Until the fourteenth of never

How was your Valentine's Day?

Mine was delicious. In fact the entire week was extra-special.

You may remember that my beloved Uncle Sherrill died on October 25, 2012, in Louisiana where he lived his whole life.

His widow, my Aunt Judy, flew to Atlanta on Monday, where she joined my Aunt Linda and they both drove to Greenville, where my mom lives.

TG and I went to my mother's house on Tuesday for lunch and a wonderful visit with my aunties.

I used to have three uncles; now I have only one. Uncle Dody, you're it.

I've always had three aunts -- four if you count Aunt Jenny, who was actually my mother's aunt -- and they've always been among my favorite people in the world. 

By the way, my Uncle Dody and Aunt Leslee are going to be in a show on Animal Planet in March. I'll keep you posted.

It's a "reality" show about a bait shop on the bayou. I know you can't wait.

Meanwhile here is a picture of my beloved Aunt Judy (in the middle) with my Aunt Linda and my mother.

Aren't they pretty? Sweet too. But not too sweet! The ladies on my mother's side of the family fairly ooze more or less equal amounts of sugar and spice.

On Wednesday night after church TG and I went to the store to pick out our valentine cards.

Shouldn't you do that separately, so as to surprise one another? You may be thinking.

Normally yes. But some years, we do it differently.

As in, we go to the card aisle and we start browsing and we may pick up a mushy one or a funny one but most likely it ends up being several of each kind.

Then, surrounded by shoppers trying to concentrate on which card to get for their valentine, we exchange our selections and commence alternately guffawing and gazing adoringly into one another's eyes.

We have a fantastic time. We don't buy anything from the card aisle. I will not pay six dollars for a greeting card.

Yes I know they've got one-dollar greeting cards at Dollar General but I didn't have a chance to get over there so step off.

This time TG and I enhanced the experience by wading into the shiny cloud of heart-shaped mylar balloons and, reaching into the ribbony forest hanging from the helium-filled love messages, we each chose one and "gave" it to the other.

We held onto "our" balloons for a few moments and that was enough. No need to bring them home; one of TG's birthday balloons is still alive.

Every time I walk into the office we share, I think it's a head bobbing around.

From there we could have gone to the stuffed animals and cradled a few but instead we cut to the chase: Candy.

For me, TG picked a fancy tin heart filled with Dove Silky Smooth Select Chocolates.

For TG, I picked two bags of Lindt Lindor Truffles: one dark chocolate and one regular.

And yes, you'd better believe we bought the candy.

Valentine's Day is one of the few days in the year I allow myself to eat candy, which I'd like to eat every day. Even so this chocolate is ultra-rich and so far I've made scarcely a dent in my scrumptious stash.

So I figure as long as it's valentine week, we're good. I think I'll have a piece right now.

Recently when I was rustling up pictures of my son to go in my post about his new Air Force career, I found some pictures of TG taken in February of 1988.

We were at a banquet with our church's youth group. These guys formed a quartet and regaled us with some love songs, all in good fun.

I don't know whose idea it was for TG to wield a trumpet; he doesn't play.

But wasn't he handsome. Still is.

Speaking of still, I'm a romantic so I think about love more or less all of the time, but especially on Valentine's Day.

And today I thought of a song that was sung during our wedding: The Twelfth of Never.

I love that song. I remember TG's brother mocking it, saying the lyrics were stupid. But they're not.

One must consider the source: my brother-in-law likes to tell about how, in 1970 while sitting in a darkened movie theater watching Love Story, he laughed out loud when Ali MacGraw/Jennifer Cavalleri Barrett died of leukemia.

?????

Enough said.

That supremely sappy example of syrupy seventies celluloid sentimentality still makes me cry. And so does this song.

I suspect it will until the fourteenth of never. At least.

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Happy Weekend

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Comments

[Mari]

I think your method of looking at cards and balloons is perfect! I can't pay $6 for a card either, especially when it's going to be tossed in a week. The chocolates are a good plan too. :)
TG looks good with the trumpet and I like that tux too.
I can't wait to watch your family in March and will be waiting to here when it's on.
And yes - the ladies in your family are as gorgeous as the men are good looking.

[Debbie]

Sounds like a wonderful Valentine's Day. Hubby worked 24 hours on Valentine's Day, so we did our celebrating the day before. He always sends me flowers, 2 dozen red roses this year.

So sweet.

I'm looking forward to hearing about the bait shop on the bayou.

[Jennifer]

@ Mari ... girl, you and Bob totally should try our card trick sometime. Saves lots of $$ for what's truly important: the eats.

@ Debbie ... two dozen roses, how breathtaking. I love roses. You have a great guy there.

[Donna M.]

Aaaww, I know you two had a nice holiday! Love, respect, and devotion - you two have them! I agree with you on the high price of cards. We don't buy them anymore. Waste of good money. Now spending $s on chocolate, that's a whole other thing! Not a waste of good money!

[Donna (Texas)]

I was just thinking that NO one sings it better than Johnny!! NO one! One of my favorites... I even follow him on Facebook...Hahaaaaa... What???? I'm Not ashamed.....Remember when they still made tapes? I think I owned every song he ever sang.
Had to laugh at y'all's shopping trip... sounds like me and Larry.
And I say, Yessss to candy!
Hughugs

[Sue the Hobbit]

I ate half a bag of Lindor truffles for dinner tonight. It's a rare day when I don't have some in my stash.
And I think I shall steal your card ploy. It suits my card mentality perfectly. I sometimes stock up on cards when Safeway has a deal, but I won't pay much more than $1 a card.
Just call me Scrooge McHobbit.