The Mr. and Mrs.

Long time, no blog. Sorry. Last week my hubby and I were featured in our local paper, The Charlotte Observer. The series is in four parts. Here is day one. Thanks to Jeff Elder for the copy and Indigo Photography out of Charlotte for their talents.

Their first date was a wipeout
JEFF ELDER


Courtesy of www.indigocharlotte.com

Tara Cargle-Ashcraft and John Ashcraft of Huntersville met on match.com in 2006.For Valentine's Day, we're telling the story of a relationship in four parts. This is chapter 1 in the romance of John Ashcraft and Tara Cargle-Ashcraft.

She was an hour and 15 minutes late.

She'd looked cute on match.com, but this was ridiculous. He'd been on about 50 first dates in the last year, and they seemed to be getting worse.

She was driving in the pouring rain, and lost and nervous. She'd been on about five first dates in her life. Was it Tryon, or Tyvola? Why was he taking her for sushi? What's wrong with a steak?

At dinner, she popped into her mouth an edamame pod, the Japanese bean appetizer. She chewed ... and chewed....

You're not supposed to eat the shell, he said after a while.

The rest of dinner went OK.

They stepped out into the downpour, and he offered to run get the car. I'll go with you, she said, and they streaked out into the rain. His feet flew out from under him on the slick pavement. As he tumbled into a huge puddle, he saw her, out of the corner of his eye. She had slipped, too, and was hurtling through the air with panic on her face, her hands outstretched.

And that's how they fell for each other.

Tuesday: Trouble.