How did you meet?

We met in Portland, Oregon, at a restaurant called Atwaters, where we both worked, around Valentine’s Day 1992. We became a couple in 1995 and married in 1999.

What was your proposal like?

Geddes’ parents, Sandy and Peg, offered Geddes his grandmother’s engagement ring. His parents then sent it to him in a card to our P.O. Box here on the island. After getting the mail one day, I called him at Rosario (where he was a chef) and said a strangely lumpy envelope addressed to him had just arrived in the mail from his mum and dad. He asked me to open it. I found myself with a beautiful 1920s diamond ring in my hand with Geddes asking me to marry him over the phone. I guess he just couldn’t wait.

Do you have children?

Claire is 19 years old and a freshman at the University of Washington, and Avery is 15 and a freshman at Orcas High School.

What brought you to the island?

Geddes was offered the position of chef at Rosario. We moved here on March 15, 1998, with a 3-month-old baby and no housing.

What are your favorite things to do together?

Sounds a little crazy, but we like to cook together at home. Actually running a business together means we spend a lot of time together. It also means there is quite a bit of “divide and conquer” that happens so we can get it all done.

Suggestions for others?

A sense of humor and an ability to laugh at whatever life may throw at you (though sometimes it may take a little time to see the humor in a situation). It also really helps to have a strong friendship as a basis for a romantic relationship.