finders keepers

way back in 1993, t and i were two fools in love and had decided that we would like to get married.

"do you want a ring?" he asked me.

ever the practical girl, i said, "no thanks," and the discussion was dropped. we'd get married sooner or later, and a pricey, formal engagement ring wasn't the important part. being together forever WAS. mind you, i wasn't quite 20 years old yet. waaaay too young, but i'm glad nobody tried to talk me out of it.

not too much later, we went to a renaissance faire near san bernadino, california. there were many wonderful vendors of renaissance-themed wares and delicious food, but it was when i saw the benitez jewelry booth that i stopped in my tracks. this was simply the most unique "formal" jewelry i had ever seen. usually i go in for the clunky or modern sterling jewelry with brightly colored stones. this work was an eclectic mix of my style and a more traditional style. i was smitten.

i called t over and said, "remember how i said i didn't want an engagement ring? well, can i change my mind?" he laughed and was agreeable to the idea and secretly i think he may have wanted a ring on my finger, whether or not it looked traditional. we browsed and talked, tried on rings and wavered. i just couldn't decide which ring would be THE one. the one i would wear for the rest of my life. the symbol of promise. hmmmm...

"do you make wedding sets?" t asked steve, one of the crafters. heanswered yes, and proceeded to show us many lovely sets, almost all with yellow gold and diamonds. not really my thing. we asked if he ever custom made wedding sets, and he said, "sure!"

the three of us looked at existing designs, and came up with one that would suit me. one that was white gold with an emerald (much like the photo-- that one is not mine) with two garnets-- t's birthstone-- as embellishment. a week or so later, we picked up the finished product, we drove to griffith observatory overlooking los angeles, and on the roof he officially proposed to me. guess what? i said yes.

fast forward to yesterday.

i couldn't find my watch and rings. i string them all together, and often unconsciously take them off and put them in odd places around the house. it never takes me long to find them, but yesterday i couldn't. not on the computer desk, not by the tv. not in my purse or makeup bag. not on the entertainment center. not ANYWHERE that they usually fall. i kept my cool, went without them all day (a weird feeling) but vowed to look harder today. i hadn't seen them since tuesday.

panic set in when we returned from dance, and my search of the familiar haunts turned up nothing. not even a clue. i asked the kids if they'd seen them but hey! they're kids! they can't even keep track of their own stuff. getting crabbier and crabbier, i went through scenarios of accidentally throwing them away, the kittens getting them and knocking them to the floor, i mean, the possibilities are endless in this house!

as i got more and more frantic, the anxiety of actually having possibly LOST my precious, one-of-a-kind wedding ring was getting unbearable. i had looked in sofas, under tables, on beds, in drawers. no luck. then the thought hit me... what's the most UNLIKELY place i may have put them? and luckily, i had my answer.

they were in my jewelry drawer.

go figure.

now you have yet another glimpse into the insanity that is my life and my mind. but i have MY RING! and i am so happy to have it back on my finger.