It' valentine time!

[tponetom]

To all the Ladies:


I know that some women are delighted to read my ‘mishy, mashie rhetoric.


At the age of 86 and the encroaching aphasia, rattling my brain, I can only offer another re-run.




IT’S VALENTINE TIME [[Vocational???)




To My Only Valentine


Now you know me to be nothing other, than a piece of fluff,,,,,,,

It was early on, that you razed that irascible façade of crumbling clay that was my masquerade of manliness.


You exposed me as a lovesick ‘urchin’ who needed some ‘nursin’, and that’s for ‘certain’.
[[CAN’T RESIST A RHYME!)


During those first twenty years or so, of our lives together, I silently agonized at my inability to discover a vocation. Something meaningful, something exciting, something fulfilling, and something we could do together.


Then, the Epiphany !


It came a few days after we had planted the twenty different crops in our valley garden. We were experimenting to see what vegetables would do well, in that sandy soil. We left the house early in the morning. I had some chores to do in the garage. You disappeared for over an hour. I wondered where you were. I went into the house for a cup of coffee. I looked out the valley side window, and was very alarmed to see you, on your hands and knees, in the middle of the garden. I opened the sliding door and ran down to your side.
“What are you doing?” I yelled.
You gave me that bland, exasperated look and said, “Well, what do you think I’m doing?”


That was my introduction to grubbing; for weeds, that is.


Then, later, there was the “wild blueberry” venue. Different stage but the same position. This time, “Fang,” [[our faithful dog,) was standing guard over you as he always did when you were out of sight of the house.
[[A short digression: In the picking of wild blueberries, I cannot think of an intelligent analogy, but perhaps this one will do: Fill a salt shaker and then empty it on the kitchen floor and then proceed to go a round, on your hands and knees, and start picking the salt up, grain by grain.)
So be it. As you were walking back to the house, I noticed you let Fang dip his snout into the small bucket every few feet. By the time you got to the house there were only a few berries and a lot of mush in the bottom of the bucket.
I exclaimed, a bit loudly, “Why on earth are you letting Fang eat all of the berries?
You replied, “Well, Fang was doing his job, protecting me, and he deserved a little reward.”
More than a little chagrined, I asked you, “if I went with you the next time you picked berries, could I eat some of them on the way home?”
And you replied, “Of course you can, provided you can get your head into the bucket!
In that instant, I knew I had discovered the vocation I could never conjure before.
I knew that my life long vocation was meant to be, “You.”
To love you. To care for you. To protect you. And mostly, To learn from you!
. Something meaningful, something exciting, something fulfilling, and something we could do together.

[sumas]

I do hope you have a great time with your love this V day. I totally understand living with someone with a disabilty. Your strength gives me strength.

Thank you for your thoughts and words. Sumas

[Jimaz]

Although I'm a pretty poor excuse for a lady, that post brought a tear to my eye.

I know exactly what you're feeling, tponetom. Growing old is not for the timid. It is more for the courageous.

Your impressive post reminded me that there was once a secret "Valentine forum" here, all decked out in Valentine decorations. It's a pity it disappeared — or did it? [[Please don't waste your time searching for it.) I found only a remnant of it:

DetroitYES Home » Main Category » Main Forum » How Did I Get Here?

Today I discovered the secret access code to a memory care facility. I vow no harm will ever come of this discovery.

Never stop exploring. The rarest diamonds are the most precious.

Of course you of all people already know this.

[Kathleen]

Tom,

Thanks for reposting!! Best to you and your lady true!!

Kathleen

[Lowell]

Wow, if that's Aphasia it needs to be bottled and sold,
or better yet handed out for free as you have done.

tponetom
<3 Poet Laureate of DetroitYES E>

[gazhekwe]

<3 <3 <3 There is no one like you, Tom, for leading us into the garden of romance. Many thanks! Happy Valentine's Day to you and to Peggy.

I tried to add a nice picture of you two, and I keep getting told to add at least ten characters. I added more than ten and still got told I needed ten more. I guess we need a lot of character to balance out your strength of character. I gave up trying to measure up.

[Jimaz]

... I keep getting told to add at least ten characters....

Whenever that happens to me I just add "[color=white]characters[/color]" just to be tricky.

[Jimaz]

Attachment 28646
Why people believe they can’t draw - and how to prove they can | Graham Shaw | TEDxHull

Why is it that so many people think they can’t draw? Where did we learn to believe that? Graham Shaw will shatter this illusion – quite literally - in a very practical way. He’ll demonstrate how the simple act of drawing has the power to make a positive difference in the world.

Graham specialises in the art of communication and has helped thousands of people to make important presentations. He is perhaps best known for his use of fast cartoon drawings to communicate ideas and is the author of ‘The Art of Business Communication.’

I almost skipped this video before remembering tponetom's mention of aphasia in this thread. At 9:30 Graham Shaw approaches the idea that drawing can be therapeutically beneficial to aphasia patients.

I've had some unexpected success with making random scribbles then trying to find pictures in the randomness. After the nascent images are initially identified [[It helps to turn the paper around until an image can be seen.), scribbled refinements can then develop the image into a remarkable work of art.

Anyone who tries this technique will be surprised at how easily they can create art.