Two Eurasian collared doves have come out of the woodwork to be lovey-dovey for Valentine’s Day.

It sure is lonely at the top.

Will you look at that!?

Oh no! It’s that dog again.

You stay down there!

Come on down here. We can play tag.

You just stay here by me, darlin’. I’ll take care of you. How about a little snack? I’m not afraid of that dog. I’ll find you something to eat. Make you forget about all your troubles.

Good! The doggone dog’s gone. The coast is clear for foraging.

That little bit of corn? That’s it? Don’t you think I’m worth more than that? You’re going to have to do better than that if you want to be my buddy.

Okay, what’s the trouble here? I see there are some ruffled feathers. Looks like someone’s head is hanging in shame. Let’s fix this up. Come on, you two. Kiss and make up. And remember she gets the kiss and he gets the makeup. Hahaha. Get it? Get it?

I’ll get you something bigger, darlin’. Be right back. And remember, I want you to be my Valentine. Is that a deal? Okay, that’s good then.

Good grief, she’s high maintenance. But I suppose she’s worth it. Life is such a fine balance. I’d better practice on this balance beam.

Have a happy Valentine’s Day on February the 14th and be happy every day after that too.

Because it’s February and Valentine’s month, along with my fish placemats, I plan to make some more heart placemats at the upcoming quilting retreat.

Did you see the movie with Adam Sandler where he frequently says, “Love, love, love”? He says it with a sigh, or as if people are making too big a deal of love, but really he wishes he could make the girl fall in love with him. I don’t know which of his many movies it was, but I remember him being on the beach being a bartender in a little beach bar.

Anybody know which movie I’m talking about? I just don’t remember. All I remember is that every once in a while, he’d say, “Love, love, love,” as if it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

On Valentine’s Day we like to show the special people in our life that we really do love them.

But shouldn’t we do that every day? How should we do that?

Here are a few ideas.

Good relationships have a lot of give and take. The thing is, it’s not meant to be “one gives and the other takes.” You both have to give and take, equally.
No good keeping score and saving up Brownie points. Just go for it, and be good to each other.
Work towards a common goal. If you are working against each other in life’s goals, it’s not going to work. For example: If one makes the money and the other just spends it, it’s not going to work. Or if one always messes up the house and the other one always cleans it, it’s not going to work.
Allow your partner his/her own space; time to pursue some creative hobbies or quiet time on their own.
Say something nice to your partner every day.

Lastly, I was reminded the other day about how dogs behave when their owner returns after having been away for a while. If you’ve ever owned a dog, you might have noticed how they jump around and sometimes yip and bark and whine, or roll on their back hoping for a belly rub because they’re so happy to see you.

Wouldn’t it make your partner feel good if you showed how happy you were to see them when they come home? You don’t have to bark and yip, or roll on the floor with joy, but … well … you get the picture.