Tag: Valentine’s Day

“A Valentine”

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A Valentine (1906)
Priscilla Jane Thompson

Out of the depths of a heart of love,
     Out of the birth-place of sighs,
Freighted with hope and freighted with fear,
     My all in a valentine, hies.
     Oh, frail little missive
            Of delicate texture,
     Speed thee, on thy journey,
            And give her a lecture! 

Fathom her heart, that seems to me, cold,
     Trouble her bosom, as mine,
Let it be mutual, this that I crave,
     Her ‘yes’ for a valentine.
     Oh, frail little missive,
            In coy Cupid’s keeping,
     Oh! speed back a message,
            To set my pulse leaping.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Focus on Black: Click the link and learn a bit about Priscilla Jane Thompson.

Real Love | Daring You to the Dangerous

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Real love dares you to the really dangerous: die in the diminutive. Be broken and given in the small, the moments so small no one may applaud at all. Pour out your life in laundry room and over toilets and tubs, and pour out life on the back streets, in the back of the room, back behind the big lights. Pour out your life in the small moments–because its only these moments that add up to the monumental. The only way to live a truly remarkable life is not to get everyone to notice you, but to leave noticeable marks everywhere you go. The best love could be a broken, boring love–letting your heart be bore into by another heart, one small act of love at a time. –Ann Voskamp, The Broken Way

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love Mail!

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“In My Heart,” by Rachel of Fia’s Designs

Can you believe February is almost over? Didn’t 2019 begin just yesterday?! I’m not sure what the rest of the week will bring, so I thought I’d better share the love mail I found in my mailbox before the remaining days of the month slip away.

From Christine B, my ever faithful penfriend, a heart-shaped cactus:

Cactus Heart, Photo by Christine B.

From another Love Notes friend, Suzette R, an edited photograph with the words “Be Mine” in a beautiful cursive font.

“Be Mine,” Photo by Suzette R.

From yet another Love Notes friend, Eileen V, a special postcard in which she “transformed” the flowers into sunflowers just for me.

“Sunflower Love,” Watercolored by Eileen V

An adorable card from my great-niece, who just turned one last week! She made this with a “little help” from her mommy, Tiffany:

“Love, Love, Love!” Made by Tiff and Lu

She also included a picture of herself. She’s grown quite a bit since her debut on the blog last June.

Isn’t she adorable? I think my wardrobe needs a pair of glittery red, heart-shaped glasses.

The card positioned at the top of the post was also part of my mailbox love this month. The artist, Rachel of Fia’s Designs, sent the card as a “thank you” for subscribing to her mailing list and as an incentive to send more snail mail. Usually, I don’t need an incentive, but it’s been a bit of a challenge getting snail mail out this year.  Maybe, this cutie will get me started again.

You can find Rachel:

Wishing you a lovely week… ❤

 

#ThursdayTreeLove | Love and Trees

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Love
is the only
thing that
makes sense
to me
when I consider
the complexity
of the
human
experience.  

–48 Laws of Love–

Since #ThursdayTreeLove falls on Valentine’s Day this year, I get to express my love for trees and love in one photo. How sweet!

The edited photo above features a couple taking a romantic gondola ride in City Park of New Orleans. The couple is framed by some of the gorgeous sprawling, mossy oaks of the park. Don’t you just love love and oaks?

The poem was written by a writer I found on Instagram. I’d change it just a little–Love and trees are the only things that make sense to me…

Happy Valentine’s Day!

❤

I am joining Parul Thakur for #ThursdayTreeLove every second and fourth Thursday of the month. If you would like to play along, post a picture of a tree on your blog and link it back to her latest #treelove post.

If We Love Each Other…

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I read something this morning that nearly brought me to tears–a comment written in response to a blog post about God’s love for us. The post, written nearly two years ago, had few comments, but one comment in particular caught my attention. It was written by a man who for several years dealt with a series of really bad circumstances and came to the conclusion–after a lifetime of belief–that God does not love him. The saddest thing, however, is that the comment sat beneath the blog post with no response for a full year before another “random person” stumbled upon the post and read the comment.

A full year.

Even after the “random person’s” response, neither the author of the post nor the Christian organization that hosts the site responded. In nearly two years.

If it hurt me, imagine how much it affected the man who so bravely and desperately cried out. He needed an answer. He needed a virtual hug and assurance of God’s intimate concern and love for him.

He got crickets.

The thing that keeps me sane and walking upright in this world is knowing that God absolutely loves me, but I first experienced God’s love through others.

It is God’s love for and in us that allows us to love sincerely and deeply; it is His love that permeates our being and generates love action. It’s nearly impossible to experience or “possess” Divine Love and not be transformed.

Loving God and understanding His love for humanity results in reaching out to hurting people, living out His presence in our lives, and showing the world who He is–through acts of love.

Without human manifestation of God’s love, His love is simply theory.

Quotes and Hearts: Love on Postcards

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I recall my glee the evening my hubby handed me the stack of postcards he had just retrieved from the mailbox and post office box.  I placed them in my planner hoping to savor them later, but then life happened–illnesses, midterms, and life in general.  Now, that the madness is less intense for a moment [Spring Break, yay!], I have time to really appreciate the postcards.

The postcards came from friends and Love Notes and heART Exchange pals.

The February 2017 heART Exchange focused on “Quotes from the Heart,”  so participants had to include a quote somewhere on the postcard.  I received postcards from two of my three partners.  I realized after receiving my third card that I submitted my address with the wrong zip code to Louise, the swap coordinator.  I used my P.O. Box address with my residential zip code. Duh! I’m actually amazed that most of them made it to me. Kudos to the USPS for the extra work they had to put in!

Nancy of Ellijay, Georgia sent a cute bunny with an inspiring greeting.

Love You Bunny, Art by Nancy F.

Love You Bunny, Art by Nancy F.

You are so special! Believe in yourself and the dreams you hold. Dance in the rain and play in the moonlight. Celebrate YOU in all your glory…Enjoy all the magic that life has to offer.

The happy-face rabbit gives me the warm-fuzzies.  Bunnies (rabbits) are among my favorite “critters,” second to teddy bears.  I especially appreciate the charge to “dance in the rain.”  I can’t wait till the weather stabilizes and I can do just that. There’s something cleansing about walking in the rain.  I imagine dancing in the rain is liberating.

“Lacy Heart,” Die cut by Lori W.

Lori W. of Elroy, Wisconsin sent the lacy heart reminding me that [life] is “about love, compassion, kindness, and faith.”  It is so easy lately to get caught up in trifles, so this was a needed reminder.   She also enclosed a tag which now fills a slot in my faith planner.

“You Are Loved,” Tag from Lori W.

Lori also sent a beautiful autumn postcard with vines framing a window.   How did she know about my romance with autumn? 😉

“Nature’s Décor,” postcard from Lori W.

Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.

Christine B. who introduced me to both Love Notes and the heART Exchange, made a sweet fabric postcard and sent it as an extra.

Fabric Postcard by Christine B.

Fabric Postcard by Christine B.

If you love someone, tell them because hearts are often broken by words left unspoken.

Martha, who participates in both swaps, sent another of her gorgeous watercolors.

“Nesting,” Watercolor by Martha Slavin

Your soul is the place inside of you which reaches out to connect you with the universe.

Slightly unrelated, a second Joy to the World card, from the December heART Exchange, winged its way to me from the United Kingdom last month.

“Wishing you Joy, Peace, and Happiness,” from Ann M.

Ann M. ran into a few snafus, and since she was sending the card after the height of the festive season, she remade it, modifying the colors.  As far as I’m concerned, blessing the world with “joy” is never out of season.

Love Notes also came in to help me celebrate “love month”–two from new penfriends, Sarah and Eileen, and one from Christine B. (whose postcard made the green-eyed monster appear because she was exactly where I wanted to be, on the beach in Florida). [Click an image for a closer look and details].

From Sarah V.: “give an iota. every iota makes a difference.” iota.
“Sitting on the Beach. Umbrellas All Around.” Photo by Christine B.
From Eileen V. of Germany: Sophie Anderson (1823-1903). “Take the fair face of woman, and gently suspending, with butterflies, flowers, and jewels attending, thus your fairy is made of most beautiful things,” Charles Ede. The Maas Gallery, London/Bridgeman Images

I was ill twice in February, so my friend Cy surprised me with a “get well” postcard.

“She stretched herself upon tiptoe and peeped over the edge of the mushroom and her eyes immediately met those of a large blue caterpillar.”

The postcard is part of the 100-postcard MacMillan Alice set.  The illustration is from Carroll’s manuscript for Alice’s Adventures Underground.  The timing of this postcard was perfect, not just because I was ill but because I had just sent the same postcard to a swapper who loves Alice in Wonderland. The mail gods sent it back to me. 🙂

Last, but not least, I received a unique handmade postcard from my penfriend, Beckra.

From Beckra

“The Workings of the Heart,” Designed by Rebecca R. (Beckra)

Beckra had fun making these cards for friends and family.  No two are alike. She created the texture by painting over text pages and threaded her design over the texture, allowing the diagonals of the threaded design to play against the straight lines of the text that are just below the surface.  Her goal was something “vaguely like a heart, but then abstracted.”

I thoroughly enjoy Valentine’s Day cards that deviate from the typical motifs–red hearts, flowers, and chocolate–so I’m loving this one.

My mailbox was full of love last month, and I did my best to reciprocate.  I’ll share the postcard I sent in 50 different directions tomorrow.

Until then, maybe you can take a few minutes and write a postcard tonight.  Someone in your life needs to be reminded that he or she is loved.

Hugs!

Happy Heart Mail!

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My mailbox has had lots of fun this month, and while I can share some things later, I can’t put off sharing my “heart” mail any longer.  After all, talking about Valentine’s Day in March is pointless.

The image below is a handmade card I received from Diane, “Midteacher,” on swap-bot.  The card was designed for a “Valentine’s Day: Photo, Note, and a Quote” swap in the “A Thousand Words” group. Swappers had to share a photo and a quote that embraced the “Valentine’s Day” theme. They also had to include a note about the photo or anything else they wanted to talk about.

cactus heart card

“Prickly Heart,” Photo by Diane aka “Midteacher”

How lucky Diane was to find heart-shaped cacti!  Diane shot the photo at the Ann Arbor Arboretum last year on her birthday, which happens to fall on February 15, the day after Valentine’s Day. How sweet!

I like the pink and green as well as the combination of elements–photo, fabric, netting, kraft cardstock, paint, and words.

The quote on the inside reads:

Love is friendship that has caught fire.  It is quiet understanding and mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving.  It is loyalty through good and bad times.  It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.   –Ann Landers

Here are the other photos she included in the envelope–the original cactus and two others edited with iPhone apps.

What’s better than heart mail? Unexpected heart mail!

"Ace of Hearts," by RR (Beckra)

“Ace of Hearts,” by RR aka Beckra

I don’t usually receive V-Day mail, but I shouldn’t have been surprised to find a postcard from my faithful penfriend, Beckra.  Of course, I was indeed pleased to find her unique approach to the Valentine’s Day theme in my mailbox.  Trust me. This card is far more stunning in person.

February has been a tough month. I’ve spent more time sick than well this month, so I needed happy makers to provide buffers against the stress of navigating life while not feeling my best. It might seem like such a little thing, but finding thoughtful mail in the mailbox is good for the heart, soul, and body!

 

 

Leaves and Hearts

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I realize Valentine’s Day was last weekend, but I was busy pouting because my family couldn’t  visit as we had planned. Winter weather–my enemy–prevented the visit. Sure, I appreciate delayed starts to the workday, but really this cold weather has.to.go.now!

I made V-day cards, as usual, and did not send them out on time, as usual. Who are we kidding? I still haven’t sent most of them out. But I know who I am so I designed the card to be given anytime.

Spread Love Postcard

See? No pink or flaming red hearts.

In case you can’t tell, the “hearts” are actually a leaf I was fortunate to find waiting in a puddle for me when I returned home from an errand. I almost stepped on the poor thing. It was raining, and I didn’t want to take my camera out, so I used my iPhone to snap a few shots. I altered the hearts with various apps. I can’t tell you which because I really don’t remember and I’m sure one or two of them went through more than one “process.” The individual hearts are “just okay” alone, but together they make more of an impact–in my opinion.

I like that I typically don’t get V-day cards delivered “on time.”  Perhaps, when they land in mailboxes “late,” they serve as a reminder that we should express love and appreciation every day, not just Valentine’s Day.

Hugs and hearts to you!