Carols by Candlelight!

There is a tradition in Melbourne which started over 70 years ago.

Carols by Candlelight happens at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Christmas Eve.

About 12,000 people attend this amazing event.

It is special to me because it was where some rather significant events happened in my life.

I met my husband there in 1979.

And we were engaged there in 1980!

Would you like to hear the details- most people think it is quite an amazing story?

*WARNING- LONG STORY WITH NO PICTURES COMING UP!

I had gone along "Carols by Candlelight" with my sister; husband-2-be was sitting nearby with friends.  The five of us spent a pleasant evening chatting and sharing little bits of personal information.  Nothing unusual I hear you say.  No, but at the end of the evening, we said good night and went our separate ways.  I certainly didn't think I would see h-2-b ever again.  

HE had other ideas!

The next day at Christmas lunch he talked about his evening with his family.  And surprise, surprise, his sister-in-law was a client of MY hairdressing sister!  So he was listening when we were talking about our jobs and where we worked.  Coincidence, fate call it what you like h-2-b now knew how to find me!

Some four weeks later my sister arrived home from work with a scrappy little note (which I still have!)   from h-2-b, passed on though his S-I-L.  I was both surprised and intrigued because he hadn't made it at all obvious, at this stage, which one of us he was interested in. (I think he was keeping his options open at this stage!)

Anyway I was game for some fun.  After all, nothing much would come from it;  I was going traveling overseas for most of 1980, leaving in about 6 weeks.  So I rang him up and arranged for the 3 of us to go out the next Saturday night.  Well, by the end of the night it was obvious who he was attracted to.

We spent many days and evenings together before I went O/S and then until November our relationship was conducted through letters and the occasional long distance phone call. (No internet or mobile phones in those days!)

I arrived home on Melbourne Cup Day (early November) and he asked me to marry him on Christmas Eve, 1980 - one year after we'd met and with most of our relationship conducted by mail!

The rest they say is history - we were married in October, 1981, had our first son in 1983 followed by No.2 in 1985.  So come Christmas Eve 2010 we are celebrating 30 years since we were engaged.

Kinda think it was meant to be, don't you agree?

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND FOLLOWERS!

SUZ