It only comes once every four years.

As you know, February 29th is Leap Year Day.  An old Scottish tradition dating back to the 5th Century is the alleged source of the tradition that a woman can ask a man to marry her on Leap Day.  A very sweet committed relationship and HE has been mentioning getting on the same insurance plan and lots of little details which can only happen when you are married.  We have been planning to move in together, but he did not quite get there with those actual words a woman wants to hear. 

We had breakfast together and then parted knowing we would get back together in the early evening.  So I put my heart on my sleeve and wrote him an email sharing my dreams and desires but still giving him an "out."  I mentioned that I was writing this, insread of saying it,  because I was just a little bit "chicken."  He wrote me a short answer back, saying, yes he had been that way too but that we would talk more when I arrived. 

When I got inside his apartment, he gave me a kiss and asked if I wanted to take a walk.  We bundled up again and as we stepped out the door, the  most lovely  gentle snowfall had just begun-the kind with the big soft flakes floating all around you.   We strolled and casually chatted, neither of us bringing IT up.  After we had climbed our 2nd steep hill and paused to catch our breath, he turned to me, with a deep embrace and whispered, "The answer is yes."  We were just all smiles and grins on the way back to his place.  We do not have all the specifics into place yet, but we are sharing the story.  He wrote to his extended family email list, that "Barbara took advantage of Leap Year and asked me to marry her."  There are quite a few cute comments accompanying the congratulations.  It is lots of fun.

I decided I am going to be bolder this year.  With my other committed relationships-the ones with my buyers and sellers-I am going to plunge in and just pop the questions which need to be asked.  The price changes, the upgrades, the get yourdelf a pre-approval, the let's make up our minds here or stop looking.  As I did with my sweetie, the questions are not going to be prickly, just clear and directed and goal oriented.  And then I will just shut up and wait for the answer.  Works for me!

Happy Leap Year! 

Oh, and just in case you have a very special guy in your life, don't forget Sadie Hawkins Day is November 15.