DINING OUT.

631 Did you know that there are two kinds of romantic restaurants?

The elegant/active/often-with-great-views restaurant.

The small/dark/cozy-with-tiny-tables restaurant.

Which kind of restaurant does she prefer? Don't take her to one when she's crazy about the other.

632 Arrange to have a small gift delivered to your table during dinner. Picture an elegantly wrapped box presented on a silver tray.

633 Arrange to have a dozen red roses delivered to your table.

Other patrons will think you're newlyweds!

634 Hire a musician to serenade your lover at your table. Have him play one of her very favorite romantic songs.

635 Get a menu from his favorite restaurant. Turn it into a "Certificate Good for One Romantic Dinner." Mail it to him at work.

636 Sunday brunch! Check the Sunday newspaper for restaurant listings. Ask your friends for their favorite spots.

Play "footsie" under the table at an elegant restaurant.

BY THE NUMBER.

637.

Send 20 stuffed animals to her on her 20th birthday.

Send 30 red roses to him on his 30th birthday.

Send 40 reasons why you love her on her 40th birthday.

Send 50 classic love songs to him on his 50th birthday.

Send 60 greeting cards to her on her 60th birthday.

Send 70 sunflowers to him on his 70th birthday.

Send 80 love quotes to her on her 80th birthday.

Send 90 balloons to him on his 90th birthday.

Send 100 Hershey's Kisses to her on her 100th birthday.

638.

Send him one birthday card for each year of his age-send them one a day for as long as it takes.

Send him one birthday card for each year of his age-send them all at one time!

639.

Does he love Beethoven? Get him recordings of all 9 symphonies.

If it's Mozart he loves, you'll have to buy 41 symphonies.

And if it's Haydn he loves, you're really in trouble, because Haydn composed an incredible 108 symphonies!

Variations on a Theme: Present those 9 Beethoven symphonies with 9 red roses, 9 balloons, and 9 little love notes.

BY THE BOOK.

640 Wouldn't it be cool to publish a book for her?! Perhaps a book of poems you've written for her. Maybe a collection of love letters. Maybe it's a book of memories the two of you have shared. Maybe it's a fictional story based on your life together. (Maybe it's an erotic novel!) Armed with any computer and PageMaker or Quark software, anyone can write and design a professional-looking book. Next, design a cover (maybe hire a professional graphic designer) then call a local printer and have one copy printed up. If it's a Memory Book for your twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, or a big fiftieth Birthday Book, you may want to have copies printed for everyone who attends your party.

641 Read aloud to one another. It's a wonderful, quiet way to share time and a story. (Think of the comfort and closeness you create when reading aloud to a child.) Some favorite read-aloud books from Romance Class participants include: Illusions, by Richard Bach The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran 642 Of course there's www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com. But additional web resources for popular books and harder-to-find books include: www.isbn.nu; www.addall.com; www.powells. com; www.fatbrain.com. And a resource that lets you search the inventories of thousands of used bookstores is www.bibliofind.com.

Reading some good erotic literature aloud might be defined as "foreplay."

ENGAGING IDEAS.

643 One guy in the Romance Class was inspired to present his girlfriend with one red rose...that had a diamond ring hidden inside the unopened bud. The rose sat on her desk for two days, where she admired it and smelled it often, before it bloomed, revealing the ring! (She nearly fainted.)

Chapter Theme Song:.

"Marry Me," Amanda Marshall 644 And then there's always the classic "Diamond-Ring-in-the-Box-of-Cracker-Jacks" trick.

A call for equal rights (for men)!

645 Apply for the job of "Husband"! Write an "Engagement Resume" outlining your "goals," your desirable qualities, your qualifications and relevant experience.

646 Engagement rings for men! Why should women be the only ones to get engagement rings??

From a modern woman's point of view: Engagement rings are public statements that you're "spoken for" or "taken." Why should he be running around "free"?

From a man's point of view: You just dropped several thousand dollars on a diamond-wouldn't you like her to put her money where her mouth is, too?

FYI The ancient Romans believed that diamonds were splinters from falling stars with which Eros's arrows were tipped.

The ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were the tears of the gods.

WILL YOU MARRY ME?.

647 Here are some of the more creative and unusual ways that some Romance Class participants have gotten engaged: Skywriting proposals Sky banner proposals Custom jigsaw puzzle proposals Videotaped proposals Proposals on billboards Proposals inside custom-made Chinese fortune cookies Audiotaped proposals Telegrammed proposals Using lit candles to spell out "Will you marry me?"

Painting the proposal on the roof, then taking her flying!

Chapter Theme Song:.

"Will You Marry Me?" Paula Abdul 648 A touch of class for men: Send a clever telegram to her parents, asking their permission to marry their daughter.

Winner, Quirkiest Proposal Award: He gift-wrapped a stack of twelve bridal magazines and said to her, "You're going to need these!"

649 Some couples consult astrologers for the best dates and times to get engaged. (Couldn't hurt. Might help.) Astrology?! Hey, don't knock it! With a 51% divorce rate, we need all the help we can get!

650 Gals: Make a photocopy of your hand and new engagement ring. Attach a note saying "I've got a piece of the rock." Mail it to him to show your appreciation.

651 She received an unexpected gift for no special occasion. A beautifully wrapped box from Tiffany's. She opened it to find a sterling silver tray-engraved with "Sally, will you marry me?"

MARRIAGE MATTERS.

652 One husband in the Romance Class always introduces his wife in this manner: "...And I'd like you to meet my bride, Alice." (Alice, his sixty-four-year-old wife of forty years, always blushes.) 653 Get a subscription to Marriage magazine, one of America's great little secrets. I find every issue to be both inspiring and practical. Call for a subscription: 800-MARRIAGE, or visit www.marriagemagazine.org.

Chapter Theme Song:.

"I Will (Take You Forever),"

Christopher Cross

"For two people in a marriage to live together day after day is unquestionably the one miracle that the Vatican has overlooked."

-Bill Cosby 654.

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, by John M. Gottman & Nan Silver How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It, by Patricia Love, EdD & Stephen Stosny, PhD The New Rules of Marriage, by Terrence Real Passionate Marriage: Keeping Love and Intimacy Alive in Committed Relationships, by David Schnarch 7 Stages of Marriage, by Rita M. DeMaria & Sari Harrar The Act of Marriage, by Dr. Tim LaHaye & Beverly LaHaye Love Between Equals: How Peer Marriage Works, by P. Schwartz Marital Myths Revisited, by Arnold Lazarus The Mirages of Marriage, by William Lederer & Don Jackson Take Back Your Marriage, by William J. Doherty, PhD 655 Have your wedding vows penned in beautiful calligraphy. Have them framed. Hang them in your living room.