Warm Hearts

Clump # 154: Clear paper pile number 13 of 28; make paper valentines.

Lesson of the day: so easy to tackle paper when it has been pre-sorted. Today’s pile was medical forms pertaining to either our younger daughter (the diligent paper-sorter) or to our cat Pumpkin; both easily filed. Below, one from 2009 with a photo, and the new “Pumpkin” folder.

Confession time. I previously posted about the clearing of our pantry, in all its scintillating detail. One item I removed from the pantry floor was a box of valentine craft supplies, which had been stuffed in there for about a year. Here we are on Valentine’s Eve, and I cannot for the life of me find that box. Very disheartening. Pun intended. I have to remind myself that I’m in transition, and home organization (or lack thereof) might get worse before getting better. Sigh.

Not to be discouraged, I purchased a pad of construction paper and made simple valentines with one sheet, each, of white and and red paper. Cut each in half, then folded the red halves and cut out hearts.

Glue the hearts to the white background, like so …

And write a very simple poem. Our family always exchanges hand-made valentines. Our mom created the tradition that we continue. Simply start out the Roses are Red rhyme, think of something about that person, especially notable in the current year, then come up with a word that Violets are … to rhyme with the word you want at the end. Easier done than said.

For instance, if your valentine, Mary, has really gotten into yoga this year, you might write, “Roses are Red/ Violets are Ecru/ Our Mary has become/A Yoga Guru.” The sillier the better. When I see clusters of people crowding around the valentine card section of stores at this time of year, I always wish I could tell them how easy and personal this method is. I’m a big purchaser of cards, but somehow a holiday celebrating heart-feelings deserves something from the hand of the sender. My parents would write a poem to each other that could be a bit clumsy, not great literature, but very touching. We have so many years of paper hearts that document the big events of our kids’ lives, and it’s a sweet record.

I hope everyone reading is safe, warm, and I guess, if you are reading this, you have power! Here is my hard-working husband snow-blowing for the second time in a few hours this morning.

Some friends in snow suits kindly shuffled their way to the front door of a neighbor who hadn’t been shoveled out yet, so that I had a path to get to her door and visit for tea.