I do remember our second anniversary, though. The local paper had run a review of a restaurant not too far from where we lived, located a few miles north of New Hope, PA. We decided to go there, and then walk around the quaint, trendy shopping area of that tiny town. Since the review stated that the place took all major credit cards, we didn’t worry about how much cash we needed to bring. We are not ones to carry much cash, I guess being part of the plastic generation. Debit cards are a wonderful thing, although, as Dave Ramsey points out, they don’t really help you stick to a budget.

But this meal wasn’t about being budget-minded anyway. We had appetizers, and a lovely meal and dessert. I even had wine, secretly glad that nobody could tell I was about 6 weeks pregnant with my first child. This was an elegant place with French provincial food, and I was glad that we hadn’t gone to the ATM first, because we could not have predicted what the final bill would be, and I would have fussed and fretted the whole time calculating if we had enough on hand for this entree or that dessert.

Finally, the bill came and the total was extravagant. It was okay, since we didn’t celebrate like this frequently. But then our server told us that they did not, in fact, take major credit cards. We explained, in embarrassment, that we had not come with cash because of the review. They were aware of this problem and graciously permitted us to leave, with an addressed envelope, to mail in a check at our earliest convenience.

I guess we looked honest. I certainly doubt I would remember so much about the place had this confusion not nearly ruined our evening. Although, by the following spring, our lives, changed by the arrival of our son, no longer included such quiet, unhurried, peaceful meals. It is possible that this “last hurrah” would forever be in my memory simply because of the circumstances.

Sometimes, we still do get out, just the two of us. Not this year, of course. And not always. I have begun to accept that our anniversary is best celebrated with our children anyway. They are, after all, the fruits of our love. The original Oktoberfest was a wedding feast, and the following festivals have been anniversary parties, so to speak. Our annual Oktoberfest, next weekend, parallels that theme nicely.

Outside of the Oktoberfest, we do like to have a private celebration. Even if it’s not quite as elegant as that cozy French place.

To celebrate our 14th anniversary, we had another intimate, peaceful dinner at a small, romantic bistro not too far from home.

This place takes major credit cards, and although I’m sure Dave Ramsey would tsk tsk over my use of the debit card instead of cash, he would probably approve the bottom line total which, even without adjusting for 12 years of inflation, was a fraction of the cost of that long ago meal.