February 14,2012

Did you know?

Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap." Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.

Well now you do. Have a love-ly day!

Ahhh Sunshine

What a difference some sunshine and a couple days can make!

Puzzled and what'd we ever do to the Groundhog???

Okay, groundhog first. We are having quite the wintery weekend here in NE Ohio. It's snowy and blowy and this is the view out back:

I guess ol Buckeye Chuck thought we needed a little winter nastiness so we will appreciate spring all the more! As for puzzled,our neighbor has been de-cluttering her house and asked me if I'd like some jigsaw puzzles. Her question brought back nice memories of when our boys were young. We used to enjoy spreading out the puzzle pieces on our (under-used) dining room table, working on it off and on during the winter months. Of course those warm fuzzy feelings made me say yes! to my neighbor. Well, either puzzles have gotten more challenging or I don't have the patience I used to because this one is taking me forever to do. Where are my little helpers??? All grown up I'm afraid. Oh but I WILL finish it!

I love cardinals and now I know just how many different shades of red go into making one! lol How do you enjoy passing away a wintery day?