A Valentine's Day Remembrance

When my children were young, as was usual at the time, I was a stay-at-home mom. Needing outlets to express a budding creativity, I poured myself into what was near at hand: making the food I cooked and baked attractive and interesting. Valentine’s Day and holidays merited special attention.

Valentine’s Day cookies I made and hand-decorated in 1970. Taken with an old Brownie camera, the photo hasn’t fared too well through the years, but it still gives me fond memories.

Pam and David are my children and Greta, Gretchen, and John were neighbors. Alan is my former husband. The print was made with red food coloring, which if I were making the cookies today, I would no longer use.

A decorative plate I once received as a gift was inscribed with the maxim: “To love and to be loved are the greatest joys on earth.”

May you have people you love and who love you.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Comments: 18

Alison H. Feb 6, 2011, 1:55pm UTC

Beautiful cookies! You made some special memories for your family and friends.

Verie Sandborg Feb 6, 2011, 2:01pm UTC

Thanks, Alison. It also has given me happy memories.

reply to this comment

Drina T. Feb 6, 2011, 2:02pm UTC

Thanks for sharing your memories.

Verie Sandborg Feb 6, 2011, 2:07pm UTC

Thanks, Drina. It's always pleasant to share happy memories.

reply to this comment

Priscilla P. Feb 6, 2011, 2:53pm UTC

You captured the fond memory brilliantly and the picture Missouri poignant.
Last week I made Valentines with my 6-year old granddaughter and that brought memories of 40 years ago.

Verie Sandborg Feb 6, 2011, 7:38pm UTC

Thanks, Priscilla. Your granddaughter now has a memory of her own. And, of course, some delicious cookies.

reply to this comment

Nancy S. Feb 6, 2011, 3:29pm UTC

That's lovely. Isn't it neat how we can scan the old photos and now we can have them forever?

Verie Sandborg Feb 6, 2011, 7:37pm UTC

You make a good point, Nancy, about scanning photos and making them more extendable into the future. When my children were born, I assiduously put all photos related to each child neatly in personal photo albums for them. But I also have made albums for myself. And unfortunately, the plastic covering on photos has damaged some of the them. I have scanned a lot of photos and will do more as I go along.

With all the scanned and electronic information we've developed in recent years, archeologists and historians of the future will have so much more to work with. (Archeology is on my mind more since I went to Egypt in November and to the Oriental Institute in Chicago yesterday.) I'm also listening to the Teaching Company's CD course on ancient Greece and Rome (their interaction together) and I'm amazed at how difficult it must be to make these discoveries and then to interpret it.

reply to this comment

Gary Gentry Feb 6, 2011, 4:18pm UTC

What a nice reminder that Valentine's Day is soon. It's amazing that it's an international phenomenon. I spent much time in Japan in the '80s and '90s, and it's huge there. The Japanese have merged it with another holiday, and made it a day when girls can ask guys for a date.

Verie Sandborg Feb 6, 2011, 7:25pm UTC

"The Japanese have merged it with another holiday, and made it a day when girls can ask guys for a date." A Sadie Hawkins Day.

I didn't realize Valentine's Day was an international phenomenon. With its meaning of love, it's a great day to become internationally celebrated.

reply to this comment

Dave Sandborg Feb 6, 2011, 5:48pm UTC

I think I remember these!

Verie Sandborg Feb 6, 2011, 7:20pm UTC

You loved the butter cut-out cookies, whether they were for Valentine's Day, Christmas, Easter, or to take to school on your birthday. After I went back to work, I was too busy to do this sort of activity. I remember you were unhappy when I told you one Christmas that I wasn't going to make them again. I had a twinge of guilt.

Dave Sandborg Feb 6, 2011, 10:16pm UTC

I always did like that style of cookie best.

reply to this comment

aniko Feb 6, 2011, 10:19pm UTC

Happy Valentine's to you, too, Verie! (You're scaring me. I have a kid's birthday to deal with that's before Valentine's Day, and not much has been done about it yet.)

Verie Sandborg Feb 6, 2011, 10:36pm UTC

Thanks, Aniko. You're creative--you'll think of something that will delight her/him. I'm not in touch with toys and kids' interests these days.

reply to this comment

Connie C. Feb 12, 2011, 1:04am UTC

This post is spotlighted in the Weekend edition of Today on Gather.

You Can View It By CLicking HERE.

Congratulations!

I do hope you will have the time to view the other spotlighted posts as well.

Have a wonderful weekend.

reply to this comment

Truth Always Oct 18, 2011, 10:40pm UTC

What a cute idea... I like the way they turned out...

Verie Sandborg Oct 19, 2011, 11:56am UTC

They were fun, and my children and guests loved them.

reply to this comment

A Valentine's Day Remembrance

5 people recommend this post

Comments: 18

Join the Conversation