chick magnet

my husband is a chick magnet. all women swoon at his appearing. some men are smitten by him too which i still find, well, weird.

we've been talking lately about how we met. so oblige me, please. i was descending the staircase at the southwest indian museum in california, and he was ascending. i caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye and the bells and whistles went off. again, he's a chick magnet.

but the thing that really got me about him is, he offered everyone drinks as we were standing around talking. it was the grand opening of the APACHE! exhibit, and his family had contributed a great many of the artifacts and current photos of ceremonies and stuff.

danny was accompanying his aunt to the event, and i had known of her, and knew her son from having been on the powwow circuit with/around them for the past year. i knew danny's cousin best, because he was a gourd dancer and i love gourd dance. i even own a gourd shawl, i was taught by a kiowa woman so my kiowan liberties get me in trouble now that she is not beside me dancing. but that is a whole nother story.

anyway, back to my story, we met and married in the space of three months. i've never been much for preliminaries and when he asked me to elope, i should have just gone for it, but i didn't. for that, i am sorry. it would have been very in character for me.

we're going on our eleventh year this year. our girl, who didn't look at the camera (why does someone always have to have their eyes shut, or be looking away, or whatever? maddening) is our joy. this photo proves i'm not totally anti-social. recently at a wedding, danny forgot to introduce me to his friend because he's so used to being unaccompanied by me. look at it this way, i homeschool, i stay home, i got to have some time alone folks. i opted out of thanksgiving this year and stayed at home, blessedly alone. i read, watered the garden (or what's left of it), and just meandered through the house in my pjs (my favorite things to do).

once when we had just been married probably six months we went to a restaurant with some friends. a white woman walked up, sat at the table beside us (there happened to be an empty chair) and starts flirting with my husband. my husband's friend's wife leaned over and said, is she dumb or just stupid? i said, whatever.

after ten years, i know what the women are going to say, here are the top three:
1. are you an indian? (first of all, he hates to be called that. recently i was asked, is he an indian or somethin'? in texas twang. i said, or somethin').
2. i love your hair (ugh, so obvious. c'mon ladies, get creative, think of something original or at least interesting).
3. my grandmother was a cherokee princess (okay, everyone says that, but puhleeze. if this is true about your family, let me break it down for you, no one believes it!)

he is a chick magnet. i know this. i live with it. and i love him.