It’s that time of year again when we might be thinking about Valentine’s Day gifts.   Some people put a lot of meaning into the one day, hoping that their sweetheart will remember to shower them with roses,  jewelry,  or a special dinner out.   As much as I enjoy those romantic gestures on the one day set aside to celebrate romantic love,  I wouldn’t trade the everyday expressions of affection that come with a marriage that has lasted just over 33 years.

In the early days I spent weeks planning the Valentine dinner,  choosing the perfect little gift, and reading all the Valentine cards in the store to find the one that seemed to have special meaning just for us.   As the years have gone by,  there have been some Valentine’s Days when we were too busy with our four children or our jobs to come up for air,  much less celebrate with a romantic evening.   Now that the children are grown and have their own lives,  we have time again to put some thought into Valentine’s Day.

The funny thing is that after all these years the store-bought cards and the designer bouquets don’t have the same kind of romantic meaning that they once did.   At this stage of our lives we value an inside joke,  a creative whimsy,  or an extraordinary gesture of caring that really shows that our sweetheart knows what we like and genuinely wants to go the extra mile to please us.

Every winter there  is a flock of mallard ducks that swim in a pond on our ranch.  Sometimes The Farmer makes a point to tell me  he has seen them on the pond. Continue Reading →