The Importance of Courting: A Good Old-Fashioned Date Night

I know it sounds old fashioned, the word courting. But what is so wrong with that? You all know that when it comes to my preferences in dating, old-fashioned traditions often win me over. And on Friday night, Corey** did just that.

court
verb (used with an object)


1. to try to win the favor, preference, or good will of
2. to seek the affections of
3. to attempt to attract a mate by engaging in species-specific behaviors




It has been weeks since we have been on a traditional "date night", and he was really excited about making it happen. He planned it all, and kept me in the dark until he came to pick me up that evening, armed with a beautiful arrangement of sunflowers (my favorite). The only information he had given me was to get a good night's sleep beforehand (I'm notorious for turning into a pumpkin after 10), and to dress nice. Done.

We went to dinner at Paggi House, an iconic and historical restaurant that sits under the most beautiful Live Oak trees. Lucky for us, the temps were just cool enough to enjoy the nice patio and twinkle lights in the trees. Service was attentive, food was delicious, and the company was charming. It was a great meal.

Usually I'm really impatient with surprises, so I can't believe I made it all week without hounding him about what we were doing after dinner. He finally let me in on the second half, and I have to say I was skeptical at first. But....and this is most important when it comes to properly "courting" someone....he pays attention to the things that I like, and planned accordingly. In his search for finding something fun to do that evening, he came across a show called Acro Cats. It's a lady who rescues, fosters, and TRAINS cats who perform tricks on stage. Yes, I said train. She uses clicker trainer to teach them how to do tricks, and now she has a traveling show. I'm not even lying. The fact that he was even willing to go to a show like this says a lot about him. But he thought I would enjoy it, and I did. It was freaking hilarious.  

Tuna, the star of the show, playing the cowbell

The "Rockcats". Yes, there are cats playing the guitar, drums and piano, along with a hen playing the tambourine and cymbal.

It was such a great evening, and further cemented the growing feelings that I have for him. Not every date needs to be like this, but I have to say I love and appreciate the effort he put forth. Courting works both ways though, so I repaid the favor by cooking a good meal for him. He rarely cooks, but loves a good meal. So Tex-Mex Meatloaf and Tomatillo Cheese Grits it was, and I think he loved it just as much.

From my new cookbook "The Homesick Texan"

We got to spend a decent amount of time together over the weekend, mostly date night, football and dinner, and I really enjoyed it. It's exciting and scary and all the wonderful other things that come along with a new relationship. Being able to let go of those fears was a big step for me, but I'm glad that I was able to do it. Who knows where this will go, but I'm enjoying the ride.

**I have decided to refer to him by his real name. I just could not think of a nickname that really suited him, and I like to think that maybe for once this is the real deal. We had a talk the other night and I let him know about my blog. (Not the title, just that it exists.) He was totally fine about it, and said that it made sense given how well he thought my online profile was written. He has no plans to search for it and read it, but I would rather him know than accidentally stumble upon it.