Happy Valentines Day

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!", he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing", said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you."

~A.A. Milne

Today is such a neat day - we always celebrate doubly - because Valentines Day is also the day Don proposed to me - 45 years ago. Of course when he tells the story that we got engaged so many years ago he likes to add - don't you think it is time we got married? He's such a silly guy. It makes his eyes twinkle!!


I was still in high school and of course my parents highly disapproved of Don. (They spent most of their time disapproving of things, so it was no surprise.) He had come from Wisconsin to work in the pulp mill and make his millions (well thousands anyway) - he had just finished his first year of college and had a chance to come to Alaska with a friend to make over 4.00 an hour, when wages in Wisconsin were 1.78 an hour. His mother had passed away the year before and he felt no ties to stay in Wisconsin.

We lived in a very small town and any new young man was really the main topic of discussion among the girls in my high school (we hardly ever dated the boys in our class, we'd all grown up together and they were more like brothers than date prospects.) There were 36 in our graduating class - - so not many choices to pick from anyway.

I worked after school in the local drug store - which had an old fashioned soda fountain - and when Don and his friend walked in and ordered a milkshake one night after they got off work - we both knew instantly that this was the one for us!!!


That was in November - and when we got engaged on Valentines Day I couldn't even wear my ring - but we were happy anyway - and eventually eloped to Texas (all the way from Alaska) to get married in the town where Don's dad lived. Of course we heard all the dire warnings - you are too young - it will never last - you don't know what you are doing - but 45 years later you see we weren't too young - it did last - and we did know what we were doing - we were following our hearts - to a wonderful place.

We sometimes celebrate with candy - or with flowers - or with a lovely dinner in a restaurant - sometimes all of those things - and sometimes none of them. This year we are going for a nice Valentines breakfast - then over to help our daughter and son-in-law do the last bit of moving and cleaning of their old apartment - they just bought a house and this is moving week. A lovely day that is quite typical of our lives together - family - friends - and each other.

Hope your day is super special!!!