Hi all!
by Tracey Bateman

Back again after another whirlwind month. A lot happens in February around here. Valentine's Day of course. Also, 19 years ago, in a fit of youthful bliss, I said yes to Rusty's proposal of marriage (can I hear an AW...).

A February wedding...I didn't want a June wedding because we are nontraditionalists and a bit Bohemian. Well as Bohemian as you can be and still call yourself a Republican.

Anyway, Rusty didn't like the idea of Valentine's Day wedding. “Too hokey,” says he and, cynical nonconformist that I am, I had to mostly agree. So-o-o-o we got married on the 11th. Three days before the day of Luuuuv.

Here's the deal: For 19 years, I've EITHER gotten something for Valentine's Day OR something for our Anniversary. And never the twain shall meet. How fair is that? Man that he is, HE expects a little something both days, if you know what I mean.

This year, in a fit of...well a hissy fit, actually...I told him I will NOT, I repeat will NOT, stand for any more of his lazy gift-buying. See, after 19 years, my Rusty honestly believes that a 20 lb KettleBell is a great gift for me. He believes this says, “my man's a romance god and longs to help me achieve my fitness goals.” I don’t know...a new treadmill might have done the trick, but not a cannonball with a handle.

Well, here's what I got. For our anniversary, I got 24 hours away from home in a nice hotel--Rusty came with me of course, that was part of the deal. Dinner the first night at Olive Garden where a nice little strawberry martini numbed the sting of an hour-long wait for a table. Wandered around town all next day doing girlie things like invading bookstores and going to TJ MAX, whereby he was not allowed to sigh loudly nor clear his throat ONCE. And no shifting from foot to foot, either.

His one and only job was holding all my books and pushing the shopping cart--until he gave me a flat tire and I took the steering wheel away from him. That night we had dinner at Red Lobster that included a cosmopolitan--which I have thus far refused to try because of the whole SEX AND THE CITY thing--remember, I'm a nonconformist. It was good actually.

Valentine's Day arrived. I fried fish in my handy dandy deep fryer for our family of six and my son's girlfriend. Romantic...hmmm, not so much.

Rusty brought me a stuffed red monkey with a leather jacket that he says is my LUUV monkey. He named him Clyde. I wanted to name him Raoul the pool boy, but Rusty said no.

So, Clyde sits on my pillow reminding me that Rusty tried to think outside of his natural left brained ideas. Red though he is, I love Clyde. Also, I received a box of my favorite chocolate-covered cherries, which I gorged on and ended up with a headache the next day. Rusty also bought me the DVD BECOMING JANE, because the day I saw it advertised, he noticed my eyes light up.

I bought him a Kettle Bell. Romance Goddess that I am, I know what speaks to his heart. 19 years of marriage. He's a flawed Romeo, I'm a flawed Juliet, but somehow, the years keep passing, and he's still mine and I'm still his. That's the way God planned it--I truly believe.