WINTER TIME IN FLORIDA

Ah Florida, ‘The Sunshine State’. 

As I looked out my window the first part of this week, I did not see any one dressed in shorts, tee shirts or sandals but winter wear.  I pulled from my closet jeans, sweatshirt and jacket.  The meteorologist on the morning news said in the town where I reside, the wind chill made ti feel like thirty-two degrees.  That statement was more fact than fiction.  My Florida room was only forty-five degrees at eight in the morning.  There was no sitting at the table near the window to enjoy my cup of coffee while watching the morning news.  Even the snowbirds, who should be use to cold weather, were bundled up like Eskimos.  It did indeed surprise me to see the croquet players out in full force getting in their weekly game.  No way would I be out there for love or money in that cold.  Some I guess are just die hards to get their games played.

 Memories of the last winter I lived up north came to mind.    One thing I recall was that two of my four vehicles were not drivable, thanks to the snowplows that blocked them in their parking space.  Lucky for me, my two four-wheel drive vehicles were accessible for use until the snow began to melt.

That winter became the last straw when during one storm, we had to shovel every two hours just so one vehicle would be available for use.  The office building where I was employed at the time seemed like a walk-in freezer.  The space heater I had under my cubicle ran for the time I arrived at work until I left for the day. 

During these cold days in Florida, I think about family and friends living up north.  The scraping of ice and snow from their vehicle; the shoveling of that white stuff; the black ice on the roads and being bundled up like Nanook of the North.

As I looked out the window that morning watching the croquet players out in the cold weather, I realize that I do not miss winter in the north.  I am happy that the cold weather in Florida lasts only a few days.

 Today as I type up this blog, I notice the shuffleboard players out in full force, wearing their shorts, tee shirts and sandals.  I can hear a few people splashing around in the community pool and yes, I opened my windows for fresh air. 

 Ah Florida, ‘The Sunshine State’, I just love your winter season.

The following poem had been written a few years ago and dedicated to those living in the north.  As I re-read the poem today, I remember how I would be sitting in the warmth of my home, while the harsh winter winds would blow; and I would reminisce about the wonderful dog days of August while counting the days till spring.

  

WINTER

©Scottie-ann Murphy

Warm weather and summer days become a memory

Ice, snowstorms and frigid temperatures takes their place

Nights seem as if they will never end….winter is here

The day sky has clouds of gray blocking out the sun

Everyone dons woolen sweaters and coats to keep warm

Relaxing by a roaring fire we think of hot August days

IN TWO DAYS.....VALENTINE'S DAY

Two days left before Valentine’s Day.  I had wonderful plans to take my husband out for a late lunch/early dinner at Applebee’s on Wednesday.  (Applebee’s is one of his favorite eating places.) I decided on Wednesday as sort of surprise.  We actually like to celebrate Valentine’s the day prior because we hate crowded restaurants.

Looking at the calendar, I realized that Wednesday would be all wrong.  My husband, who enjoys having a nice steak medium rare with baked potato and grilled veggie, would have to order something other than meat.  The day before Valentine’s Day this year is Ash Wednesday.  For our religion it is a fasting day.  Like they say good intentions sometimes fall by the wayside.  Well my sure did.

I thought long and hard about whether to celebrate on Thursday, but know most places we frequent would be crowded.  I sort of chucked as I thought of the little funny Valentine card I passed out for the past few days.  I thought of five things, as a woman,  I would like for Valentine’s Day and decided perhaps most women would also.  

Five Things Women Would Like

For Valentine’s Day

5.  Mushy card (Store bought or handmade)

4.  Flowers (One perfect red rose is okay)

3.  Candy (Chocolates of course)

2.  Whimsical gift (Plush teddy bear, perfume or jewelry. 

All three would be great)

And the number one thing:

1.  Romantic dinner out where the server does not ask

            “Do you want to super-size that?”

Hence number one on the list probably why, I think, most restaurants are crowded on February 14^th. 

Many will be expecting a card, the heart shaped box of chocolates, the flowers (red roses), a nice dinner out or a piece of jewelry.  I decided why not surprise that person the day before or two days prior.  It would be unexpected and for me more romantic. 

So I came up with an idea of doing something special for five days (Sunday through Thursday). Since I planned on the meal out for Monday, Sunday I wrote a short love poem using the top ten Valentine’s Day words found on an on-line dictionary I frequently use.  It happened by accident I had been on the web site using the thesaurus.  Everything fell into place and the story (done as a poem) just flowed.  Surprised was he, you ask? Yes!

The surprise today, you may wonder, a series of small Valentine message cards.  They are reminiscent of the ones given and received as school children.  Wednesday I plan to sit down with my husband, have a beverage and read him a few love poems while in the background soft music plays.

Two days left and you still are trying to come up something different. I have given you a few ideas in the past few blogs.  Be creative for once and not succumb to the ‘cookie cutter’ items found on the store shelves.

.

COOKIE CUTTERS

©Scottie-ann Murphy

“So here’s a heart

    here’s a rose

      and box of chocolate candy

Hey what more do you want?”

Three items……bestowed upon me

    the typical tokens given on the day

        of love

        they do not bring joy

          nor make me feel as if I am

               special

Cookie cutter presents….sitting upon

   the store shelves

    In the card section, floral area and

    candy aisle

Gifts all available at Wal-Mart

   nicely displayed and packaged for

    the masses

 Pick them up,

    place in the shopping cart,

       take to the check out cashier

Sign the card “with love” and your

   name

     give to the one you hold dear

No fuss, no bother, no racking the

   brain

      on how to show affection on

        Valentine’s Day

 

I accept the gifts presented to me…..

   read the words penned by another

     inside the card

    look at the professional prepared

       floral arrangement

       and sigh at the beautiful box of

          candy

“Thank you” I say handing you the

      card created with love

         the words written from my heart

     

Happy Valentine’s Day!

ONLY SEVEN DAYS LEFT TILL VALENTINE’S DAY

Valentine’s Day is a week away.  The day set aside to show the one you hold dear in your heart how much you love them.

Over the years, I have composed Valentine Day poems for my husband.  In 2011, after I completed what he terms ‘the mushy’ verse, I wrote a more comical piece. 

Today’s the day for hearts and flowers

And boxes of chocolate candy

So here’s a heart

Here’s a rose

And freaking box of candy

Hey what more do you want?

Happy Valentine’s Day

Next to the words heart, rose and candy I put photo of the item.  The front of the 4”x6” card decorated with a big heart.

I gave my husband the two cards (one with the romantic poem and the comical one).  That day at the VFW and American Legion, where we stopped, he showed everyone the funny card and not the romantic one.  Did this bother me?  Not really, I understood he thought the ‘mushy’ verse personal and not to be shared at that time with others.

Last year I took lines from the funny Valentine and composed two new poems for the holiday.  The one poem told of a person’s dilemma shopping for the perfect token of love.   

The other day I read a few of the Valentine cards on display at a store. Though the words varied, they all seemed to convey the same message; LOVE. (Well that is what Valentine's Day is about anyhow.)

This year I decided to do something a bit out of the ordinary.  I created five small poems for my husband.  I realized after I completed each one, they all shared the same message.  Although each written in just a few short words, I do believe I get the point across.  I know he will miss receiving something that would make him chuckle this year. (But there is always St. Patrick's day coming up.)

Does my husband enjoy that I save a few dollars by writing poems for him and creating a special card; one that would not be found for sale in the stores?  The answer is YES; although I wonder if the reason is not the penning of the poem but the saving of the money. 

Yesterday we had been out and about at a few places.  In my purse were generic little Valentine’s that I wrote and handed out.  With the card the recipient received either a small box of conversational hearts or a miniature bag of pretzels (depending on the verse in the card).  Not only were the females happy to receive the cards and treat, but the men were excited about receiving something special.

Women, I believe, are not the only ones who want to be remembered on Valentine’s Day, but men also.

Who says a woman can not send a man flowers?  Why can’t a woman give a man a box of chocolates?  Why can’t a man be taken out for a romantic dinner or have a romantic dinner cooked at home?  Are there not Valentine’s that say to the ‘man I love’ or ‘for my husband on Valentine’s Day’? 

Everyone wants to feel loved and be shown love.  Valentine’s Day is for both men and women to show the one they hold dear how much they mean to them.

The poem Valentine’s Day Purchases not only relates to a man shopping on February 14^th but also a woman.

There is only a week left.

What do I have planned for my husband, you ask?  Well that will be another blog. 

VALENTINE’S DAY PURCHASES

 (Written February 2012)

  

Today is the day for hearts

    and flowers

      and boxes of chocolate candy

I rush to the store to make my purchases……..

The perfect card with a large red heart or cupid on the outside

    a verse inside that expresses my feelings of love

      and words I am unable to pen or say

A crystal vase containing red roses and baby’s breath

    costing three times the price than the previous week

A large heart shaped five pound box of Russell Stover’s

    tied with a red satiny bow

All three gathered quickly…. placed in my shopping cart

    I hurry to the check-out register

      carefully placing  the items on the counter

I look around at the others waiting to pay for their tokens of love

The customer in lane three purchased a bottle of champagne

    and a white teddy bear wearing a black bow tie

A fleeting thought shoots through my mind

Should I also get those items?

This I ponder while entering the pin number of my debit card

FOND FAREWELL TO FOOTBALL

I am a football fanatic.  It does not matter if it is high-school, college or professional games, I watch them all.  Of course I can only watch in the comfort of my home.  You see, I get too radical to be out in public enjoying the games.

Today is a sad day for me.  The last game of the season will be played out in New Orleans today, the Super Bowl; the game that will determine the champions of the NFL.  In the beginning of the season all football fans had high hopes their team would make it to New Orleans.  I am certain, like me, many are upset over the outcome of their team’s performance during the season.  Oh well there is always next season to look forward to.

Super Bowl Sunday has become a day for people to have parties and celebrations.  Sports bars, pubs, private clubs and eateries all offer specials for people to watch the game at their establishments. 

Stores set up displays of must have snacks and beverages to enjoy during the game. 

I don’t remember the first Super Bowl party I attended.  It could have been 1975.  All I recall is my co-worker invited a crowd to party and enjoy the game.  Over the years, since then, I been to Super Bowl parties, but found I rather sit at home to enjoy the game. 

There is a commercial on television about superstitions, beer and football.  Fans seem to have their ritual on game day.   Like many, I have my own; never wear my team jersey or tee shirt on the day they play.  As I cheer for an AFC and NFC team, I wear their attire either on Monday and Tuesday during the season.  I need to do my pre-game cheer for my teams no more than two hours before the game begins; as for snacks and beverages, what I begin with on the first day of the season is the snack and beverage throughout.  Okay you think it is odd, but everyone does what they think will help their team.  I met a man who told me he has to wear his team shirt on a Friday and never on a Sunday.  Another person told me they wear their team jersey or tee shirt to church during the season. 

No doubt the fans of the Ravens and the Forty-niners are doing their rituals.

Who will be the victor?  Who will go home for the season knowing they missed being champs by only oh so much?

Whatever the outcome may be, all I know is that tomorrow my football jerseys, tee shirts, sweatshirts and ball caps will be packed away in storage till September. 

As we say farewell to play on the gridiron today, we will be saying hello in a few weeks to play on the diamond.  The boys of autumn leave us, but the boys of summer are waiting in the wings.

Hope you all enjoy the game, as for me, I am looking forward to the commercials and half-time show.

SUPER BOWL (Written January 18, 2010)

©Scottie-ann Murphy

Sixteen weeks gridiron warriors battle to become CHAMPIONS

Under dome covered stadiums and skies of blue and gray

Pigskin play reigns supreme from September to early February

Every weekend fans fill the seats and tailgate in parking lots

Rain, heat, humidity or frigid temps, the game must be played

Boys of autumn, protectors of their end zone from the foe

Offense pushes forward striving for yardage with each down

While defense tries stopping them from reaching their goal

Lombardi trophy, the prize coveted on Super Bowl Sunday

THE DAY OF LOVE SOON APPROACHES

Today is the first day of February; with the month of February comes the day set aside for love.  It is not too soon to begin to think about how to show that special person in your life how much they mean to you.

The Christmas stock had not even been priced to seventy-five percent off before the stores started to ready for the next holiday.  I began to see Valentine’s Day paraphernalia right after the first of the year.  Boxes of valentines for children to pass out at school, heart shaped boxes of gooey chocolates and of course my favorite candy for this time of year, conversational hearts.

There is just something about those sweet colorful confections with the red words printed on them that tug at my heart.  Words that proclaim a message of love such as:

HUG ME….

KISS ME….

HOT STUFF….

SWEET TALK….

BE MINE….

Like my addiction for consuming certain candy on Halloween, Christmas and Easter, I need a small box of conversational hearts for Valentine’s Day.  No more than twenty pieces will satisfy my craving.  I open the box, placing the contents on a plate and read each and every message.  It is fun to see how many duplicates I can find.  I don’t have any favorite saying, but always look to see if something new had been added for the year.

A few years ago I wrote a poem about conversational hearts as a tribute to a February favorite.  Please don’t think I am a candy junkie but there are four times a year I indulge with a certain amount of what I call ‘my holiday delights’.

                                    Thirty pieces of candy corn on Halloween

                                    A candy cane on Christmas Day

                                    Twenty jelly beans (black and purple only) on Easter

                                    Box of conversational hearts on Valentine’s Day

Each of the four listed candies triggers a pleasant childhood memory which may become a future blog but a definite story for my memoirs. 

As I walk through the stores during these weeks leading up to February 14^th, I am amazed at the displays of possible gifts to give your love one.  In one particular store I found Valentine water globes.  Of course I had to pick one up to use as a dust collector on my coffee table.  Another store had heart shaped lollipops tied together as a bouquet.  These two items caught my eye.  Of course on February 15^th they no doubt will go on sale as the stores make way for the St. Patrick’s Day and Easter items.

You are probably wondering what I am trying to convey in this blog.  Well it is simple.  In the next few weeks, I will be blogging about Valentine’s Day again; and reminding you not to forget to show the one you hold dear in your heart, or perhaps ones you hold dear in your heart, how much you care.  As for today, I just want to get your mind thinking about how to get ready to do so.  You have thirteen days from today to bestow your affections.  Perhaps a trip to a couple of stores in the next few days will give you ideas.  (I have mentioned a few objects that caught my eye.)                            

Your gesture does not have to be extravagant; as I was taught as a child,    it is the thought that counts.  Just ask my husband how easy it is for him to please me on Valentine’s Day. All I require is the box of candy hearts and a handmade card with a big heart and the words “Be Mine.”

Of course two days after the holiday I do expect more (that is my birthday).

HEARTS OF DELIGHT

© Scottie-ann Murphy

 Small confections……  

     Hot pink….                                                                   

         Pale green….

            Vivid Yellow….

                Bright Orange….

                     Light violet….

                        And pure white….

  Sitting inside a box

Red words written on them proclaim a message……

          BE MINE….

              I LUV U….

               HUG ME….

                KISS ME….

                  I AM YOURS….

                    HOT STUFF….

                        SWEET TALK….

                           BE MY VALENTINE

         

     They wait….

          For someone….

            Anyone…..

               To open….

                   Read the message...

                            Then devour....

  Savoring their sweet sugary delight on Valentine’s Day