Or Did I? A Valentine's Day Story
Three weeks ago, in anticipation of Valentine's Day and my sister's birthday which is near Valentine's Day, I went out and bought cards, one for my sister's birthday and one for my husband for Valentine's Day. At least I think that's what happened. I know I bought the birthday card, because my sister called me the day it arrived and thanked me for it. The Valentine's Day card, however, went up missing. Here's how it went down.
On the day that I purchased the cards, I left my sister's card on the kitchen table and put my husband's card in a safe place in our bedroom where I knew he wouldn't look, or I didn't. That's the problem with this stage in my life when all the middle-aged hormones are doing damage to the brain. I can't remember anything. A few days before my sister's birthday, I signed the card, addressed the envelope and mailed it. The Valentine's Day Card? It was completely forgotten, until yesterday.
Last evening while I was perusing my emails, I came across the lovely e-card my husband sent me. I panicked. I didn't buy him a card! There was now no time to go out and buy one either. I could always send him an e-card back, but that would be cheeky (as my British friends would say). Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time I forgot to buy someone a card. Wasn't he the one that said it was not all that important? Later, I thanked him for the card and then fessed up that I had failed to buy him a card.
This morning, when I woke up, I remembered that I'd purchased the Valentine card, or did I just think I purchased it? I began to think about where I might have placed the illusive card. I checked my usual hiding spot, no sign of a card. I searched around behind things thinking perhaps it had fallen behind something. By this time my husband was in the kitchen pouring coffee. I joined him and said, "Guess what? I did buy you a Valentine card. I just can't find it." "Yah, right" he teased. Racking my brain for where the card might be, I searched again, no card.
I gave up and laid down on the bed with the book I had just started reading the night before while my husband readied himself for work. I read for a moment or two, then started to snicker. "Dear, you need to hear this," I read a couple of paragraphs to my husband. For some reason, he didn't see the humor in the story. Oh well, I guess you had to be there. Suddenly, my eye caught the tall shelves where I stored my crafts. There, way up on the top was a plastic grocery bag. That's it! I remembered where I put my husband's Valentine's Day card. "That's where I put it," I said aloud jumping up. Reaching up for the open bag, I carefully lowered the empty bag! Empty! How could it be empty! I know I bought that card and put it up there. That's what I remembered doing, or what I thought I remembered doing. By this time, I really didn't know.
I reached up again for another bag that was sitting on the top shelve. Perhaps the card was in there. I searched the bag which held a frame I had purchased for the print I bought for my husband for Christmas. I had lost that, too. I sighed.
Where was that card? Perhaps it had fallen down behind the craft shelf. Maybe the cat...no the cat could not fit up there. But why was the open bag sitting on the shelf? Sadly, I resigned myself to the fact that maybe I didn't really purchase the card, even though I found that difficult to admit to myself. I was the one who had always been so good about buying him a card every year, and here I was falling down on the job. If nothing else I knew I had thought about doing it. Hopefully, that counted for something.
My husband left for work, "Maybe we can go out for dinner tonight," he said as he walked out the door. "That would be nice," I said. I poured myself a cup of coffee. I had given up on the idea of an e-card and going out and purchasing one on Valentine's Day was also out of the question. I was not going to be one of those people who waits until the last minute. I sipped my coffee and read some more in my book. It wasn't long before the dog was whining to go out, and my daughter was asking for breakfast. I put my book aside. There was no need to put off the inevitable, there were things that needed to be done. We finished breakfast, I walked the dog, and helped my youngest complete her school work. Then my other daughter came out of her room. "Mom," she croaked at me, "I don't feel very well." I felt her forehead. She was burning up, and from the sound of her voice, she had a nasty case of something. There goes our dinner out tonight. "Go back to bed," I said to her, "I'm giving you a sick day." I added as I walked into the other room, "You still have to finish all of your homework before you go to your friend's on Friday."
Our day proceded normally, I did a few loads of laundry, taught a couple of piano lessons and spent some time at my computer writing. Later that afternoon, I called my husband. "We can't go out for dinner tonight, Annalyn is sick." After long deliberation, I agreed to make spaghetti. I got cleaned up and went to the grocery store to get what I needed.
I glanced over at the crowded greeting card aisle as I walked by in search of the things I needed for spaghetti. For one brief moment, I considered joining the dazed last-minute Valentine's Day shoppers, but a more careful look revealed that nearly all the cards were gone. I gathered up the rest of the things I needed for dinner, paid for them and headed home.
By this time, I was getting happy. I hadn't made spaghetti sauce in a long time, and it was fun. I chopped the onions and peppers and sprinkled some fresh garlic in the pan. Soon the aroma of spaghetti sauce filled the kitchen. My mom stopped in and dropped by some Valentine's Day cards for the girls. We talked briefly while I finished washing the dirty dishes in the sink. She was tired, and I was glad that we hadn't asked her to watch the girls.
When my husband arrived, dinner was ready, and we sat down to eat. It was then that I thought again about the Valentine's Day card. "Well, dear" I said as I laid a plate of his favorite dish in front of him. "Here's your Valentine's Day card." As I dished up the girls' plates, he replied. "Look, the spaghetti on the plate is in the shape of a heart." And so it was. I still don't know what happened to that Valentine's Day card. But I dont' think my husband cared a bit.
On the day that I purchased the cards, I left my sister's card on the kitchen table and put my husband's card in a safe place in our bedroom where I knew he wouldn't look, or I didn't. That's the problem with this stage in my life when all the middle-aged hormones are doing damage to the brain. I can't remember anything. A few days before my sister's birthday, I signed the card, addressed the envelope and mailed it. The Valentine's Day Card? It was completely forgotten, until yesterday.
Last evening while I was perusing my emails, I came across the lovely e-card my husband sent me. I panicked. I didn't buy him a card! There was now no time to go out and buy one either. I could always send him an e-card back, but that would be cheeky (as my British friends would say). Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time I forgot to buy someone a card. Wasn't he the one that said it was not all that important? Later, I thanked him for the card and then fessed up that I had failed to buy him a card.
This morning, when I woke up, I remembered that I'd purchased the Valentine card, or did I just think I purchased it? I began to think about where I might have placed the illusive card. I checked my usual hiding spot, no sign of a card. I searched around behind things thinking perhaps it had fallen behind something. By this time my husband was in the kitchen pouring coffee. I joined him and said, "Guess what? I did buy you a Valentine card. I just can't find it." "Yah, right" he teased. Racking my brain for where the card might be, I searched again, no card.
I gave up and laid down on the bed with the book I had just started reading the night before while my husband readied himself for work. I read for a moment or two, then started to snicker. "Dear, you need to hear this," I read a couple of paragraphs to my husband. For some reason, he didn't see the humor in the story. Oh well, I guess you had to be there. Suddenly, my eye caught the tall shelves where I stored my crafts. There, way up on the top was a plastic grocery bag. That's it! I remembered where I put my husband's Valentine's Day card. "That's where I put it," I said aloud jumping up. Reaching up for the open bag, I carefully lowered the empty bag! Empty! How could it be empty! I know I bought that card and put it up there. That's what I remembered doing, or what I thought I remembered doing. By this time, I really didn't know.
I reached up again for another bag that was sitting on the top shelve. Perhaps the card was in there. I searched the bag which held a frame I had purchased for the print I bought for my husband for Christmas. I had lost that, too. I sighed.
Where was that card? Perhaps it had fallen down behind the craft shelf. Maybe the cat...no the cat could not fit up there. But why was the open bag sitting on the shelf? Sadly, I resigned myself to the fact that maybe I didn't really purchase the card, even though I found that difficult to admit to myself. I was the one who had always been so good about buying him a card every year, and here I was falling down on the job. If nothing else I knew I had thought about doing it. Hopefully, that counted for something.
My husband left for work, "Maybe we can go out for dinner tonight," he said as he walked out the door. "That would be nice," I said. I poured myself a cup of coffee. I had given up on the idea of an e-card and going out and purchasing one on Valentine's Day was also out of the question. I was not going to be one of those people who waits until the last minute. I sipped my coffee and read some more in my book. It wasn't long before the dog was whining to go out, and my daughter was asking for breakfast. I put my book aside. There was no need to put off the inevitable, there were things that needed to be done. We finished breakfast, I walked the dog, and helped my youngest complete her school work. Then my other daughter came out of her room. "Mom," she croaked at me, "I don't feel very well." I felt her forehead. She was burning up, and from the sound of her voice, she had a nasty case of something. There goes our dinner out tonight. "Go back to bed," I said to her, "I'm giving you a sick day." I added as I walked into the other room, "You still have to finish all of your homework before you go to your friend's on Friday."
Our day proceded normally, I did a few loads of laundry, taught a couple of piano lessons and spent some time at my computer writing. Later that afternoon, I called my husband. "We can't go out for dinner tonight, Annalyn is sick." After long deliberation, I agreed to make spaghetti. I got cleaned up and went to the grocery store to get what I needed.
I glanced over at the crowded greeting card aisle as I walked by in search of the things I needed for spaghetti. For one brief moment, I considered joining the dazed last-minute Valentine's Day shoppers, but a more careful look revealed that nearly all the cards were gone. I gathered up the rest of the things I needed for dinner, paid for them and headed home.
By this time, I was getting happy. I hadn't made spaghetti sauce in a long time, and it was fun. I chopped the onions and peppers and sprinkled some fresh garlic in the pan. Soon the aroma of spaghetti sauce filled the kitchen. My mom stopped in and dropped by some Valentine's Day cards for the girls. We talked briefly while I finished washing the dirty dishes in the sink. She was tired, and I was glad that we hadn't asked her to watch the girls.
When my husband arrived, dinner was ready, and we sat down to eat. It was then that I thought again about the Valentine's Day card. "Well, dear" I said as I laid a plate of his favorite dish in front of him. "Here's your Valentine's Day card." As I dished up the girls' plates, he replied. "Look, the spaghetti on the plate is in the shape of a heart." And so it was. I still don't know what happened to that Valentine's Day card. But I dont' think my husband cared a bit.
Comments