Friday's Memories

Good morning, ya'll come on in for a cup of coffee -strong, sweet and hot. Sure does taste good as it smells. It is a beautiful day, just a little chilly now, but will warm up nicely, the weather man predicts. Looking forward to enjoying it with my camera for I haven't taken many pictures lately.

With Valentines day tomorrow, I began to think about how different it was when I was a child. We always had a big party in our classroom which our room mothers prepared. Our treats would be so good and made by our mamas. We usually had cupcakes, punch and those little heart-shaped candies with sayings written on them.

Mama was always one of our room mothers for all three of us and she would usually bake some of the cupcakes and I always wanted one of hers for I knew how good it would be. Room mothers were very important for we had about 3 or 4 parties a year and they always had to chaperon our field trips. Now that could be good or it could be a tad stifling. How are you going to be anything but good if your mama is always there. Maybe the good Lord arranged that for He knew I was a little bent toward mischief.

Back to the Valentine's day party. We always bought a box of valentines with a 100 in the box for we had 50 or more in our class (and teachers complain about big classes) and you gave everyone a valentine. I remember looking and looking at those little valentines and trying to pick out the best ones for my close friends and the not so best ones for those others. There was always one for the teacher in the box and you always found that one first and did your best handwriting for her. Then you began to write names on a valentine and check and double-check the list you had made to be sure you had not left anyone out. It was an awful feeling to get to school and realize someone didn't have a valentine from you.

Messages on the cards were important and you had to choose one for the person. You surely didn't want the word "love" on it for a boy for that would be considered forward. Now he could give you one with that word, but you didn't let anyone see it and you would kinda give him a sideways glance and big grin when no one was watching. That is unless he was your "boy friend" and then you wanted everyone to see the grin and blushing face. The important thing was that everyone in the class get a valentine and everyone felt special. Many times we would have several of one kind for there was only 1 or 2 places to buy valentines in our small town but that was OK for the thought was the most important thing. The big deal was to go to Selma to Kress or Woolworth dime stores and get a box that was different. That made you feel a tad "proud" or maybe more than a tad.

Of course for our parents we made special valentines in school. It was always red construction paper, a lace doily and whatever else our teachers had for us to create these masterpieces. Our parents always said they were the prettiest cards they had ever seen and hugs and kisses were given to us in abundance. I bet if I look hard enough at the Polk house in Alabama, I might still find one for mama kept them all.

So, I have some great memories of those parties and as I grew I sent and received some special valentines especially when they began to come from the man I have spent almost 45 years with by my side. He can select the most perfect cards for me and make me know I am the heart of his heart and I feel like blushing and giving him a sideways smile again. I have everyone he has sent me and they are very, very special.

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach