Quotable Timeless Tuedays: LOVE

Posted on February 15, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan in 1898. On the...

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“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength…while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” –Lao Tzu

Have you ever read accounts of Herculean feats of strength and courage? I’ve come across news stories that relate how a mother lifted a car that had rolled on her child…and how a husband swam miles in frigid ocean waters supporting his wife until they were rescued. I truly believe that love gives us strength and courage.

“You come to love, not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly.” -Sam Keen

As a young girl, I remember sitting with friends, talking about what each of us was looking for in the “perfect” husband…did you have a list of attributes you wanted in a mate? What was on your list? The thing is, there is a perfect person for everyone…their imperfections may bother others, but not you.

“I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.” -Roy Croft

We are made better by those we cherish…because we strive to be the best we can be for them…we wish them to think well of us and to respect us.

“In real love, you want the other person’s good. In romantic love, you want the other person.” -Margaret Anderson

When you really love someone, you want the best for them and you are willing to give them anything you have, if they need it. My husband and I enjoy sharing things…meals at restaurants, good books, our lives. I know some people don’t like to share food, even with those they love, but I’ll never forget an experience we had at a Dunkin Donuts in Connecticut over 35 years ago. We had been out all day shopping and needed to have a bite to eat before we drove home. We only wanted to grab something quickly, so we pulled into a Dunkin Donuts and went inside. Sitting down at the counter, we noticed the special of the day…soup, bread, coffee and a donut. Since I LOVE soup and hate coffee, and my husband LOVES coffee and wasn’t in the mood for soup, we decided to order the special and share it. The woman behind the counter got our food and set it before us. The soup was delicious and I pushed it closer to my husband, asking him if he would like to have a taste. As he picked up the spoon, the woman behind the counter remarked, “That’s disgusting!!!! I’ve been married 30 years and I’ve never shared ANYTHING with my husband.”

I think that was one of the saddest thing I have ever heard.

“Love is comprised of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” -Aristotle

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day and across the web there were stories, pictures and messages about love.

I think the most important message we need to keep close to our hearts is that we shouldn’t wait until Valentine’s Day or any other “special” day to say “I love you” to people we care about.

I will end with a quote by someone who couldn’t see or hear or speak…but her words create a beautiful picture in our minds and epitomize what love is all about.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” –Helen Keller

Valentine’s Day has come and gone…but children need to hear the words…I love you…on a daily basis. Stop by tomorrow for: What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday. I’ll be reviewing a picture book I recommend in my new parenting book, SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING.

Make-A-Meal Mondays: Valentine’s Day Special

Posted on February 14, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Esther Howland Valentine, circa 1850: "We...

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Do you remember your first Valentine’s Day card? Was it from a relative or a best-friend? How about your first “love interest” Valentine? Do you remember crafting Valentines when you were a child…cutting the red construction paper into heart shapes and gluing bits of ribbon or lace onto the handmade card?

The history of Valentine’s Day is clouded by various legends, but its roots are in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration. Pope Gelasius I made this pagan festival into a Christian feast day in 496 and he declared February 14 to be Saint Valentine’s Day.

However, it wasn’t until the 14^th Century that Chaucer linked St. Valentine’s Day with romance. In 1381, he composed a poem in honor of the engagement of Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia. “The Parliament of Fowls” spoke of the royal engagement, the mating of fowls and St. Valentine’s Day.

By the 18^th Century, gift-giving and the exchange of handmade cards had become a tradition in England. However, it wasn’t until the 1850’s that the tradition of Valentine’s cards became widespread in the United States when Esther Howland, a native of Worcester, Massachusetts and a graduate of Mt. Holyoke, began to mass produce Valentine’s Day cards.

Do you still make your Valentine’s Day cards by hand?

A lot of people do try to make something special to celebrate this day of love. If you pass a bakery or candy shop, you will, no doubt, see windows and shelves filled with cakes, cookies, cupcakes and elegant confections in the shape of hearts, bows, and cupids.

For a healthier take on Valentine’s Day food, why not try this lovely HEARTS OF MOZZARELLA SALAD. This recipe is from the SHOW ME HOW! book, which provides 100 child-friendly healthful cooking activities. You can try it for lunch today or as a side salad for dinner.

HEARTS OF MOZZARELLA SALAD

You will need: 1 chunk of mozzarella cheese (about 1 lb), 2 Roma tomatoes, 1 Tb basis (dry or fresh), several leaves of romaine lettuce, 1 Tb balsamic vinegar, 1 Tb olive oil and 1 Tb Parmesan cheese.

1. Cut mozzarella into 8 slices, each about ¼ inch thick. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or a knife to cut each slice into a heart shape. Put the excess cheese in a plastic bag in the fridge to save for topping on pizza, etc.

2. Slice each tomato into 4 slices and place a tomato slice on top of each cheese heart.

3. Arrange on a platter of lettuce leaves and sprinkle each serving with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil and Parmesan cheese.

I hope you’ll stop by tomorrow for a bunch of wonderful love quotations in Quotable Timeless Tuesday.

May you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day…filled with Sunshine (even if it is raining) and Love.

Birthdays: Special Days On Which To Reflect

Posted on February 11, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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Today is my birthday!

I know that many people, especially as they get older, would rather not celebrate their birthdays. Perhaps they think that if they don’t let people wish them “Happy Birthday” it will keep time from slipping away. Maybe they believe that birthdays are just for young children.

For me, each birthday is an opportunity to rejoice and reflect.

I look back at the year gone by and think about everything that has happened, all that I have accomplished and all of the wonderful people whose lives have connected with mine. This past year has been especially fruitful…my new book for parents of preschoolers was published in September. My talented daughter and daughter-in-law set up my website and were instrumental in getting the book to look so amazing before it went to print. I’ve met dozens of amazing moms and dads through their blogs…many have read the book and have done terrific reviews on their sites…you can read the latest one that was posted today:

http://bookdads.com/book-review/book-review-show-me-how/

And then I give thanks for today…as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift…that’s why they call it the present.”

I love my life…yes, sometimes it is incredibly busy…but I’m happy that I have the strength and energy to do what needs to be done (most of the time).

I love my family…supportive encouraging loving husband whom I’ve been married to for forty-three years, three awesome grown children who are happy in their own lives, three gorgeous (of course) smart (of course) and wonderful (of course) grandchildren and a dear sweet sister.

I love my friends…one I’ve known for over half a century and her prayers and good wishes raise me up on a daily basis; some whom I’ve just met through this amazing blog/internet/social networking phenomenon. but I feel close to them already.

And then I look forward to the future…with eager anticipation. Another gem from Eleanor Roosevelt sums ups how I feel: “You have to accept whatever comes, and the only important thing is that you meet it with the best you have to give.”

I’m excited about the opportunities that I have to share my passions: for picture books and for uplifting young children. The new SHOW ME HOW! story-time program for our local schools here in Colorado Springs has enabled me to be back in the Pre-K and kindergarten classrooms, surrounded by the eager smiling faces of young children. And parents and teachers who use the book will be building self-esteem, developing pre-literacy skills and creating a life-long parent-child bond.

May I share one more quote from Eleanor Roosevelt? “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Helping children believe in the beauty of THEIR dreams is exactly what the book does! I realize that parents are often overwhelmed these days with juggling jobs, home, family and other responsibilities. It is hard to find the time to plan quality activities. That’s why the book is such a valuable tool…it is a genuine shortcut for today’s busy parents and teachers. Everything is laid out in a simple easy-to-use format…story suggestion and summary, gentle parenting tip, eco-friendly craft project and child-friendly healthful cooking activity.

After doing some market research, we’ve decided to try to make the book more affordable for parents and others (preschool teachers, nannies, daycare providers, grandparents) who want to purchase a copy. From today (my birthday) until March 9^th (World Read-Aloud Day…very appropriate, I think, because the book is all about the importance of reading to young children), the book will be on sale on my website for $22.50 per copy with FREE shipping. I am taking away the BOGO event, as that required people to purchase two copies at the same time. I hope that everyone who has been thinking about getting a copy, but were hesitant because of the price, will hop over and grab one…or more…I’ve been told they make great gifts for baby showers. 🙂

So now I will post this to my blog and close the computer and enjoy the rest of my special day! There is definitely an ice-cream sundae, a bowl of popcorn and a good movie in my plans for today!