After a meal you sit down and you begin to feel drowsy - there is a whole world of difference in a natural tiredness that comes from peace and relaxation then nervous exhaustion of a very competitive world.

If you have a fireplace, whether wood, gas, or even make-believe, it represents tranquility and an acceptance of whatever life sends your way.

Sitting near a fireplace, loved ones are more cherished, dreams are sweeter and ambitions more believable. Your mind searches universe for plans that are possible, and hope surrounds them. Your drift off to sleep, and your body repairs and replaces parts that are worn from everyday life and well-used. Your world becomes as natural as trees in forestland but as royal and sophisticated as a star-filled heaven. You are home - and life is good. ENJOY! ©Arleen M. Kaptur 2003 January

We press flowers, collected on warm walks and summer picnics, haphazardly collecting them in any book on hand. It's always a lovely treat when fragile petals float from a page we're reading, and sometimes we glue these decorations of nature to homemade Valentine's Day cards sharing colorful memories of spring.

Children grow up fast, and grandparents miss little things - like a first lost tooth, a new smile. One fun way to send pictures is to decorate cards with sunshines and flowers, replacing round centers with cut-out faces of grandkids. There's no better way to wish folks Happy Valentine's Day than to have a garden of your children's faces beaming up at them.