Valentine's Day

My Sweetheart husband has been spoiling me this  week-end. On Saturday we ran some errands, and he made a stop at the florists as he had ordered a corsage made of red and white roses. It was very beautiful! The kind you where when you are the mother of the bride or groom, or some such wonderful occasion. Later, he gave me a beautiful card with a heart-warming personal message added and a gift...a heart neckace with my birthstone, the garnet in the center. It is so pretty. We went out to dinner at King's Restaurant, then went to a Spokane Symphony performance and heard Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 performed by 29 yr. old guest artist Orion Weiss. It was beautiful. I wore my corsage to the concert and to Church on Sunday. Are corsages old-fashioned? How do the florists stay in business? I think that I was the only one at either place with one. The ONLY one! Gayle started a tradition years ago. He would give not only me a corsage, but our daughters also - on Mother's Day. He also bought me corsages at other times of the year: Valentine's Day and Easter, occasionally. Some years ago, I decided that I would take the corsages that Gayle gives me and dry them in silica gel to preserve them, then make a wreath with all the flowers. I have added some that I have grown in my garden like roses and peonies, but by and large, it is made up of mostly corsages. I started with a plain white styrofoam wreath, and have just filled it in as the flowers come. I wish now that I had labeled each corsage with a date and occasion. Wouldn't that be fun to look back years later at the dates and occasions?  Here is a picture of my "Corsage Wreath,"

 Dried Flower/Corsage Wreath

A Slice of Life
     Edgar A. Guest

Let loose the sails of love and let them fill
With breezes sweet with tenderness today;
Scorn not the praises youthful lovers say;
Romance is old, but it is lovely still.
Not he who shows his love deserves the jeer,
But he who speaks not what she longs to hear.
There is no shame in love's devoted speech;
Man need not blush his tenderness to show.
'Tis shame to love and never let her know,
To keep his heart forever out of reach.
Not he the fool who lets his love go on,
But he who spurns it when his love is won.
Men proudly vaunt their love of gold and fame,
High station and accomplishments of skill,
Yet of life's greatest conquest they are still,
And deem it weakness, or an act of shame
To seem to place high value on the love
Which first of all they should be proudest of.
Let loose the sails of love and let them take
The tender breezes till the day be spent;
Only the fool chokes out life's sentiment.
She is a prize too lovely to forsake.
Be not ashamed to send your valentine;
She has your love, but needs its outward sign.
_______________

                                   So happy to be in love with an old-fashioned romantic husband.