One Special Day

Thomas Hardy's desk - the original furnishings are in the Dorset County Museum, and there is a similar arrangement at his home, Max Gate. We visited in March.
I was very taken with his perpetual calendar - I have one not unlike it. Late Victorian, it belonged to my great grandfather, then his daughter, Amy. She was my father's "maiden aunt", his Dad's sister [do people have maiden aunts anymore?] When she retired from her office work in 1960, she gave the calendar to Dad. It stood on the desk in his study. Then I inherited it.

But I am not very good at changing the date. The day/month are paper labels round wooden dowels- the numbers are on a long linen band which winds round two spindles. When you get to the end of the month, you have to rewind completely to get back to 1.
Hardy's Calendar says Monday 7th March - because that was the date he met his beloved Emma. After her death, he turned the calendar to that day, and it remained unchanged forever after [a bit tough on wife #2, one feels...] You will notice the date on my calendar - and maybe wondered why it is a day out. Well, since I saw Hardy's desk, and mindful of my own inefficiency, I've set my calendar to permanently display Sunday 4th June.**
That was the date in 1978 when I met Bob. Forty years ago this week. Forty years! Where has the time gone? I feel so blessed to have spent almost two thirds of my life with this great bloke.
For the record, like Thomas and Emma, we met in church. Bob's first words [on seeing my student sweatshirt] "Oh no! not another teacher!". We went on to an after church youth group, and spent the evening sitting on the sofa discussing the sermon, and sharing a 'Youth Praise' songbook. 
**"But I'm not dead!" protested Bob. I explained that if the calendar was to stay at any given date, that was the best one, because it marks the wonderful day when my life changed forever. Thanks for forty glorious years, Bob.