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Wednesday, May 28, 2008

He Had Me With Hardtack

   Drew won my heart with hardtack.  It sounds strange, I know, but it's true.  I have always been a sucker for romance.  But not just the generic stuff--the typical gifts that could be for any given girl.  I mean, don't get me wrong--I enjoy roses (actually, one guy gave me a literal rose bush one year for my birthday. He pointed out that a bouquet would just die, but a bush could be planted and would bloom every year on my birthday--that was sweet. But it was not Drew who did that, and this is supposed to be about Drew...).  I appreciate jewelry.  Actually, I would be hard-pressed to get a gift that I would not enjoy (hmmm...I do remember getting a hawaiian skirt and bra from my Aunt Skippy when I was about 6.  Being a good and modest christian girl--it horrified me.  Worse, she mentioned me actually trying the shameful thing on--and parading it around--so I spent the rest of Christmas day trying to hide from her, just hoping she would forget. But most gifts, I enjoy. And if she were to give me one today--I would try it on for her happily. And oops, again--I digress).  

    But Drew gave me a gift that took my breath away.  We had only been dating a couple of months, maybe, and of course we had spent most of that time talking.  Over dinner, while walking, watching a storm, during a drive, sometimes even during church (gasp!)--we would just delve into what made the other unique; what made the other angry, sad, happy, bored, interested, mesmerized, hopeful.  You name it, we wondered it about each other.  And all the other questions of life that did not pertain to Drew--or vice versa--suddenly did not seem worth asking.  Ask me a question, and I will happily tell you all my thoughts on that point (especially if you are a cute boy, which Drew happens to be).  And Drew's no dummy; he had been listening to my likes and dislikes and had gotten an idea.  
    So he calls me one night asking me to meet him after school the next day.  He has a surprise for me (no matter how old I get, those words will never cease to thrill me. Never.  hint, hint, Drew...)   You see, somewhere along the line of our discussions, we had talked about my absolute fascination with the Civil War--the battles, the soldiers, the women who waited at home, the politics and intrigue, the atrocity and the heroism that threaded through those years. I had been going to Gettysburg every year since I was little, had actually ran down Little Round Top to Devil's Den,  reveling in the fact that I was walking on ground made sacred by so many soldiers.  Anyway, like I said, I was mesmerized by that period of history.  
   Now, back to me.  I have just finished some dance class or another, and am meeting Drew in Rittenhouse Square.  He is standing there, shy, but excited with a small basket in his hand.  He simply passes it to me and lets me look inside.  Oh, I say, Thank you for this basket of...uh...bread.  He answers, not even trying to hide his pride now, Jess, it's not just bread.  It's hardtack. Real, honest-to-God hardtack.  I looked it up and found the recipe. This is exactly what the soldiers from the Civil War ate.  I made you hardtack, cause I know how much you love the Civil War. 
   Wow. This was from a guy who, if it couldn't be microwaved or cooked in a George Foreman Grill, than it was too much trouble. But when it came to me, he went to the trouble.  He found out exactly what interested me, then made something from that genre. Baked it, to be specific.   That is romance.  That is hot. I felt special and important to him.  I felt worth his time, his labor--and yes, worth even the trouble of baking some antiquated bread. 
  So yeah, he had me with hardtack. 

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is really sweet! But what I want to know is...did you EAT the hardtack?

Anonymous said...

Awe That is awesome!

Beth

Jessica said...

Yep--I did eat it--and it was really very tasty, too!

Anonymous said...

to be really authentic, it should have been riddled with bugs and moldy.

Now here is the real question: WHY are you writing about Drew when he obviously DOES NOT bother to read this blog?

Jessica said...

hmmmm...good question, Jase--Drew? You got anything to say about that?

Anonymous said...

I'm simply a silent observer, my dear Jason. I read EVERY post.

And . . . I think it actually was riddled with bugs. Luckily, bugs die when covered with raspberry jam.

Jessica said...

hahaha--Drew called you, "My dear Jason!"

That's funny!

Michele said...

Hi Jessica! I am really enjoying your blog. What a special time of life for you - thanks for sharing it!

Jessica said...

thanks, michele-so good to see you on here!

Anonymous said...

Jess, I had no idea you were so interested in the Civil War! When I was growing up, every single family vacation was to a Civil War site because my dad was a re-enactor. My dad made his own mini-balls in the kitchen, my mom made him homespun shirts, the whole deal. Dad and his re-enactor buddies helped refurbish cannons from that era at Fort Delaware. There is a picture on the wall there of some of them. He is not in the picture, but his name is on the plaque acknowledging their contribution.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to have been the one to lure the silent beast from his sleepy cave.

Jenna Latshaw said...

Gurl that is HOT!

Susan Marie said...

What a sweet story. Leave it to Drew to do something unique and unexpected. You two are a great match. I think we still have the piece of paper you gave us with your combined book recommendations- the paper on which you wrote "stay married" as your final recommendation!

erin said...

Wowzers!!!