Valentines

Today I must get out my Valentine cards. Again, I wish I were more creative and I would make wonderful greetings but knowing me the project would take on monumental proportions and become a pain rather than the pleasure it should be. I have always loved sending at least some valentines but not many. However, since there are now so many children (number will exceed 20 this summer) on my side of the family I have opted to send each of our grandnieces and grandnephews cards. This started last year when I finally realized that it was no longer an option for me to send each of them a meaningful Christmas gift. I loved doing that but the logistics and expense put it out of my comfort zone. I suppose that I could do birthdays but I would invariably miss or be late with someone's. So, I decided on the valentines. Just a little way to let them and their parents know that we love them all.

Valentines Day is not that special as far as I am concerned but I do love valentines. I remember one I received when I was 10 years old. I was in the third of what would be five months in the hospital. The card was from my Dad. It was a silly card with four images of a rabbit (not unlike the Trix rabbit) and the message was simply, "I would spread butter on my chin for you Valentine. Be Mine." For some reason that card just tickled me and probably my leanings towards irreverent humor. In the sixth grade I took the card and cut out the four images and used close to the same message for my class valentine. I won the prize in the school Valentines Day Parade for the best valentine. Funny how those things stick with you.

My friend Terry sends Valentine greetings instead of Christmas cards. She has been doing this for a long time now. She is an accomplished artist and we look forward to her card each year. I am quite sure that I have all of the ones she has sent over the years. In fact, one year for Christmas Bill had three framed in a grouping for me.

Aside from the cards for the children I will send just a couple more that will be irreverent and I will give Bill a couple, one nice and one a little silly.

That's about all for this quirky little post.