is all we know of love."
~Emily Dickinson
I'm afraid this might be the last year that my 6th grader will let me photograph him like this with his little brother -- specifically for a card to go along with a Valentine's Day goodie bag for his classmates. Apparently they don't pass out Valentines once they hit middle school. Who knew?
Side note: my grandma made the quilt in the background completely by hand. It's probably 40 years old, give or take. She was a master at quilting, crochet, needlepoint, huck toweling (betcha don't know what that is), decorative stitching (I'm sure there is a better term for it but I can't think of what it is), and a good cook to boot. Even more than that, her heart knew no bounds when it came to her daughter (my mom) and her grandchildren (me and my three siblings). Sadly, she passed away before I met my husband, so my kids never got to meet this special lady who would have doted on them. I have to say, I hit the jackpot when it came to grandparents. I knew all four of them and they set the bar in grandparenting, each in their own unique way. I wanted to include some of that love in this image of my boys, and my old, tattered quilt, special heirloom that it is, was perfect for the job.
On another note.....my husband has been sick and in bed for most of this week, and he said to me this morning, "We're not doing anything tonight, are we?" Well, I'm not a huge fan of "forced" holidays (which includes New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day) -- the ones with big expectations attached that end up being tough to navigate for whatever reason. So I replied, "Nah, it's a school night, no worries." And I meant it wholeheartedly. I was focused on taking care of the kids' needs (as well as my dogs and the photo session I had this morning), and the idea of getting gussied up for an expensive dinner just didn't appeal to me. A simple "Happy Valentine's Day" would have been more than enough. Anyway, he dragged himself out of bed this afternoon just to get me some roses, and they sure are pretty. Lavender ones, not red. Just enough to fill the Waterford vase that I've had since we got married. Now the cat has a midnight snack waiting for him after everyone's asleep (ha ha!). Seriously though, the roses were nice to receive, and they were backed by a kind and loving gesture, but the lesson to our boys on how to treat a lady was the most meaningful part to me. Thank you, John! ILY!
