Thankful Thursday

Leeanna, at Not Afraid of Color, posts a thoughtful question every week, and I want to start with it this week.

"How do you celebrate Valentines day, what do you like about it, special memory of one now or as a kid... you get the idea. Love is always good."

When I first saw this question, I thought about skipping it, because we really don't celebrate "Hallmark holidays." But then I remembered things we do or have done to show our love - without commercialism. We don't ignore that it is Valentine's Day, we just celebrate it without standing in lines with credit card in hand.

I start the day with hot tea made in a teapot decorated with hearts. One year I made French toast and cut the bread with heart-shaped cookie cutters. The kids loved that and wanted it every year after that. We'll wish each other a happy Valentine's Day and I will wear a silly Valentine's shirt which usually starts the Valentine's jokes. I usually make Hubby's favorite cake, a red velvet cake, in heart-shaped pans. When the girls were little, we made heart-shaped sugar cookies and iced them pink and red. Hubby's contribution is cinnamon candy. In the evening we will call the kids and grandsons and hear all about class parties and who brought treats to work. We will have a nice dinner at home, dust off the candles, and maybe even eat on the good china. Or it could be paper plates and celebrate a night without doing dishes. That's a special treat too. But our favorite part of the day is cuddling on the sofa with hot chocolate and popcorn while we watch a movie.

We don't give wrapped gifts, or send cards. I think our love language is acts of service.

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Thankful/I Like Thursday

1. I am thankful for the rain we've had this week. Yes, it's cold, gray, and miserable, but we've been in drought conditions for months, so this is a welcome relief and hopefully will give us an extra hay cutting this spring.

2. I like bluebonnets, and we are going to have a bumper crop (no, not really a crop) this year.

3. I like living in the 21st century. I read a biography of a pioneer family who lived in Kansas. They had to make every single thing they needed. Need to wash clothes? First have to butcher the pig and render the fat, then make the soap. That took two or three days. Doing laundry was an all-day affair which included hauling buckets of water from the well, heating it on the stove, and then scrubbing clothes in tubs, and hanging it to dry. Later, everything was ironed, even the sheets. That took two days every week or two. And through all that, the daily chores had to be done, the milking, the cooking, the cleaning and the garden. Life for pioneer women sounded like pure drudgery. Today, we are so very, very lucky to have so many conveniences which give us free time for our hobbies and travel. As simple as those times were, they weren't easy.

4. I like audio books. I appreciate the authors and readers who make it possible for me to close my eyes and listen to a novel. I don't remember anyone ever reading to me at bedtime when I was little, but I could really get into bedtime stories for grownups. I think I'd pick the soothing words of Lucy Maud Montgomery read by Megan Follows. She was my favorite Anne. Right now I'm listening to The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian. It is our book club selection this month and does require some concentration, so I don't listen at bedtime.

5. I like rocks. I've picked up rocks for over 65 years, and I'm still amazed at the colors and shapes that are just lying on the ground. Of course, I like the unusual ones best. I found these two in my driveway. I assume they are fossils of shells, but I like to imagine that they are dinosaur teeth.

What are you thankful for this week? Join me at these very special linkups, where people share their thoughts and inspire us.

Thankful Thursday

I like Thursday

Thankful Thursday