Such a Lovely Evening

My husband and I just celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary. We haven’t done much to celebrate our anniversaries over the years. We usually try to grab an evening together, which includes a meal at a pleasant restaurant. Although our children are adults and nearly adults now and childcare is not an issue, we still live a very fast-paced lifestyle and it can be hard to carve out the time for such an event. We cherish these moments of “face time.” I still believe that the basis for a good marriage is great communication, which requires commitment and perseverance.

This year, as in years past, we weren’t able to celebrate on the actual date, but a few days later we were finally able to spend an evening together. My husband had planned to take me to the Keeter Center, which is a combination hotel and restaurant on the College of the Ozarks campus in Hollister, Missouri. .

If you are not familiar with College of the Ozarks, let me give you a brief history. Originally named School of the Ozarks, it was founded in 1906 by a Presbyterian minister. His mission was to offer education to “worthy” high school aged students in the Ozarks whose parents could not afford to send them to school. In exchange for this academic opportunity the students worked in the daily operations of the school and it’s supporting farm. In 1956 a two-year junior college program was added, and in 1965 it became a four year accredited college. The high school was phased out. Later, the name was changed to College of the Ozarks. Since then, it has blossomed into a beautiful campus with opportunities for students to develop both academically and spiritually. Students still earn their education by working in various capacities throughout the campus and the school has been affectionately dubbed “Hard Work U.”

The Keeter Center is one of the work venues for the students. It is a beautiful historic log lodge with a massive fireplace, and a gift shop, which sells the wares that are made by the students. It also houses the hotel, restaurant, a coffee booth and an ice cream counter. It contains an eclectic assortment of rustic furnishings. Gnarled carved wood chairs, a comfortable lounge area near the fireplace and historical exhibits grace the lobby. The lodgey rustic theme reminds me of Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone.

I had been to an informal meeting in the lobby before, and had enjoyed sitting by the fire sipping my Chai Latte. My husband’s company had its Christmas party in one of the banquet rooms. I was impressed with that meal. Usually, catered banquets feature boring, run of the mill food. But the Keeter Center’s fare was different. I had a lovely Chicken Cordon Bleu. Not the machine made variety you buy in the freezer section, but honest to goodness real chicken stuffed with juicy ham and cheese sauce. The salad had real greens, not the typical cheap iceberg lettuce usually found at these events, and an interesting Apple dressing. The veggies were not overcooked, and the wait staff was very pleasant. With this in mind, I was very interested in having another meal at the Keeter Center.

So now we are back to our anniversary date. The dining room closes fairly early and we were later than we had intended. We arrived and saw some dear friends from church who were just leaving the dining room. We spoke with them briefly before we were seated. The room features a pressed copper ceiling and a rustic décor. Although the menu is what you would call “fine dining,” I felt very comfortable in nice black jeans and a cute ruffled top. We were seated toward the back of the room not far from the baby grand piano. The young lady was playing a pleasing medley. I assume from her skill that she is a music major, but I forgot to ask. Our waiter was a very tall, nice looking young man with a slight foreign accent. He was dressed in white linen, as was our table. We did ask him his major and found that he is a business administration student, and the Center of the basketball team. He gave us impeccable service, being both polite and articulate.

Our gracious young man brought us a basket of freshly baked wheat rolls and some very interesting cranberry-raisin biscuits. The biscuits are a house specialty. I found it funny, in an endearing sort of way. I have never been served biscuits in that setting before, but it fits the mood of the place, and the region. They were served with these adorable little cast iron skillets bearing apple butter and whipped butter. The apple butter is made on campus by students and is available for purchase. Apple butter figures prominently in the historical roots in this area. I had to try the biscuits, even though they didn’t really match the entrée I ordered. I like to experience the culture of the areas I visit. The biscuits were very good, and the apple butter was delicious. In fact, as I am writing this I have developed a serious craving for apple butter. I had to stop and eat some. Yum! Okay, I’m back. My husband ate the wheat roll, which complemented his Prime Rib and vegetables very well. The veggies were an assortment of grilled root vegetables. They looked healthy.

I had the Smoked Chicken Fettucine Alfredo. It was delightful and oh, so scrumptious! It was a fairly large portion, more than I could eat, and I was hungry. It had a green ring of oil around the outside rim of the plate. I had never been served green Alfredo before and asked our server why it was green. That made for a rather amusing moment. He looked very concerned as he explained that it was Basil oil and was meant to enhance the presentation, and in the next breath he offered to take it away and bring me some without the oil. I laughed and said that I wasn’t dissatisfied, just curious. He looked relieved. I guess other people don’t ask questions about the food.

While we were savoring our meals, we were enjoying a splendid conversation. We hardly noticed when everyone else vacated and we were the only diners left. We came down from our reverie and finished eating. As we were preparing to get up from the table; the Host came and told us that our bill had been paid. The friends, we had seen on the way in, waited in the lobby until we had ordered and paid for everything. God is so good to give us such amazing friends. We were truly blessed!

We have resolved to make more occasions to reconnect and appreciate one another’s company. Communication is the hallmark of any good relationship and cannot be viewed as a luxury. It must be a staple for the relationship to be vibrant. While it might not be practical to go out for a fancy meal every week, we can still make the time for a meaningful conversation. We used to walk every evening at the park and sit by the river and visit. Sometimes we have been able to meet for coffee and spend a few moments conversing about something other than schedules and business. There are numerous ways to create some time to be a couple. I encourage you to find one of those ways and ensure the health of your marriage.

And if you are ever in the Ozarks I encourage you stop into the Keeter Center. Sample their fine cuisine, purchase a fruitcake, some apple butter, or some pottery made by the students at the school. Stay at the historic hotel that boasts two presidents as former patrons, or have an ice cream cone or a latte in the lobby. You might also enjoy learning the history of the area at the Ralph Foster Museum, housed on campus. I think this is a time-honored institution that deserves our support.

Shauna Bagenstos 2010