Little Love Stories Memento Dinner for some guests on the by Ann Baker Boardwalk, not the dining room. Downtown, in the city of Rochester, The student, enjoying a second summer New York, there’s a bridge with a working at the shore, view of the Genesee River. It is Clad in white clam diggers, with named after former Rochester sunkissed bare feet, residents, Frederick Douglass and approached the young man sitting alone. Susan B. Anthony. We call it the After work, they departed together, Freddy Sue Bridge. I miss it. Briefly visited a crowded bar, Twin Lights, high above the sea, quiet, _____ dark . just the place to talk for hours. They talked every day Chance or fate? til Labor Day, when she left, for her by Judy Toohey senior year. They pledged to continue that My husband could have married my conversation . It lasted for the next 56 sister. Was it chance or fate that he years! didn’t? _____ The second weekend of our freshman year, 1953, two Harvard boys drove Love me, love my St. Bernard over from Cambridge looking to by Gini Smith meet some coeds. The two boys chose to talk with my identical twin Come meet my pooch. and me. As one chatted with my His name is Mooch. sister, the other really didn’t have a He likes a single square of steak choice. He got me! With a double spot of hootch. And that was the beginning. Was it Beware! He'll lick your shiny boot. chance? I was meeting my future And lap your hand, a swarmy smooch. husband. Yes, we were married three He leans for love. So, slide on down. years later and together for fifty-eight Give him some room. Well, just a years. skootch! _____ Sit!! Mooch!!! “…Real nice clambake” by S.W. Burkman _____ August, at the beach 2 later, we went Paris for a year, leaving True love Runt with a friend. On our return, he snubbed me for a while, but then running by Judy Rubin up, he wrapped all four legs around one Norm and I met in high school in of mine, and refused to let go for the rest 10th grade. Before long we were of the day. “going steady.” Unfortunately, _____ before I met him, I had committed to a job in Connecticut. We parted when I left in June with a big kiss Love story haiku and the words “See you in by Deidre Crumbley September.” During that summer, I received 48 letters from Norm that I Juniors at Temple still have. All ended with “P. S. I Fifty years apart—alas love you.” Seniors at Pennswood On my finger, I’ve always worn a _____ ring with a double heart that Norm gave me sixty-five years ago. Our shared love of music by George Kurz Every year we still celebrate the anniversary of our first date on On a Friday afternoon, I sat alone in our 11/23/55. I sign any card I give living room watching the Philadelphia Norm with the words “Love to ∞.” Orchestra play an all-Beethoven program at Version Hall. _____ As has been my reaction to music several times in recent months, I was deeply Love in a small package moved, constantly thinking about by Jackie McClellan Elisabeth and the numerous concerts we attended there, sitting in the balcony Back in graduate school, we babysat facing the orchestra, holding hands and for our vacationing neighbor’s drinking in the music together. I was newborn kittens. When they overwhelmed with emotion, wishing so returned, we kept the runt of the much that we could again enjoy such litter. I loved him. James did not. concerts together. I cried and spoke out And Runt wasn’t very fond of him loud of my love for her and how either. Sneaking in after James was intensely I miss her. asleep, he would spend every night _____ curled up under my arm. Two years 3 Dante love loved me too, but that’s beside the point. by Nancy Vickers We quarreled, but that’s because we cared. 2021 marks the 700th anniversary of _____ Dante’s death. He and I have been together for over 50 years. We met Chemistry class by chance. A friend decided to audit by Jim McClellan a Dante class; I tagged along. Our professor entered an overflowing I saw her at a distance a few days after I classroom, sat down, opened the first arrived, forlorn, as a junior at Divine Comedy, and began to speak. Central Bucks. At the grand old age of He took our collective breath away. sixteen, I knew immediately and Literature changed. This soaring, instinctively that I loved her and wanted encyclopedic poem encompassed the her as my life partner. Perhaps it was her universe; it spoke the people’s profile or the curve of her hip. Something language; its recitation in medieval compelled me toward her, my perfect streets was manna to the illiterate. goddess. We first spoke at an after- Many of us never recovered. As I school study session for students reread it yet again, I am still interested in chemistry. I sidled up to her captivated . after all these years. at a lab bench. It was chemistry and much more from then on. _____ _____ Love The bright red jacket by Doug Meaker By Martha (Dusty) Mulder Robin and I married in 1958 and (Quoting the late Harry (Bud) Mulder remained married until her death in from a Trenton Times article.) 2019. I marveled at our 60 years. “Martha played the glockenspiel in the A thread running through this is that Trenton State Teachers College band. I our lives would affect but not govern played first trumpet, a position far from one another. A 1981 major spinal her. So I played badly to make the band operation left her crippled and fit leader put me at third trumpet — in front only for volunteer work. She drove a of Martha. She used to wear a bright red standard car daily to accomplish her jacket. It attracted me right from the activities. beginning. As soon as I was solid with Martha, I really cut loose and was back at My part was to provide support as first trumpet position in no time.” needed. After many years it sank in that I loved this woman. I think she 4 P.S. by Dusty: Once married, we Special delivery taught many years and had three sons by Nancy Miller — Richard, David, and Michael. AND I STILL HAVE THE BRIGHT My long driveway seemed to grow RED JACKET. longer as I made my daily trek to get my New York Times. Imagine my surprise _____ one morning when I found the paper right next to my garage. It was a mystery Winter’s Spoon repeated daily, and I was very grateful. by John Wood When a Christmas card was enclosed Especially now, with handled with the newspaper, I sent a card asking warming pans, why I was receiving this gift. This is the Down quilts and flannel sheets answer I received: “I saw you getting passé your mail and I noticed that you use a One calls on body heat to blunt the cane so I thought that you could use a north wind’s bite, hand.” For comfort to relax and sleep to _____ come. Tiny seeds to giant In this a younger you excelled sunflowers And still are a delight. by Lynne Waymon Spooner without equal, and in spooning, A pot of corn chowder, some crusty Closing out the bitter winter’s night. French bread, a roaring February fire. I’m thinking, “This guy knows how to I am content, at peace, create a beautiful evening.” We’re As, side by side, warm bodies share thirty-somethings, dating only a few Cold noses, in rhythmic cadence, months. “My Burpee Seed Catalogue Breathing winter’s air. came today. Wanna look at it?” Todd asks. Crimson Sweet Watermelon, Red We lie and sleep there, cheek to jowl, Beefsteak Tomatoes, Tiger Eye Your muzzle on the pillow next to Sunflowers. Then he says, very mine, nonchalantly, “Let’s decide what we My close and selfless friend, my Lab, want to plant next summer.” Then he Who likes to spoon and spoons so looks over at me. He winks and we well, snuggle closer with anticipation. We Now that it’s winter time. know our love is growing. _____ 5 Forty-three gardens later, Todd just help me with the driving. emailed in our Burpee seed order. To this day, she denies setting us up. I wonder. _____ We emailed all summer—kinda flirty. By the time we met again those three months Unconditional love later, fearful but happy, we knew. by Kathy Hoff _____ Summer weekday afternoons, I’d put Ben in the stroller, and we’d walk up Long and sweet to the head of the street to meet six- by Lydia Lewis year-old Ted where his day-camp bus dropped him off. One day, Ted got Our love story is long and sweet off the bus grouchier than usual and As George School students we did meet all along the way, as we walked Paul noticed me in Bancroft study hall home, kicked at my ankle. He thought I was cute—Tall Paul, he was “Why are you doing that?” I asked “my all” after he had succeeded in making Paul drove his parents’ Mercury on our contact. first date “Because I hate camp, and I know My parents said, “Do not be home late” you’ll love me anyway.” To Princeton movie theater we did go Returning home driving very slow _____ Before finishing college married we were The next several years were mostly a blur The big brown chair We raised two boys then travelled a lot by Alice Warshaw The Florida Keys is our favorite spot Now 61 years later and still holding hands Springtime, he and a friend visited On the same property we did land.