(4 minute read)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I interrupt your day running errands (buying cards, candy or flowers) with a little update. Love is in the air! Not sure how that happened so quickly because I just put away all of our Christmas decorations the other day. Do I even bring out the Valentines wreath and red hearts, or just put out the bunnies and baskets? I have been holed up with reading and writing in my office. The only big reminder I get about Valentine’s Day is looking out my window at the big heart pasture. It is the one I have carefully consistently mowed in the shape of a giant heart. A neighbor who is a pilot once told me how great it looks from up in the sky. I looked on the FindMyFreinds app and saw that he was indeed correct. Love is right outside my window!

Today I want to write about a couple other touch-points of love in my life right now. At the start of this month, two weeks ago, our last baby left the nest. I write this smiling and welling up at the same time. We mamabears know that our job is to raise our cubs and then send them out into the world, but it still hurts the heart to watch them drive away with their car packed up. For all those families getting college acceptances (my sister) or taking six month pictures of their fast growing grandbabies (my sister in law), I see you and I feel your pain and joy. 

Kids grow up so fast! This brings me to my next love touch point. Our kids just celebrated their one year old birthdays! I do not blame you if you are confused. Our seven nigerian dwarf goats were born just days apart (and a few on the same day from the same mom). Ada, Arthur, John and Finn were born 1/30/23, Thomas Shelby on 1/31/23, and then Polly and Lizzie on 2/2/23. I had envisioned a big party with balloons, cake, guests playing pin the tail on the donkey (no we do not have a donkey, yet), and presents. I had been scouring the internet for ideas of goat toys and came across some fantastic ideas for adding onto their goat playground. 

But alas, the crumby weather and sick family members kind of party pooped those plans. We still got the chance to love on them after cleaning their stall, and giving each one a good long overdue pedicure (hoof trimming). I cannot emphasize enough how affectionate these little goats are! We debated the other day wether they can actually “love” us. My husband, with the background in 4H and raising animals, says they are conditioned to expect our arrival at the barn. It was a stretch for him to agree with me that they “loved” us. Well I have seen the way Polly looks at him, or Arthur rubs his head into our open palms. It is true love!

The next touch point will be brief. It is a love story that we have all watched unfold since back in September. So much press and so many differing opinions. The only thing this football mom can say is that watching this sport has never come with such delicious drama. I will miss it. Even though my heart was rooting for my dad’s 49ers to win, the silver lining was watching all of the post game partying. Congratulations to the winning pair! Where do they go from here?

Now for the final touch point of my love post. My one and only valentine, Kevin, makes my life everything it is. In my last blog entry I wrote about how much I have been writing up in my office. I was not exaggerating when I said how the hours fly by as I rip through the words for my first draft. He is my biggest supporter. Not only does he give me the space to hunker down, but he also takes on the barn duties and meal prep when I loose track of time. I also discovered that he was a great first person to roll out the plot and characters of my novel to when I was nervous about my ideas. He listened without a word for the three hours on a recent roadtrip. (It may have helped that I had him confined in the car in the backroads of Virginia). When I was done I looked for him to respond. He was engaged and wanted me to dive in even further. I love this man!  Everyone needs a person (a friend or spouse or mother), who is the champion of their passions.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all. Look for the touch points of love in your life. They can come on four little legs, or a best pal, or a romantic love story on tv, or right next to you on a road trip when you share all the crazy ideas in your head. That is love!