Valentine's Day is tomorrow, but my sweetie and I usually celebrate early. February 11, was the day we first met so , in many ways, the 11th is our own special Valentine's Day.
February 11th, 1984 there was a thin frosting of snow on the Idaho ground. I had not planned on going to the youth dance that night as it was cold and I didn't feel like dressing up. At the last minute a friend offered me a ride and I put on the dress my mom had made me for my uncle Dan's wedding. My mom was an expert seamstress and her clothes were often better than were found even at JCPenney-one of the only clothing conglomerates in the South Idaho town I grew up in. I twirled in my floral dress and thought "cousin Ricky was right. This dress really is flattering".
When we got to the dance, I was missing my usual wingman, Kathleen Carnahan. She had been grounded for not cleaning her room . My other friend ,Heidi Heiner, had offered me a ride, but was soon found dancing every song in the arms of her boyfriend Ronnie. Left alone, I made my way over to the dessert table. I had been sent on an errand by my best friend Kathleen to seek out "That blonde David guy at the youth dance. Tell him I'm grounded so I won't be able to see him at this time." Kathleen and I had just started attending these youth dances. The month previous, Kathleen had met a cute boy named David that she was completely over the moon about. I had hated that dance because after the 2nd song, Robert Garcia had pointed out I had something on the back of my skirt. Sure enough, it was sweet and sour sauce from the Jensens car. They had taken sweet and sour meatballs over to my family's New Years party and some had spilled on the back seat. Later, when they took some of us to the youth dance, I had the misfortune of sitting on the seat with sweet and sour sauce.
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
The presents, the stockings and rising early before the sun rose up trying to see Santa are all beloved memories from my youth. I LOVED Christmas and bought into the whole North Pole fantasy without a second thought. To a child, the magic and promise of "good things happening to the world" was not so hard to buy into. Fresher from heaven and angels, as a child, I did not think it was unusual for one man to load up his sleigh and visit every single house on Christmas Eve. Of course he knew my name and every other child's name on earth. I did not have trouble believing in a babe that was born in a manger either. Why wouldn't the donkeys, sheep and cattle surround that place and worship their Heavenly King?The thought of a salutory star rising in the Eastern sky, guiding wisemen and sheperds made perfect sense. As the years have passed , my childlike faith has been replaced not so much with doubt, but with its bed-fellow fear. The trials of the mortal j...
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