We discovered this after sorting through a charming collection of entries for our first-ever Valentine's Day essay contest. The rules were simple—give us a 300-word essay on how you and your significant other fell in love and we'd give the finest entry a dinner for two at Ristorante Valeriano in Los Gatos.

Although every entry we received was just as special and interesting as the couple that wrote it, we could only name one official winner. The competition was fierce, but after much hemming and hawing, crying and cheering, a decision was reached: Congratulations to Bob and Flora Pinschmidt of Saratoga! With 111 years of marriage between them and five months in their new relationship together, this couple managed to pull our heartstrings with their tale of hope, happiness and renewed love.

Bob and Flora Pinschmidt were married in September 2002 after only a few months of dating. 'Why wait?' Bob says. The two drove from their wedding in Bob's 1930 Model A Ford, his other passion in life.

Bob and Flora Pinschmidt planned for a small wedding at the Saratoga Federated Church. However once word got out, more and more friends wanted to be witness to the event. 'We just said, 'Go ahead and invite them,'' Flora says. 'It's not very often an 85-year-old gal marries an 82-year-old man!'


Never too old to fall in love

Bob Pinschmidt and Flora Cox did not anticipate finding love at the Saratoga Senior Center. They merely expected a friendly lunch.

But after a pleasant mealtime chat and a couple of encounters in the parking lot, the fate of these two sweethearts was sealed.

Love quickly bloomed, as Flora, 85, and Bob, 82, discovered uncanny commonalties and an immediate comfort with one another.

Between them they shared 111 years of previous married life. However, it was their new marriage together that taught them one of the most important lessons in life—it is never too late to date, fall in love and get married.

The two met in early June, just prior to the weekly Wednesday luncheon held by the Saratoga Senior Center, when widows and widowers are invited to visit before eating. The two chatted through lunch, but Bob had to leave early to catch a ride with an outreach service. His license had been suspended for several months after he suffered a stroke while driving.

When Flora went to leave, she noticed Bob still standing at the corner. She asked if he needed a ride home, but he said no. She left, but came back for something she had forgotten. Bob was still standing by the curb, and she asked again.

"He said, 'No, I need to wait for my ride,' " Flora recounts, " 'but can I get your phone number?' "

Flora attests that she was "just being a good neighbor" when she asked Bob if he needed a ride home that fateful day at the center, but he had thought otherwise.

"I thought she came back on purpose to get me," he explains with a laugh. "That's why I asked for her number."

Once home, Flora's phone rang. It was Bob.

"Why wait? Buy green bananas," he says, referring to a joke he and Flora share about thinking ahead and planning for the future.

The two went out to dinner the following week—Flora's first time out since her husband's death three years prior—and hit it off so well that Flora could not remember another couple had gone with them. "I guess I was just too impressed with you," she says to Bob with a generous grin.

Flora describes the next two months as "a lot of driving Mr. Daisy," as she shuttled him around to wherever he needed to go. The pair started spending every day together, discovering the many similarities of their interests and previous marriages.

"It all clicked together," Bob says. "Everything lined up; we just paralleled each other. We had so many similarities."

From a love of family and church to Model A Fords and travel, the two were in sync.

After two months, Bob decided to pop the question. Flora accepted.

"Of course we had to get approval from the kids," Bob says. "They were all concerned." Bob has four children and 10 grandchildren, while Flora has three children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Although they were concerned, there "was no opposition," Flora says. "Everybody has been for us."

"We enjoyed each other's company; we didn't plan on it," she says of the marriage. "He is much like my husband was: a good sense of humor, and I like the way he looks at things. He put a smile on my face for the first time since my husband died. My kids were grateful for that."

Bob had one simple reply regarding the marriage proposal. " 'Why get married?' " he asks. "Why not?"

The two planned a small September wedding at the Saratoga Federated Church. However, the size of the wedding quickly grew as church members and friends expressed their desire to attend.

"We just said, 'Go ahead and invite them,' " Flora says. "It's not very often an 85-year-old gal marries an 82-year-old man!"

After the wedding, the two drove off in Bob's 1930 Model A Ford, equipped with dangling cans and a "Just Married" sign on the trunk.

The two drove from the church in Saratoga to Los Gatos. When they stopped at a light in town, Flora says they heard a pedestrian on the corner remark to a friend "They are old!"

Flora and Bob chuckle about the whole situation. They are now moving in together at Flora's house and seem delighted with their new life. As Flora wrote in her award-winning entry, "This shows that one is never too old to fall in love!"


Just married

By Bob and Flora Pinschmidt

It is interesting to learn how couples meet, fall in love and get married!

Bob Pinschmidt and Flora Cox had 111 years of marriage between them—Bob for 52 years and Flora 59 years. Bob has four children and 10 grandchildren. Flora has three children and six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Both Bob and Flora had been widowed several years.

We had lunch at the Saratoga Senior Center on June 1, 2002. This was the first time we had met. However, Bob had to leave early to catch his "Outreach" ride and when I left the center I saw him standing there, still waiting. I offered him a ride but he declined. I left but returned a few minutes later and saw him still standing there. I again offered him a ride but he declined again and asked for my telephone number, which I gave him. No sooner had I arrived home than the phone rang. It was Bob asking me out to dinner. I accepted and we went out together.

After that date I did a lot of "Driving Mr. Daisy." Bob had had a stroke and lost his driver's license several months before. He regained it in August. During this time we fell in love and were married on Sept. 28, 2002—to everyone's complete surprise and total amazement!

As we drove from the Saratoga Federated Church to the reception in Los Gatos in Bob's 1930 Ford Model A with the "Just Married" sign on the back, we stopped in the middle of Los Gatos. A pedestrian on the corner of Santa Cruz Avenue looked at us and remarked to a friend, "They are old!" This shows that one is never too old to fall in love!

Photograph by George Sakkestad Murray and Sandi Dolmatch met during a chance encounter in Paris. After only one day together, they began a cross-country romance that led to marriage five years later. They celebrated their 15th anniversary in November.

By Murray Dolmatch

This is a love story written by an unseen hand.

How else do you explain the circle of the four coincidences?

She traveled alone, separated, 6,000 miles from Saratoga.

He came from New York, separated also, after a 35-year marriage.

And there they were at the same time in Paris.

And dining in the same restaurant at the same time.

And seated at small tables next to each other.

So it began with a mutual effort to translate the menu.

And it continued with animated conversations about museums and books and travel.

When it suddenly stopped as he accidentally overturned a small flower vase on her table and the water spilled on her dress. Which he tried to brush off carefully. And then they found they were at the same hotel nearby. With the farewells next morning, a cross-country courtship began—3,000 miles one way, 3,000 miles the other way.

Five years later they were married at Pebble Beach.

Sixteen years later Sandi and Murray will celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary here in Saratoga on Nov. 29.


Our romantic story

By Connie Schneider

Our story is one of friendship that turned to love.

On Aug. 13, 1990, my beloved husband of 26 years passed away. Our best friend, Bob, saw to it that I was not left out of social events and made an effort to keep me laughing.

I went to see the movie Ghost not too long after my husband's death. The song from the movie, "Unchained Melody," played on the radio that night on my way home from the movie. I made a mental note that "I will dance with someone special to that song."

On Dec. 27, 1990, my employees holiday party was held. I called Bob that morning and asked if he would be my escort to the event. I knew that if I did not have a "date," I would do my part (as I was the event planner) and then leave the party. After all, this was my first time without having my husband by my side to celebrate the holidays.

The DJ dedicated the first song to me. As you probably have guessed, it was "Unchained Melody"! Bob and I took to the dance floor. By the time the song was over, I felt like a huge boulder had been lifted from my shoulders while all the time my heart was pounding so fast! We have not been apart from that moment on.

My husband taught me not to sweat the small stuff in life. I recall that he said to me, "When I die, you may cry for one day only, because any longer will be wasting precious time being sad and not happy. And I hope a bolt of gentle light will strike you to let you know how much I love you." Well, I believe he was there that night when Bob and I danced. From the beyond he lifted the boulder to allow the gentle light to strike—showing me how much he loves me by not allowing me to feel guilty for falling in love again.

Bob and I kept our love a secret for a while, because we were afraid what "people might think" since my husband's passing was "not that long ago." I learned not to be concerned with what people think, only with what I feel, for I felt like I did when I was a teenager in love—kisses that are sweet and hugs that are warm.

I learned that one can love again after a tragic loss and that love can make itself known in the most unusual way and with the most unlikely person. Love has taught me to appreciate the gentle touch of my sweetheart's hand, his sense of humor and all the times we share together. I know that real love is truly given and received unconditionally, whether we are here or "there."