"Jack Valentine"...and a Few Valentine's Treats!

Punch-out Valentines were my favorite!

I loved Valentine's Day as a child.  In school we would spend a day decorating old shoe boxes with construction paper hearts and stickers.  We struggled cutting out hearts with those blunt scissors and usually got more paste in our hair than on our boxes.  There were usually a few kids who enjoyed the sweet minty taste of the school paste...myself included!  In my mind my finished box was a work of art...but probably looked something like this...

I liked to wander around the room admiring...critiquing...all the other boxes.  I imagined that there would be a special card left in my box by a secret admirer.

Typical Grade School Party.

The 60's were my era.

The party above was probably a lot more fun than the ones I remember.  The last hour of school was set aside for us to line up and "deliver the mail."  We all seemed to get an equal amount of cards and teacher made sure no one was left out.  I worried about that...there were usually a few quiet and shy children in the class.  I wasn't quiet, but I was a bit shy.  We usually got a heart-shaped cookie that someone's mom had made, then we gathered up our boxes and went home.  It was fun to sit on the floor and open the cards.  Some had a few conversation hearts sealed inside the envelope, but I don't remember a lot of candy in the stores, except for the heart-shaped boxes of chocolates.  I eagerly read each card with Mickey Mouse, Fred Flintstone and others seeking a secret message from my admirer, but "I Choo-Choo-Choose You" wasn't exactly a confession of undying love!

Jack Valentine...

Who is Jack?  

Until this morning I had never heard of a character called "Jack Valentine."  I was online looking for Valentine's trivia as a possible blog topic, when I came across several mentions of Jack. Jack is a folk character from Norfolk in eastern England.  He is sometimes known as Old Father Valentine. In Victorian times in Norfolk, Valentine's Eve was almost as important to children (and hopeful lovers) as Christmas with anonymous gifts from secret admirers or parents.

Dressed in a top hat and tails, Jack Valentine would knock upon the door and leave presents for the expectant child.  Sometimes Jack would play tricks upon the children and tie string to the gift, so when the child reached for it, he would jerk it away.  After the children were thoroughly frustrated, Jack would let go of the string and let them have the gift.  But they must never look for him.  Some children found the idea of Jack a bit frightening.

This story of Jack brought back a few Valentine's memories from my own childhood.  As much as I enjoyed the school party...it was the evening that I liked most.  When I got home from school, my mom would be putting sugar cookies on paper plates for our friends. In my old neighborhood in American Fork, it was popular to leave cards or cookies on a neighbor's porch, ring the doorbell and run.  This was also when we gave cards to children that were not in our classes.  Some tricksters would tie a string to a card and jerk it away when you tried to pick it up.  Does this sound familiar?  I had never heard of Jack Valentine...yet it seems his spirit crossed the ocean with the British pioneers who settled my home town.  What do you know?  I learn something new every day!

My Funny (Random) Valentines....

Snowmen for Valentine's.

Bethany Lowe tall snowman hat was changed with glittery red hearts.

I had so many creative intentions for Valentine's this year.  But some time in January the road got a little bumpy.  First, my father fell and broke his hip, which required surgery.  On the same day his wife, Geri, suffered a stroke that in a few weeks would take her away.  It was hard for my dad to be in a rehab center in one Chicago suburb while his wife was in ICU in another.  I am so thankful that Geri's family was on hand to help him.  When Geri passed away on the 26th, we made our plans to fly to Chicago for the funeral and to support Dad.  There are a lot of plans still to be made.  Dad will be in the center for a couple of months until he can get around, then he will be coming home to stay with us.  I'll be glad to get him here...Chicago is a whole world away from here.

In the meantime...here are the few Valentine's I was able to make this year...

Snow White Mini Fairy Garden

Alice and Bambi Mini Fairy Gardens.

I discovered that I could get miniature trees and such at Hobby Lobby in the train miniatures aisle.  Alice's tree has red "roses" added. The Queen likes them red.

Glitter Snowman Hat Ornament.

Framed Valentine's Card.

Print a vintage card 8"x 10'' on printable fabric

Paint the edge of an 8"x 10"canvas frame.

Glue the fabric to the frame and add glitter hearts and letters.

Walmart sold the frames in a 2 pack.

In the hall and on the wall...

A fast, easy project that would be a great gift!

Happy Valentine's!

Meri Wiley's Darling Valentine House!

Saw it in my file and had to share!

My Christmas Secret...Do You Believe?

My Christmas Secret!

Shhhhh!...When I was growing up. I had a Christmas secret that always made me smile. Not the I-can't-wait grin of anticipation, but the cat-with-whiskers-full-of-cream variety. You see...I believed I had an "in" with the Big Guy Up North...a connection no other child possessed. My very own grandmother was an official North Pole employee with the title "Santa's Helper." Her name was Patta Gray.

Patta and Richard Gray on their 50th Anniversary

Santa's Helper at Work...

She confided this to me when I was very young, and I believed her. Why wouldn't I? Her house was filled with dolls and toys all year long! Not to mention she excelled in making gingerbread cakes and cookies with brown sugar topping. And she was soft and pink and smelled delicious...just like Mrs. Santa Claus must.

Shirley, Mike and little sister Patti on a visit to Grandma Patta's.

Sometimes I got to visit for a few days. Grandma Patta and I spent the time up to our elbows in fabric scraps and patterns. The bodice of grandma's dress was studded with straight pins in lieu of a pincushion, keeping her hands free to cut and stitch the tiny clothes for all of Santa's dolls. With my awkward "help" she made designer outfits for Barbie, chic Chanel-style suits with real mink collars...just like Jackie Kennedy wore. Ruffled dresses for Chatty Cathy were next on the list, adorned with yards and yards of lace trimming. Even G.I. Joe got a new uniform or two! (Grandma hated Joe's big floppy feet...it made him hard to dress.)

Chatty Cathy...I didn't like her for some reason...she looked kind of bratty.

In the evenings, Grandpa Rich would get out his tools and work on the Barbie-size furniture he designed. He made four-poster beds and pink vanities with little gold knobs. The closet had sliding doors and rods filled with little pink hangers. With a hammer and wee brass tacks, he patiently upholstered miniature sofas and chairs. I was lucky enough to receive some of his furniture for Christmas one year.

My first Barbie looked like this one.

My first Ken had this fuzzy hair that came off if he got wet.

A Test of Faith...

I felt so special being let in on such an important secret. There were times I was tempted to brag about Grandma's unique job. But the kids I played with were starting to say awful things about Santa...that he didn't exist! Grandma had a saying...something about pearls before swine. Her secret was too precious to waste on non-believers.

As the years went by, it became more difficult to keep the faith. The pressure was on from friends and siblings to admit that Santa Claus was a hoax. But I stubbornly clung to the hope that they were wrong. One Christmas Eve I lined my dolls up on the couch so Santa could see that I took good care of my toys. My brother Mike teased me for being such a baby. "There's no such thing as Santa," he snickered.

Patti Play Pal.

I found out the hard way one Christmas morning that Grandma Zetta's lipstick is forever!

Poor Patti Play Pal!

A few minutes later, Mom came into the room and told us to get ready to go to Grandma's. It was almost time for Santa to come and pick up the doll clothes and take them back to the North Pole. He was a bit behind schedule and the elves needed to get the dolls dressed. I smirked when I saw the startled expression on Mike's face. He'd see!

Still...something deep inside nagged at me all the way to Lehi, where my grandparents lived. "He's not coming," the voice of doubt informed me. "He's not real." I remembered everything my friends had told me. They said it was all a big lie...our parents bought the toys and pretended to be Santa.

Miss Revlon had pierced ears!

Waiting and Waiting...

While the adults visited at Grandma's, I squirmed on the sofa. Anticipation and dread played tag in my stomach and I couldn't eat the cookies grandma had made. When you are a child, minutes seem like hours, and waiting is torture. He's not coming.

As I squeezed my eyes shut and focused all my faith into a wish...I heard the silver tinkle of sleigh bells. I knew that if I opened my eyes, the magic wouldn't work. But the sound of boots on the front porch stamping off the snow seemed real enough. Grandma hurried to the door.

How I remember Santa...so many years ago.

"Merry Christmas!" a hearty voice boomed. When I opened my eyes, a man in red stood in the doorway shaking snow off his whiskers. I watched in awe as Santa reached into his sack and pulled out a candy cane for each of us. My little sisters danced about with excitement and forgot to say thank you. But I remembered! He winked at me, restoring my faith for another year.

Grandma made doll clothes for many years after that, taking orders from neighbors and friends. Even when I was finally too old to believe in Santa Claus, she still personified the Spirit of Christmas. I wish my own children could have known her.

Cute little brother Tommy and sister Lisa came along some years after this story.

Look at their sweet little faces. I miss these little kids.

"May your days be merry and bright,

And may all your Christmases be white..."

It's Snowing!

Merry White Christmas!!

I have posted this story before...but like "The Night Before Christmas" and other holiday tales...it gets taken out of the Christmas box, dusted off, and shared again and again.  This is my most cherished Christmas memory.

George and Shirley...40 Years of Adventure!

Happy 40th Anniversary!

1975-2015

This Friday, November 13, 2015 will be George and Shirley Hatfield's 40th Wedding Anniversary. We will be in Disneyland on that day...big shocker! We thought about taking a trip somewhere different this year...Disney World...but my heart is loyal to that cute and cozy little California park. It's hard to believe we've been together for so many years. I feel so lucky that I found the man of my dreams sitting next to me in Junior English at American Fork High School. He didn't know it then, but I had no intention of ever letting him get away. How is it that 40 years have flown by so fast? Before you know it, we'll be one of those cute little old couples celebrating their Golden Anniversary surrounded by their children and grandchildren. We may even have a couple of "greats" by then...who knows?

Anyone who has followed my blog for any length of time knows that I also use this forum to write my personal and family histories.  I hope that my family will enjoy this post...and I hope that you will too.  This story starts with...

The Proposal...

Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon.

One summer day in 1975, when George and I had been dating for about three years, he took me on a date up Provo Canyon.  He said we were going on a little hike, but to wear something nice.  That seemed a bit suspicious.  My devious little brain thought..."I'll bet he's going to propose today!  Yay!" When he pulled into the parking lot at the base of Bridal Veil Falls, I was certain of it.  George thinks that he is the king of subtlety, but "Bridal Veil Falls" was a bit too on the nose.  And why did he bring a camera and take pictures of us on the trail?  But I had been wrong before...it was best to wait and see.

The trail ended where the water cascaded into a pool.  It was such a pretty sight with the sun shining on the mist.  That was where he finally made it official.  I breathed a sigh of delighted relief!  What a wonderful...and quite romantic...day!

George in his long-hair days.

He thought this date would be a big "surprise."

Not really a surprise...I suspected this all along!

Engagement...

The "official" engagement photo.

George's older brother, Ron, took us out to Hobble Creek Golf Course for an engagement photo shoot. The golf course sits at the base of the mountain near Springville, Utah, and was so beautiful that time of year. It was early autumn and the leaves were starting to change color. Ron took dozens of nice shots, but this one was my favorite!  I just noticed this...George was wearing that same shirt and vest on our "pop the question" day! I wore my favorite white eyelet dress I made for the Military Ball the past winter. Don't tell George, but when I made the dress, I hoped it (being white) would give him matrimonial ideas.

Wedding Invitation.

Another cute couple from our invitations!

The Daily Herald wedding announcement.

November 9, 1975

 Wedding Day...

Alpine Country Club

The wedding and reception were held at the Alpine Country Club, here in Highland, Utah. We weren't members...my dad had a second job there as a custodian, and I worked there as a waitress. The big benefit was that we got to use the venue for free and the catering was at cost. Another big plus in my eyes...the decor was already red and white, my wedding colors!

We didn't have a professional photographer, we had a family friend take the pictures. Though not ideal...many were a bit blurry or dark...I am just so grateful to have pictures. Most of the reception is a bit blurry in my mind. There is a lot I don't remember.

Mr. and Mrs. George Emerson Hatfield

"With this ring..."

My LDS Bishop, Dennis Durfey,  presided over the ceremony.

"You may kiss the bride!"

"Annie's Song"...our wedding theme.

We didn't have our ceremony in the temple at this time and I didn't want to walk down the aisle to "Here Comes the Bride." Instead, we asked a neighbor of George's who happened to be a professor of music at BYU  to play our wedding theme..."Annie's Song" by John Denver. I have loved his music since I was in high school. All the reception background music was from my collection of John Denver albums.

Bridesmaids...Nancy Nicholes, and sisters Patti, Sandy and Lisa Devey.

I made my own wedding dress and most of the bridesmaids' dresses. When I saw the prices of wedding dresses for one of my daughters' weddings, I almost fainted! I thought my dress was beautiful and it only cost me $30 to make. In my opinion veils were cliche, so I spent $25 on a lacy, floppy-brim hat from ZCMI Department Store. The bridesmaids' dresses were red and white gingham trimmed with lace. George's mother had a new-fangled top-of-the-line sewing machine that she graciously let me use.  It was less stressful to sew at her house while she was at work.  It can be hard to concentrate with houseful of younger brothers and sisters making a racket...lol!

Thomas A. and Rhea Lee Gray Devey.

My parents.

Joseph and Colleen Rae Pullman Ovard.

George's mother and step-father.

Our cake and the bride doll made by Grandma Patta.

I think George's Aunt Elaine Pullman made the cake.

The bride doll made by my Grandma Patta wore a dress and hat identical to my own...right down to the lace trim. I don't know how she did it, but she found a 1/4" inch lace that matched my two inch lace perfectly.She was such a talented seamstress...the ball gowns she made for some of her dolls would make a Victorian socialite swoon with envy.  

I wish I still had my bride's bouquet. Ever practical, George insisted the bouquets be silk and dried flowers so we could keep them forever. Mine was lost after we moved to Germany, but my mother had one or two of my sisters' bouquets.

My Trousseau.

I didn't have a big trousseau...my job at Allen's Super Save grocery store...paid only $2.50 an hour. But I had been making fun things and putting them away in my graduation "Hope Chest." Notice the red and white apple canisters? Do you know how hard it was to find the color red in the 70's? Remember the kitchen colors of harvest gold, olive green, and orange and all the mushroom accessories? Tacky! My kitchen was going to be red and white with black wrought iron accents.

The quilt on the left was the one my Grandma Zetta helped me make. She said it was time I learned to put a quilt on the frame. She helped me pick out the fabric...a polyester and cotton blend. We tied the layers together with yarn...there wasn't time to learned fancy quilting...and then she showed me how to bind the edges.  She was a practical woman, but the lesson stayed with me for life...and the quilt as well.  It's been 40 years and Amber still uses it.  Polyester is forever!

The Honeymoon...

The Getaway Car!

After the reception we tried to sneak away before any mischief could be done to my cute little bug, but we were too late. I had successfully dodged my waitress friends who planned to "kidnap" me and drive me around town for an hour or two. But the car was buried in shaving cream...thanks to my brother Mike. Our first stop as newlyweds was the car wash downtown. We stayed overnight in a hotel in Provo, then headed out at first light for a trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The weather was mild, and the autumn days were pretty, but George was a little disappointed by the amount of smog in the canyon.  We hope to return there later this month...it's been 40 years since our last visit.  We've visited the South Rim several times in the last few years.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim.

Mr. Hatfield

Mrs. Hatfield

Home Sweet Home...

Our first home...a cozy little mobile home on 400 East in American Fork.

The honeymoon was very brief...just a long weekend. We had to be home by Monday for work and school. I didn't mind though, we had a living room stacked with wedding presents just waiting to be opened! Such fun! I wasn't thrilled with whoever gave us a Chia Pet, but George thought it was cool. Even more fun was exchanging 3 of the 4 crock pots for an iron and a new John Denver album!

We got the best wedding gift ever...two weeks after our honeymoon I discovered I was expecting.  I blame it on the waterbed in the Thunderbird Hotel...lol!

One Year Later...

The Salt Lake Temple at Christmas!

One year later, on December 17, 1976, George and I and our baby daughter Amber were sealed together as a family for Time and All Eternity in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. I am so grateful for the blessings of the temple that made us a "Forever Family." Forty years of marriage isn't a lot of time in God's reckoning, but I am looking forward to spending the rest of eternity together.  

This is our story...

Note:  I had a few paragraph formatting issues...please excuse the excessive text centering.