Wow! What a great weekend I had! Not only did I have a blast every day, but the weather was perfect for everything and we had an extra day to have the fun because of Labor Day. In fact, I was so tired and ragged yesterday that I couldn’t even get online last night – I just fell out on the couch and next thing I knew it was daylight!

When I was a kid we got candy bars as a treat and were allowed to chew gum just about any time we wanted to. There was not the stigma of sugar and tooth decay.

My parents’ only stipulation about gum was that you had to chew with your mouth closed and you had to dispose of it properly. My mom always carried gum in her purse have fresh breath, and I always seemed to have a nickle to spend on a pack of gum when I wanted some.

I loved to chew Dentyne gum, but also tried different ones, like Juicyfruit, Fruit Stripes, Doublemint, and Teaberry. I miss those days.

My nieces go to a sweet little private school near their home. My sister is very active with the school, she goes once a week as a volunteer for a teacher, and she helps with all their activities, like sports events and fund raisers.

This year the Kindergarten and First Grade put on a show for a May Day celebration, and I was invited to come watch. They dressed up in frilly dresses and knickers, then they sang old timey songs and danced around a Maypole. It was really cute!

This looks like my idea of a perfect fireplace. I love the stone and the big opening. A big, rough mantle and a high hearth to sit on make it all come together perfectly. If I could build my dream house, I would have this fireplace in the family room.

Today is all about chocolates. I love good chocolates – there are several really good brands. Each brand has is unique taste and texture, and I have never tasted a chocolate that I didn’t like!

Happy Valentine’s Day!