An Old Rock Song

For our annual anniversaries, my husband Ken and I usually take a long weekend trip, somewhere in the Southeast. Since we got married mid-February around the most "romantic" holiday ever, it is difficult to get reservations. We don't get legalistic about the actual day. I figured out, after 35 years of this, why they stuck Valentine's day in the middle of February. It's because it's the dreariest month of the year. Somebody thought up a clever way to bring some romance to winter, guilt husbands into buying flowers and candy, boost the economy and fatten us up one more time before spring. Just in case Christmas didn't do it. I got late starting on my New Year's resolution diet, whoops, way of life, when Ken tried to get me to wait until after our trip. But it was too late. I was already on the boat and I wasn't jumping off. So we went and somehow I still enjoyed sumptuous food even though there was no sugar involved. How is that possible?

St. Simons Island. Can I go back now? We adored that darling village. We stayed in a little hotel across from the lighthouse and brought our bicycles. Peddled, shopped, ate, hung out at the beach, watched people, met people, and ate some more. There were no chain restaurants in sight and we were treated like it was our hometown. The little shops were wonderful, with very decent prices. Ken only wanted some flip-flops. But since I don't have enough jewelry yet, rather, there's never enough jewelry, I added several pairs of earrings and a necklace to my arsenal. Grandma Betty would be proud. My sister's children have been known to call me Aunt Bling-Bling. But I think they exaggerate...

I don't believe we've had a trip in our thirty-five years that made me feel so peaceful and rested. Maybe it's because I actually left our house in order before we retreated. Maybe it's because we had money set aside for it. But most probably, it's because I got to ride bikes and spend three days with that good-looking hunk of man who still loves me after all these years. You're still the One, honey.