Woman in the Middle

It is time to let you in on a little secret of mine. I love the color red and I like pink pretty well, too. Such bright and cheery colors! I also love hearts. Just slap a heart or two on something and I am bound to love it! So this time of year just makes me happy. Where ever I go are wonderful red and pink and hearts! Shopping makes me so happy right now!

Along these same lines, about 20 years ago or so I started collecting old valentines. Again, all that red and hearts too! Plus silly little sayings and funny puns, and what isn’t there to love? I also find valentines to be the perfect collectible because I can put them in the pockets of photo album pages so they are easy to store and don’t take up much room.

A week ago Eldest Daughter went shopping at an antique store and brought me back a little valentine.

Isn’t it cute? It caught my eye on Friday…and I decided to go on eBay, where I have purchased most of my valentines in the past. After all, at this time of year there should be quite a selection….big mistake! After bidding on five different lots of valentines I had to tear myself away and call Hubby to admit my transgressions. Of course, I didn’t win them all. I only ended up winning two of my bids.

The valentines I love the most are the ones from the 30s through the early 70s, particularly valentines that reflect the culture of the times. The valentine that got me started was one that had a little astronaut on it that said “Take a giant leap, be my valentine.” Get it? It must have come out right after the moon landing in 1969 when the phrase, “One giant step for man, one giant leap for mankind” became part of our history.

I also have a valentine that mentions Hawaii becoming the 50th state.

So, now you know about my secret obsession with all things hearts and valentines. I hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day this Friday! I recommend eating something red or pink just for the fun of it!