Love That SpecialEd!

Even if he didn't give me the best presents ever, I'd still love that SpecialEd. Please not e that the box of See's chocolates is a luscious two pounds worth of heaven!

Each year when Valentine's Day rolls around, print and TV ads tell men, ad nauseum, that they'd better buy their sweeties something -- preferably something sparkly and expensive -- if they still want to have sweeties the next day. Oddly, you rarely see an ad in which women are giving the men in their lives something that they'd like. Oh, I know, the implication is that if a man gives his woman the goods, she'll return the favor between the sheets. However, I've yet to see a commercial in which a woman gives her man a small velvet box in which is a drill chuck, the keys to a new lawn tractor, or whatever it is that will make his heart flutter.

This year I had the best idea for SpecialEd. I thought of it Friday morning and, thanks to a happy set of circumstances, I was able to procure a hat for him with his Ham radio call letters embroidered on it: KB3RUX. The gift was something that is unique, something I just knew he'd like, and something that he's use every day. He was pleased and surprised. Success!

SpecialEd returned the favor by giving me a big box of my favorite chocolates, See's. He also gave me what, for me, is the equivalent of a luxury gift: wool. Just this week we were out in the garage, and I said, after taking in all the bags of wool out there, "I guess I don't really need any more wool."

Even though he knew I'd happily enough forego more fiber, he also knows the way to my heart. Weeks ago, he got in touch with Cory's Lincoln Longwools and ordered some of their best (and it's all their best, believe me) wool -- some washed, some not. The picture at the top of this post is a cloud of freshly washed Lincoln longwool; the picture here is of the same wool before its bath. You see, SpecialEd knows that, in some weird way, I really do enjoy the whole washing, drying, and carding process that goes along with raw wool.

SpecialEd also has a soft spot for Skimbleshanks and BuddhaBoy: each of them was given his own bag of favorite candy: York peppermint patties for the former, and Hershey's Kisses for the latter.

Oh, and that soft spot also extends to our furry kids, Loki and Annie. He gave each of them his or her own squeaky toy; one is a duck and the other is a pheasant. Here you can see Loki breaking in the duck. This morning he took the pheasant for a dip in his mudhole -- um -- wading pool. He then proceeded to happily toss the sopping wet thing around the yard before disembowelling it. Good times!

Hope you all had a happy Valentine's Day and that you gave something special to your someone special -- even if that someone special is yourself.