I had been going on the Sierra Club Singles in Irvine hikes since the end of June 1998. The start of a new school year was quickly approaching and I had not gone camping all summer. I inquired amongst my new found friends at the Sierra Singles Club if there were any camp outs scheduled before I had to go back to work/school. Yes indeed! There was a camp out scheduled on Labor Day weekend at Jackson Flats campground near Wrightwood. Since I felt confident that my classroom was ready for my new batch of Second graders, I quickly signed up the weekend before the camp out! I was then introduced to a few people who were going, since I knew no one and would be driving up by myself. That is when Jacques entered my life. He too, was signing up at the last minute for the camp out on Labor Day Weekend. (He later told me because he thought ‘I was a jewel amongst all the others’ and he couldn’t pass up the opportunity if I was going to be there.) (He sure knew how to lay it on thick at the beginning)

Anyway, so I packed up what little camping gear I scraped together from friends and family and the minimum amount of essentials (being I had little to no money at the time) and off I went to Jackson Flats. A single woman driving to the woods all by herself. What was I thinking? Who knows what wackos I might run into on this camping trip. (Ironically so, once again, Jacques had entered my life.)

I met some wonderful people on the camp out and I am still friends with them to this day! One person in particular seemed to be interested in me. (By the way, in case you were wondering, it wasn’t Jacques. It just so happen to be his good friend Chip.) His interest was duly noted by my new found woman friends on the camp out and they were busy setting up situations all weekend which tested the waters. By the end of the camp out as everyone was leaving, I could tell that he (Chip) was wanting to ask me for my number. Well, over the past year, since the painful demise of my previous relationship, I had become quite bold in my ways. Therefore, I walked up to him (Chip) and said “Would you like my number, I’m not on the list because I signed up late.” He accepted and we went our separate ways down the mountain!

Of course, he (Chip) didn’t call back. I had been going seeing both Jacques and Chip at the hikes on Tuesday for a while and had been getting to know them better. After few weeks, I called up my new found friends from the camp out and Chip was among those calls.

Once we reconnected we went on a few dates. Well, to make a long story short, that situation didn’t work out. Jacques then waited the appropriate amount of time, after all Chip was his good friend, and then asked me out on a date. Our first date happen to fall on daylight savings time in October. Therefore, Jacques showed up 45 minutes early thinking that he was 15 minutes late. (Come to find out later that this was soooo true to his nature!) Consequently, I was still in my bathrobe and was not ready for our date yet. Jacques then had to wait on the couch and read magazines as I took a quick shower and got ready for our date.

We went to Maggiano’s and to a movie (Beloved starring Oprah Winfrey) on our first date. He was a gentleman and took things slow at first. We then went out on a few more dates, which I considered to be turning into more of a friendship situation than anything else. I had started to take dance lesson at a local dance studio (Ballroom is Back) and was very busy in my extracurricular activities at the time. Also, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to enter into a new relationship at this point, considering my recent breakup. Never the less, Jacques was very persistent in asking me out for more dates. Well, when I started to play hard to get, that is when Jacques really put on the charm. I told him that if he really wanted to go out on another date with me, that he would have to pick me up from my private dance lesson, we would have an hour to have dinner together and then he would have to join me for group dance class after dinner. He really must have been "Schmitten" (ha, ha!) because he did!! Not only did Jacques join me for dance class that night, but he also signed up for dance lessons himself! Wow! Well, I thought any man that would go to such trouble to see me was worth getting to know better. It was from that point on that I slowly let down my guard and considered Jacques to be turning into more than a friend.We started taking dance lessons together and I entered into a competition with my private instructor. I won first place in the Solo Swing Competition!

The next week I had laryngitis and could hardly speak. Now, here is the moment that you have all been waiting for. Jacques really laid on the charm now! He showed up to dance class, bless his soul, with all kinds of goodies to make me feel better! He had paid enough attention to what I had said on our dates that he had made a computer printout of things he thought I would say in different situations. That way all I would have to do is point and not use my voice. He also brought a pen and paper so I could write down anything that was not on the list. He went to the effort to go to an international travel store in the mall and found and "International Point and Say" travel guide for any possible situation. So, once again, I wouldn’t have to talk! What a sweet man! But wait, there’s more! Now this is the part that really sealed the deal that Jacques was the one for me! As if all the above items were not enough to win my heart, Jacques then proceeded to his car and brought out a container filled with homemade chicken soup that he made with his own loving hands. That did it! All his persistence and hard work had paid off because he had finally won my heart. This was around the beginning of November 1998.

From that moment on we enjoyed each others company and really got to know each other. What we wanted out of life, what was important to each other, kids, no kids, future goals, etc… Things moved quickly but a comfortable pace for both of us! By August of 1999, we had moved in together and started to establish a home at 614 Shasta Lane in Costa Mesa.

On December 23, 1999, Jacques proposed to me in his home town of Fribourg, Switzerland. We were walking along the cobblestone streets of his hometown and decided to go down an alley to the river bank. We sat on a bench together and enjoyed the beautiful view of the city on the cliffs above. Jacques wanted to take some more pictures but he needed to get more film in the car. I thought something was a little odd when he actually went to get more film. (Normally he would chalk it up to memories we would have without pictures.)

So, off he went to the car to get more film and when he came back to the bench he bent down to pickup my glove that had fallen. He then began to sniffle (which, at first, I thought was fake).  Now that he was down on one knee, he then asked me to be his wife and opened up the ring box with the engagement ring inside. (Pretty cool box too. It had a light that turned on when you opened it. Just in case the man wanted to propose at night I suppose!) He then produced a beautiful embroidered hanky that he had bought the day before on our trip to the Gruyere Castle to dry my tears of joy.

Fribourg in the winter.

Here are some postcards of Fribourg, Switzerland, Jacques’ hometown. (note: The graphic hand is pointing to the spot where we got engaged!)

Fribourg in the Summer/Fall.