Happy Valentine's Day

For My Valentine

I believe in homemade Valentines.

In my early years that meant glue

and lace and construction paper.

When I met Mr. Wonderful, I realized

it meant baked goods.  Years ago, before

we were married I would often meet him

after work on a Friday in early summer

with a full picnic basket, including a

homemade pie.  We would go to a beautiful

spot we both loved and feast while watching

the sun set.  While still at work he would tell

his co-workers about the plans for the evening

and about the pie.  And the men always got

a wistful look in their eyes and would say,

"Pie! ~ I've been married for years and my wife

has never made me a pie..."  When I would

meet these co-workers they always spoke

to me about the pies!  It was then that I figured

there was something to this baking thing.

And that is when Mr. Wonderful started

getting these homemade decorated sugar

cookies every Valentine's Day.  I made them

for years and then as our lives got busier and

time was tight, I stopped.  So, now that this is

the first year of our life in the Honeymoon Cottage

(others may call that the empty nest), I thought

it was a great time to start up the tradition again.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I Carry Your Heart With Me by E.E. Cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

                                                      i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)