By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
As host Eric Erickson likes to say, you never know what you’re going to get when you step in for open mic night at The Coffee House at Chestnut and Pine.
Last week, it just happened to be a marriage proposal.
Tim Mocarski, a former Burlington High School English teacher and a regular at open mic night, proposed to Susan Hauglund Aug. 25 while the two performed a song they wrote together called, “One More Day.”
“One of the lines goes, ‘Only say that you’ll be mine,’ and Tim just stopped and said, ‘Will you?” explained Hauglund.
She then said, “Is that a proposal?” and when Mocarski answered yes, she accepted.
The two met in 2013 at a music event at Rustic Road in Kenosha, the day before Thanksgiving. According to Mocarski, he went to see a group he knew perform, and a friend later introduced him to Hauglund.
With education in common – Hauglund is an orchestra teacher in Illinois – the two spent time arguing about the fairly new “Common Core” standards, “and that’s how he hooked me,” Hauglund said.
At first, Mocarski was the one performing at open mic events, but Hauglund quickly began joining in. He plays guitar and harmonica, while Hauglund plays violin and guitar.
After a long trip out west last summer, the two formed the musical group “Wattle and Daub.” They have performed throughout the area, in harmony on stage and off.
Mocarski said the two knew they had a serious relationship, and marriage seemed to be a likely outcome. However, he didn’t have an exact grand plan.
“It just seemed like the right night,” Mocarski said.
After wild applause and hugs and kisses, the two went back to their performance.
“I told Susan, ‘you know, we do have to finish the song,’” Mocarski said.
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