Simple Joys

Welcome to Simple Joys on Chief 187™Chatter.

Today is one of my favorite days of the year. Although my husband has to work a full day (thank goodness he has a job) and then go to school for several hours for his Master’s program (thank goodness he is nearly finished with this remarkable milestone), and I'll hardly see him, I still love that today is Valentine’s Day!

My husband and I are celebrating our twenty-fifth consecutive Valentine’s Day as a couple! He is my one and only for always and forever. He is the primary reason I am able to find Simple Joys in my daily life.

I love you, Racer 187. This Simple Joys is dedicated to you! Happy Valentine’s Day to you, my husband, my best friend, my lover, the father of my children, and the man I will love fervently for the rest of my days!



And now, without further ado, is this week’s Simple Joys.

Valentine’s Day. One reason I love this day so has much to do with my parents. In 1963 my parents eloped on this day.

I always found their love story to be the ultimate romantic tale. He loved her, she loved him, they were from different backgrounds religiously so they simply ran off to elope so they didn’t have to deal with the details of a wedding.

That was 49 years ago today and they are still happily married.

Cheers to you Mom and Dad. I love you! Having you in my life is one endless Simple Joy!

Studying. Each week my son has a spelling test on Friday. Thursday afternoon he asks me to give him a pre-test to see how prepared he is for the next day’s exam.

I cannot help but laugh each week we do this. This past week in particular my son was in rare form. His asides while I tested him were hilarious and we wound up giggling through the entire ordeal!

Sharing that time together in a constructive way yet still being able to enjoy ourselves unabashedly is a Simple Joy I relish.

F reeze Dance. Taking my five year old to the bus stop before his Kindergarten day begins we always play a game while we wait for the bus' arrival.

We’ve played everything from Tag to Hide and Seek to “Throw the Stick in the Air” – I excel at the latter.

On Friday he suggested “Freeze Dance”. The rules are simple; dance until he screams “Freeze!” and then we freeze in place until he shouts “Freeze Dance” and we begin dancing again.

My daughter, son, and I danced and danced and danced and freezed the entire time we waited for the bus and had a blast!

I’m so genuinely glad I get to write these memories down so they never leave me. Playing “Freeze Dance” is a precious Simple Joy, but always remembering it will be, too!

Rainbow Twizzlers. I am a chocolate fanatic, but Rainbow Twizzlers have stolen my heart… or at least my sweet tooth. My five year old implored me to buy a package because he was intrigued by the multi-colored candies that, when in the same bag, comprise the basic rainbow colors.

Usually I say no to such requests, but for some reason I relented.

Of course, being a fan of strawberry-flavored Twizzlers from my youth, I tried the new flavors in the gorgeous hues of pink, purple, yellow, orange, blue, and green.

There was a taste sensation in my mouth that was unparalleled by any non-chocolate candy before or since!

It takes all of my will power not to eat the entire stash left in the house. Those candies are the most decadent Simple Joys.

Heart-shaped box of chocolates. I can’t help it, I know the bulk of the cost is in the shape of the box, but I just adore receiving a heart-shaped box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day. That is one annual Simple Joy I will always appreciate!

I wish you all a very Happy Valentine’s Day filled with heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, Rainbow Twizzlers, and a maximum amount of Simple Joys!

Join me tomorrow when I wax poetic about yet another topic on Chief 187™Chatter.