By Lori Krause
Columnist
It’s amazing how a few days of spring-like weather can lift the spirits and make me forgetful of the cold dreary days that came before. And the wonderful aroma of freshly laundered bedding, hung on an outside line to dry on one of those days, was better than any perfume. It’s right up there with the scent of cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. Life is kinda like that. When surrounded with good things, bad things are forgotten, or at least pushed way back in the memory compartment, and it reminds me to appreciate all the little things.
Valentine’s Day is a day like that at our house, and is never forgotten. When our kids were young, we gave them Valentines until they had sweethearts of their own. It was the same way with our grandkids when they were little.
Those had to include candy of some sort. Homemade Valentines that had a candy bar attached – like “I’d fly to “Mars” if you would be mine.”
I think the drug store downtown stocks extra novelties just for husband to browse through. He ends up buying something he thinks is so very cute, and convinces me he just couldn’t resist buying it for me – while he plays with it. This year there’s the Snoopy puppy that spreads his front paws for a hug while he gives a big “mmmmm Smack!” But I think this is better than the “Wild Thing” ape of a couple years ago.
For Easter last year he bought a basket full of baby chicks that sang, “We’ve Got the Tweets.” After every one of our family members had pushed the button at least a couple times to make them sing, we were all rolling our eyes, and I had to hide it. And groan – I’m sure the batteries are still good for another go around this year. I think he must have been deprived of toys as a kid. (Weren’t we all of this age)
But other than toys for Valentine’s Day, there have been flowers too. When he was still working as a rural mail carrier, and I was working at school, my favorite saying from him on one of those cards read: “From Your First Class Male-Man.” Yes, he’s rather clever with words and they probably make up for any wrongdoing he may have done in his entire life! He knows no one can stay miffed at a guy while laughing, and appreciating the humor.
. Hope our paper-person appreciated us, with the help of a neighbor, diligently chipping away and getting rid of most of the ice from around our mailbox.
At least now the paper is in the box, and not soaking wet on the driveway, and I appreciate that.
By the time this column is published, winter will probably be back in full swing.
I just hope the memory of these wonderfully warm, ice melting, Valentine days stay with me until spring actually makes its appearance. I know I would appreciate that a lot!
