I always associate this month with Valentine's Day. I love Valentine's Day, mostly because it involves lots of creativity. I remember our old branch Valentine parties, back in Illinois. We made homemade Valentines with construction paper, doilies and lace, etc. (That was before the days of craft supplies in every dollar store and cabinets full of them in so many homes.) These parties were like a wonderland of creative opportunity!
One year, I made a big white Valentine with a window that opened up and revealed the words, "Be Mine," and that is how I make my favorite Valentines ever since.
Don't you love big, heart-shaped, frosted sugar cookies for Valentine's Day? I like my frosting fluffy. That's how my sister Sandy's are. Hers are the best! One year she made huge heart cookies for a Primary party, with pink, red, and white frostings and all kinds of candy decorations for the kids to decorate their own cookies.
School days brought the usual making of Valentine mailboxes and the card exchanges. Oh, the card exchanges! Back then, cards were based on the latest movie or superhero or cartoon character. They were totally random, with all different sizes and types within a single package. That meant making a decision about who was to receive the largest or flirtiest or prettiest Valentine. It also meant that the Valentines you received were chosen individually for you, and reflected on how your classmates saw you.
For me, the opening of Valentines was a time of excitement and anxiety, the latter due to the fact that we opened them at school and everyone soon knew the general size and theme of your own Valentines (since there was always a nosy kid with a big mouth sitting directly in front of you). I remember being in maybe third grade and opening a Valentine with a pretty girl on it; I was so surprised. Why would the sender choose to bestow this choice card on me? (Never mind the fact that it was from a girl.)
This opened a new realm of possibilities in how I saw myself. What? Was I actually an attractive or significant person now? What were my responsibilities related to this new position? And should I acknowledge the sender in some way? Were they watching me open it?
I couldn't look up.
I heard a general murmur. Someone had given out cards with a tiny sucker attached, and they were causing a stir. Good. A distraction. I carefully slid the surely glowing-red envelope beneath the rest of my cards, which were of the standard animal/pun card variety. But that afternoon, as I carefully clutched my decorated shoebox of Valentines on the bustrip home, I knew that, at least to someone, I was special.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
February Memories
I always associate this month with Valentine's Day. I love Valentine's Day, mostly because it involves lots of creativity. I remember our old branch Valentine parties, back in Illinois. We made homemade Valentines with construction paper, doilies and lace, etc. (That was before the days of craft supplies in every dollar store and cabinets full of them in so many homes.) These parties were like a wonderland of creative opportunity!
One year, I made a big white Valentine with a window that opened up and revealed the words, "Be Mine," and that is how I make my favorite Valentines ever since.
Don't you love big, heart-shaped, frosted sugar cookies for Valentine's Day? I like my frosting fluffy. That's how my sister Sandy's are. Hers are the best! One year she made huge heart cookies for a Primary party, with pink, red, and white frostings and all kinds of candy decorations for the kids to decorate their own cookies.
School days brought the usual making of Valentine mailboxes and the card exchanges. Oh, the card exchanges! Back then, cards were based on the latest movie or superhero or cartoon character. They were totally random, with all different sizes and types within a single package. That meant making a decision about who was to receive the largest or flirtiest or prettiest Valentine. It also meant that the Valentines you received were chosen individually for you, and reflected on how your classmates saw you.
For me, the opening of Valentines was a time of excitement and anxiety, the latter due to the fact that we opened them at school and everyone soon knew the general size and theme of your own Valentines (since there was always a nosy kid with a big mouth sitting directly in front of you). I remember being in maybe third grade and opening a Valentine with a pretty girl on it; I was so surprised. Why would the sender choose to bestow this choice card on me? (Never mind the fact that it was from a girl.)
This opened a new realm of possibilities in how I saw myself. What? Was I actually an attractive or significant person now? What were my responsibilities related to this new position? And should I acknowledge the sender in some way? Were they watching me open it?
I couldn't look up.
I heard a general murmur. Someone had given out cards with a tiny sucker attached, and they were causing a stir. Good. A distraction. I carefully slid the surely glowing-red envelope beneath the rest of my cards, which were of the standard animal/pun card variety. But that afternoon, as I carefully clutched my decorated shoebox of Valentines on the bustrip home, I knew that, at least to someone, I was special.
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3 comments:
You have always loved Valentine's! It IS a fun holiday! I always loved the little valentine boxes or envelopes we made at school to hold our valentines. And it was always so fun to get little notes and cards inside there!
Ahhh, you made me remember all the little implications and nuances of Valentine giving. Now they are all mostly the same and pretty boring, and you have to give one to everyone (which is probably a good idea) but it has taken a lot of the uniqueness out of the holiday. I liked your pictures in your other posts. I can't believe the line was so long for the pawn shop, and also that there are lions right there! Las Vegas is so random and strange! Did you know that Megan and I rode the New York, New York roller coaster? It was sooo fun!! I have always wanted to go ride it again. I'm glad you're having fun there, and for some reason, it seems so silly to me that the people there are protesting to support the protesters in Egypt. I just think most of them probably have no idea what they are even talking about. It's just "the thing to do", like in the seventies. Oh, and we had a really good book club last night. I wish you and Megan could have been here!!
I love Valentine's too, the whole month leading up to it I'm excited! It's probably because growing up it was such a special holiday, during school especially when the boys I liked would decorate my locker or give me flowers. Plus Valentine's Day comes at the perfect time, right when winter is all dreary and slushy. I loved reading your memories!
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