Today is Valentine’s Day, that day when traditionally couples express their undying love for each other. Well in some cases, hubby had better express it or momma wont be happy.
I’m a single these days, have been for the last 20 years. When Frank was alive Valentine’s Day wasn’t ignored, it just wasn’t able to be much of a deal. Frank, ever the romantic, would at some point during the day (likely when enough commercials reminded him what day it was) would say to me, “Hey it’s Valentine’s Day!”. I’d nod and he’d continue, “you should have got yourself something.”
Frank was never much on shopping, his idea of giving a gift was to hand me money and tell me to buy something for myself. I was never much into gifts I had to figure out myself, besides I had what I wanted, I had him. In the early years after he died I was hostile towards Valentine’s Day. It was a reminder to me of what I had lost. For all his rough edges, he had loved me and I loved him. Read the rest of this entry
Yesterday was the shortest day of the year, it was also the first official day of winter. We’ve been pretty fortunate so far, we’ve had very little snow so far this season. For the first time in 160 years there was zero snow in November.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t really dislike winter. I do love the beauty of a winter snowfall, even the beauty of ice clinging to trees after freezing rain. I don’t enjoy the treacherous roads the weather brings. I deal with them by refusing to budge from the house when a storm is underway or imminent.
The start of winter also brings us very close to Christmas Day, just three days away as I write this entry. I’m going to be spending a quiet day at home on Christmas Day. Depending on the weather on Christmas Eve, I will be going to church and then will settle in for a couple of days of quiet time. I’m looking forward to that time. I have some reading I want to do and some writing. Read the rest of this entry
Tomorrow, April 1st, is what is known as April Fools Day, it has also been refererred to as All Fools Day. It is not an official holiday but does have some followers. The day is meant to be a day where tricks are played on unsuspecting people, usually getting them to be believe what isn’t true. The convention is that if the trick is not played by noon, then the joke is on the trickster.
Wikepedia carries a list of memorable April Fools pranks that have been pulled off. The Book of Days carries even more interesting reports of common forms of pranks used through the centuries.
The origins of this observance appears to be shrouded in speculation and little hard fact. Some have suggested that the day is a commemoration of the dove and raven as they searched for dry land during the Great Flood. Read the rest of this entry
Well, it is Christmas today. For the most part it is not a day I particularly care for but, like the other 364 days in the year, it will roll around regardless of my opinion of it. So, well others are busy doing their thing and making whatever merry they want, I’m cocooning into my house, listening to the quiet as I tinker at bits and pieces of house work, updating some badly neglected blogs, including this one and maybe even reading some of that email archived in my inbox.
Now, don’t get the idea that I’m Scrooge or anything. I just find that being on my own that the whole family thing at Christmas just doesn’t happen. Yeah, I could be at my sister’s place or even my oldest brother’s but you know, no matter how much they include you, you are still the outsider. This year, I decided I just wasn’t into grinning and bearing it. So, I’m staying home. Tomorrow I’ll go to a friend’s place for lunch, which I’m looking forward to. I always enjoy spending time with her.
Read the rest of this entry
I’ve noticed that the ads I placed on the other Valentine’s entries I did this week have been receiving several clicks the last few days. This entry might help those who are looking to order a Valentine’s Day flowers to save some time. I’ll look at the chocolates in a separate entry.
I do suggest that you visit the entry about the language of flowers for guidance in choosing flowers that say what you intend. You’ll also want to order early to ensure that the arrangement you want is available. Read the rest of this entry
The last couple of days I’ve looked at the origins of St. Valentine’s Day and the history of chocolate which is such a popular gift item for Valentine’s. Today, the natural complement to chocolate is flowers. The earliest cultures known to mankind used flowers as gifts and symbols of meaning for messages the gift was sending. Read the rest of this entry