HOW TO SPEND A ROMANTIC EVENING AT THE PARSONAGE

In reviewing my schedule last week, I noticed one glaring omission. At the moment I was rather shocked at this lapse, however, I took some comfort in the fact it was not intentional.

The lapse in our week was a romantic evening just for the two of us. Everyone knows a week without romance can be a dull week. As a general practice, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and Yours Truly try to set aside some time, be it ever so small, for some level of romantic interlude. There are time, however, when due to a demanding schedule a week will slip through our mutual intention.

Immediately we set out to clear our schedule, a Herculean task to be sure, and set aside Thursday evening as our romantic hiatus at the parsonage. Because I had a few days notice, I decided to surprise the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage with her favorite ice cream cake.

Late Thursday afternoon I picked up the ice cream cake specially decorated for the occasion. I was looking forward to a special, relaxing evening at the parsonage.

Just as I drove out of the bakery parking lot, my cell phone rang. My wife informed me that Philip had been rushed to the hospital emergency room, she had no further details. I looked at my watch and calculated that it would take 15 minutes to drive to the hospital, 10 minutes with Philip and another 15 minutes to return home. It was 4:45 and I could be home before 6:00.

Hanging up the phone, I turned my car toward the hospital. Driving out of the parking lot, I had a nagging feeling I was forgetting something. I mentally reviewed my