and returned to New York to teach a few classes. Now they were over and I had all of August to return to England for an extended three and a half weeks. During my time in New York I had purchased the engagement ring. So the day came that we had spoken about. We were going to spend a full day on the grounds of Blenheim Palace and a picnic basket too. We toured the palace and most of the grounds and had a few laughs exchanging tag lines and references from Mel Brooks' History of The World Part I. Many scenes from The French Revolution sequence were filmed there. Afterwards we made our way to the secret gardens. I must admit that she was right. It is definitely one of the most beautiful places in England. It almost reminded me of Rivendell or Lothlorien out of Lord of the Rings. However, as we walked through the garden and crossed some brooks and streams we found big old wooden bench. We sat down and snuggled a little bit and then I got down on one knee and recited a long poem that I had written for the occasion. "I wish that thou wouldst consent to be my wife. Together forever as we sojourn through this journey called life..." She hung upon every word and managed to get though the poem. I took out the ring and she held out her hand. I slipped the ring onto her beautifully soft hand. Later we lounged on the grass with our picnic basket, and completed lunch with a bottle of champagne. Soon after that the wedding plans began.