Sugar Grove
By Paula Mitchell
Many customs surround Valentine’s Day. The English women had customs of learning who their future husbands would be. In the 1700s, they would write the names of prospective husbands on scraps of paper, roll them in a little piece of clay and drop them all in water. The first piece of paper that rose to the surface was supposed to have the name of the woman’s true love. Actually, that is not much different than the “fortunes” that were told to each other, using names and formulas. And who hasn’t pulled the petals from a daisy, chanting all the while, “He loves me, he loves me not?”
Bay leaves were also used to discern their future husbands. They were pinned on the pillow the night before Valentine’s Day. Dreams of their intended were to take place.
In this community, “apple peelings” were done where one would try to peel an apple without breaking the peeling. The peeling would then be thrown over the left shoulder, forming an initial of the true love when it landed on the floor.
Valentines were usually homemade ones with verses such as this penned on them, “Sure as the vine, Grows ‘round the stump. You are my darling, Sugar Lump.” Here’s another one, “Hang the dishrag, On the hook, I hope some day. You’ll be my cook.”
To all the writer’s readers, her wish is “For Valentine’s Day to bring all the love your heart can hold.”
Life’s little lessons include the following:
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Be kind.
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Smile a lot.
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Replace the toilet paper when only a few squares are left.
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Close one’s mouth when chewing
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Turn off the lights when leaving a room.
This week’s quotes are as follows:
“A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.” — Carl Reiner
“I am a big believer that eventually everything comes back to you. You get back what you give out.” — Nancy Reagan
“If the Lord have need of thee, He will know where to find thee.” — Martin Luther
“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.” — Yogi Berra
“Kindness is like snow. It beautifies everything it covers.” — Kahlil Gibran
Sitting by the stove is the best place to hear the “Talk of the Grove.”
No news from here as everyone has “hunkered down.”
Clickety clacks for the chin waggers are as follows:
•The world’s oldest dress, the Tarkhan Dress, which is more than 5,000 years old was found in Egypt.
•Australia is home to more than 1,500 species of spiders.
•Papua New Guinea, has separate mountain ranges calling for each village to have its own language with around 1,000 spoken.
•Americans consume approximately 100 acres of pizza per day, totaling about 3 billion pizzas annually.
•Sweden has more than 220,000 islands, more than any other country in the world.
Birthdays for February include the following: Brian Jamison and Randy Roberson, 17th; Allen Wilfong, 18th; Kent Simmons and George Hevener, 19th; Diana Smith Cook, 20th; Debbie Reddy, 21st; David Kiser, 24th; Carolyn Sponaugle and Karen Simon, 25th; Terry Ryan 26th; Phil Downs and Patty Marshall, 27th; and Clinton Eye, 28th.
Concerns are for Charles Anderson, Joan and Roger Ashley, Mike Baker, Dave Basagic, Allen Beachler, “Bo” Boggs, Larry Byers, Doreen Calhoun, Marie Cole, Judy Costello, Kim Crane, Stanley Dahmer, Kim Davis, Tommy Davis, Phil Downs, Steve Durham, Jennifer Errett, Isaac Eye, Mary Eye, Carl Gant, David Gillispie, Nan Goland, Patsy Green, JC Hammer, Wayne Harman, Steve and Armanda Heavner, Hannah Hedrick, Jack and Starr Hedrick, Jim Hiner, Evan Hise, Tim Hively, Edsel and Mary Ann Hogan, Karen Holsten, Julia Homan, Charlie Marie Hoover, Cynthia Hurry, Mike and Lisa Jamison, Linda Jones, Richard Judy, Marsha Keller, Tara Kelley, Ruth Kile, Kim Kline, Tracie Knight, Laura Kropp, the Helen June Lambert family, Melissa Lambert, Robert Lambert, Rex Landis, Shannon Maloy, Donna Mallow, Roger and Skip Mallow, Audree Marsh, Yvonne Marsh, Anna Mauzy, Ed May, Dave McConnell, Gene and Joan McConnell, Gary McDonald, Rose Miller, Bruce Minor, Dottie Mitchell, Jamie Mitchell, Tom Mitchell, Barbara Moats, Gloria Moats, Sherri Moyers, Helen Nash, Aaron Nelson, Dominique Nelson, Dwight Nelson, Ruth Nelson, Cheryle Paine, Terri Parker, Andy Pond, Janice Propst, Alda Propst, Mike Propst, Sheldon Propst, Eldon “Butch” Puffenbarger, Tom Rader, Willard Rader, Jason Rexrode, Jimmy Rexrode, Vesta Ruckman, Bernie Sasscer, Annie Simmons, Erin Simmons, Eva Simmons, Greg Simmons, Judy Simmons, Nelson Simmons, Tonya Simon, Robbie Sites, Mike Skiles, Bruce Smith, Ed and Carolyn Smith, Iva Smith, Natalie Stephenson, Tina Stuben, Carolyn Thomas, Riley Thompson, Linda and Larry Vandevander, Peggy Wade, Junior Waggy, Mary Louise Waldschlager, Sherry Wilfong, Judy Williams, Patty Willis and Ann and Ed Wimer.
