Celebrating 3 with Tara and Bill at PW Pizza

The year is coming to a close and in the midst of the seasonal celebrations Bill and Tara make arrangements for their guests to share joy on the occasion of their anniversary. Three years ago, in 2015, they were married in a ceremony at the original Old Des Peres Presbyterian Church that was built in 1834 by a group of settlers. The church is on the list of National Register of Historic Places. It was certainly a quaint and lovely place for Bill and Tara to begin their lives together. More than 20 of us gathered on this Friday evening in the Chouteau Room at PW Pizza which is, no doubt, named for the street in Saint Louis on which the place is located but more importantly the name of historic significance in our town.. (René Auguste Chouteau, Jr., also known as Auguste Chouteau, was the founder of St. Louis, Missouri born in New Orleans, LA and died in Saint Louis in 1829.)

A long table is set and the evening is remarkable for its mosaic of personalities. We all have one thing in common: a love for the couple. Bill Ellis and Tara Rogers-Ellis live on a global scale but with a neighborly approachability. Caren was at their wedding as official photographer, Denise confides that Tara wants Bill to go easy on the baked goods from Schuck’s Grocery. She is here with her husband Keith. Cindy and her husband Tony relive a period in time in which theses Missouri natives lived in Michigan. Dominic is a man of faith. He participated in a White House Retreat with Bill. They share a connection to LSU and New Orleans which creates an opening for my shallow knowledge of college football. My Miami Hurricanes were defeated by LSU early in this season. Being from Ohio originally, I cannot resist my ingrained competitive spirit by posing the question: Why do all the trees in Ohio bend toward Michigan? Wait for it…BECAUSE MICHIGAN SUCKS. Ha. Ha. I have a short list of conversational jokes, some of which land with good cheer on this group of good-hearted folks. I love an audience but I know better than to launch my repertoire of elephant jokes on them this evening. I know too, that I need to exit before Gooey Butter Cake or other lingering desert treat keeps me out way past my bed time.

Take-away pizza boxes are distributed by PW Pizza event manager, Linda, for those interested in taking left-overs home. The boxes are a prop I cannot resist. With a black Sharpee marker I indicate that box #1 and box #2 are for Denise. Given her dinner-time banter on the antioxidantal benefits of pomegranates as perhaps the world's healthiest fruit, I surmise, correctly, that she is not going to take anything home with her. The boxes are understood to contain the spoils of my conquest as I make my early departure. The truth is I donated the contents to a family with pizza loving kids in the restaurant before I exit to the parking lot.    

Thanks again Tara and Bill for including me. It was a hatful of smiles. Here’s to many more years of happiness for you both. I’m glad to be a part of your cheering section. 

 A virtual toast from James, Pam, Maurice, Lula, Kim, Dominic, Mary, Dave, Cindy, Tony, Tina, Marvin, Doug, Sharon, Denise, Keith, Caren, John, Suzie, Brian, Andrea, Wes and all of us to Bill and Tara