Replete (what a cool word) Replete with ruffles, lace or other girly attributes, that Webster’s definition of a Frou-frou girl. I love a well put together woman. I on the other hand, am not nor will I ever be a traditional Girly-Girly. I am not a beauty, but I am loved. Many handsome women I know look their most feminine dressed in Carhartt’s and boots!
On the homestead and farm, a measure of beauty is not every hair in place but that look of accomplishment as she helps bring in the harvest or the delight at new life as the calves and kids are birthed.
What made me think of Girly-Girls is the upcoming holiday of Valentine’s. Jim has never been a creative gift giver, it’s not his love language. He gave me an exquisitely wrapped box the night before our wedding and said, “This is all I want you to wear on our wedding night.” The box was empty! He knew I was feeling subconscious as several beautiful women had their “caps set on him,” but he chose me over all the pretty girls. I was feeling anxious. That box was just the gift for me, it was his way of letting me know he would delight in me always. That girls, is the real deal.
Jim gives me great gifts, but he does that all year round rather than on a set date like Valentine’s Day. Many men see Valentine’s Day as just one more pressure. Will what they come up with please the love of their lives? How can they get through the day without stepping on a landmine? While I am not trying to take men totally off the hook, make sure you encourage them in their efforts this year.
Many times homesteaders, farmers and urban dwellers all have the same issues of money being tight. That doesn’t change most couples’ desire to give their sweethearts a memorable gift. I encourage you to think outside the box.
Since Valentine’s is about love, I am going to share a “gift” Jim and I shared many years ago when our boys were small and we thought we had to be really busy in order to succeed in life.
One day, a homesteading magazine came in the mail. It was decades ago when the concerns for lost butterfly and bug habitats were just being addressed. There was an article about butterfly houses and how you could order this brand new widget for only $85.99. I asked Jim what he thought and he got this gleam in his eyes. “I will trade you, dear. I will make you a first rate butterfly house but it will cost you.” Knowing how he liked to tease, I asked, “What’s the price?” Lay with me 100 times and I will make you an amazing butterfly house. 100 times! What are you making it out of, pure gold? We banter back and forth. Oh, how we laughed! It was one of the best summers of our lives! Life is supposed to be fun. I have a smile in my heart when I think back to all the love that went into the creating of my butterfly house. Did it cost Jim a lot of money to make it? No. Was it one of my best presents ever? Did he make me feel loved and cherished? Yes! Life is good! So please enjoy this Valentine’s Day, but better yet, enjoy every day. Give someone flowers for no reason what so ever. Go pick out a bangle or boots or both at Buchheit. Just relax, you are loved! Sincerely here to help, Anne May
