Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a fun day. Who wouldn’t like a day synonymous with chocolate! Like most holidays, we learn the Valentine’s Day traditions as children. A day full of hearts, love, well wishes and sweets. It isn’t practiced in all countries, but it is firmly rooted in my life. Going back 100 years, I have a set of valentines my father received when he was a child. I don’t know their exact date, but they are definitely from the 1920’s. He grew up on what he referred to as a “poor dirt farm.” That his neighbors spared the money to give each other valentines always impressed me.

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This next one is not as traditional. It was meant to be folded to create a 2 dimensional effect.

My father was not a sentimental man, so the fact that these valentines survived in relatively good condition is a miracle. One of my sisters decided to write her name on some of them and at some point they were used to play store and a price has been written on each one. Still they are in good condition.

In addition to the colorful depiction of the cards, which are a little saccharin today, the greetings inside also reflect a gentler time.

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Moving forward a few decades, I remember a particular Valentine’s Day when I was a child. I was six years old and in the first grade. The first grade was an eye opening experience for me. Mrs. Henry, my teacher, wrote in my report card that I was extremely shy and reluctant to play with the other children. This persisted for many years. For Valentine’s Day, she gave us red construction paper hearts, fastened together to make a pocket – the top of the heart being open. These were to be hung on the wall to receive valentines on the all important day.

Art projects were fascinating to me. I never tired of making things. We could choose how we wanted to decorate our heart pocket. We had colored paper, crayons, glue and crepe paper. I remember discovering that I could make a lovely ruffle by taking the thin strips of crepe paper and stretching out the crinkles on only one side. I then glued this ruffle around the edge of my heart pocket. When our hearts were done and hung on the wall, Mrs. Henry told the class mine looked the best and praised me for my neat ruffle. I smile writing this, but at the time I was very embarrassed.

There was a boy in our class who was the tough kid, Bart Lopez. It so happened he was out sick the day we made our heart pockets. When he returned the teacher told him he could make a pocket and he could choose anyone in the class to help him with his project, while the rest of us read. I was not popular so I knew he would not choose me, still with my ruffle why would he not? He selected one of his friends, Scott Randall. Now, I grew up with two brothers and I learned if they were not nice to me then I would not be nice to them. After Bart and Scott started working on the heart pocket, Bart told Scott he wanted a ruffle like mine. Scott did not know how to make it. Bart came over to me and told me I had to tell him how to make it. I told him that if he wanted my help he should have picked me to help him. He wasn’t happy and stormed off. It was brave in a way to stand up to him, but also quite selfish. I would like to think a teacher today would step in to encourage cooperation. Needless to say, Bart, Scott and I never were friends, but I learned a lesson, because I felt bad about my response and helped people who asked me in the future.

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This year for Valentine’s Day, I made a yellow cake with lime and mango curd between the layers. The cake was supposed to look like a box with the lid askew and flowers spilling out. It was covered in fondant I made from marshmallows, the flowers were buttercream. It was fun to make and Andrew said he liked it – both the appearance and the taste – of course he would say this no matter what, but I will take it.

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In Kew Gardens, the downstairs neighbors are a family with two boys – Thomas and James. Their mother helped them make cupcakes. Andrew and I each received our own custom decorated cupcake with a P on mine and an A on Andrew’s. They were delicious. My neighbor in Newburgh made Valentine cookies for us. We have the best neighbors no matter where we happen to be.

In the 1920’s the sayings may have been sweet, but now we live in a modern age. We bought t-shirts for the boys downstairs. Reflecting on their year of being stuck inside, instead of at school – because of COVID, we bought shirts with a contemporary saying. In groovy sixties type lettering the shirts boldly say GO AWAY. We thought they were appropriate for COVID and funny for those days they are moody. Doesn’t everyone want to reflect this sentiment, at least once in a while?

Hope you had a nice Valentine’s day.

I’m looking for a Valentine and have someone in view. Would you think if funny if the one I mean is you?