Baby Cake

Volumes of insightful wisdom came in comments left on my page yesterday. I had never thought about February being the longest month, but I think it is. I definitely believe that light, bright illumination, can bring health and so I need to get into the light, and for me, a celebration is a guarantee to bring excitement, motivation, inspiration, and cheer. Thankfully we're moving toward a celebration of heart-shaped dimensions!

So thank you everyone for the wisdom. I took my lunch break today to get away from the campus. I wanted to get out into the daylight and to look for some semblance of celebration. "Exhibit A" for celebrating is posted in today's photo. That little itty-bitty miniature cake is just waiting for a celebration. There were a dozen in the package. I'll confess I ate two in an instant when I got back to my office. They even taste like a celebration. Do you know what a celebration tastes like? Well, you'll have to have one of these little baby cakes; it defines the taste of celebration! ;-)

I also bought several bags of heart-shaped peppermint patties with pink fillings and I'll save those to give to my students next week when I meet them for the first time. I found a string of heart lights on clearance and red heart tissue paper (and I already know what I am going to wrap in that delicate crinkley tissue). I also bought a few little heart-shaped boxes of chocolates for the grandkids.

So after scouting through the grocery store's Valentine aisle where most things were marked "clearance," I think I have another Ted Kooser Valentine Poem for whoever is in the mood (I hope that is you).

INVENTORY

How gentle she is with the boxes of candy hearts,
as with one finger she deftly tips the front rack forward
and breathes in the talcummy oder of those behind
who eagerly whisper LOVER, KISS ME, and BE MINE
in sugary voices. They cannot see her free hand,
hidden below the shelf, which with unsentimental fingers
swiftly tallies their type and price and number
on a black machine that hangs from her neck on a strap.
Then, with no word of farewell, she moves away
and begins to tweak and pinch and jostle the bags
of chocolate kisses, to gently punch the gummy bears,
her hidden hand tapping the while. Then, without so much
as a wink of warning, she suddenly shoves her whole arm,
naked but for a friendship bracelet, into their rustle
and begins feeling around. I stick out my old man's chest,
throw back my pigeon shoulders, and tremble a little
as, unnoticed and uncounted, I push my cart past.

Valentines: Poems
by Ted Kooser, former U.S. poet Laureate
winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry

Learn about Kooser's Valentine book here.

Again, thanks for the meaningful messages of wisdom. Blip friends are wonderful. So, with "a little help from my friends" and the delicious moment of eating two baby cakes, I have been able to create and write a blip today.

Good night from Southern California.
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol