Our Valentine Cards

"Two lovely berries moulded on one stem; So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart."
from William Shakespear - Midsummer Night's Dream
"Rain or Shine, You're my Valentine"


What to do when your Love's at sea? - a collection of poems, illustrations, rhymes and ditties.

"Loving a sailor is not always gay.
Loving him truly is a high price to pay.
He'll come for a kiss.
Say that you, he will miss.
You'll beg him to stay with persistence.
But the next morning you'll watch his ship sink into the distance."

"The sea, the sea. The sea has claimed he.
The boy who belonged all to me.
The sea is now his sweetheart, while I am but a spare part.
What do I lack, that posseses she?
I'll never know, but oh, so mysterious is she the sea."

"Once ago, I loved the sea. And as I did, it loved me.
But I found another love for me, and she became my bride to be.
We were as happy as can.
Unlike my old love, the sea, she was meant for me."


Last night our whole family was busy creating Valentine's cards for each other. No one could leave their part of the house and enter into the area where another family member had set up card -making shop without being shouted at: "Don't look!"

I made a shadow box and illustrated a Shakespeare quote from Midsummer night's dream for my husband. And was very happy when, after a long search through my image library, I found the perfect "berries".

My husband made the funny card with the house (actually a drawing of our house) and the little boy in the raincoat. He had come across a bunch of pictures with 1960's Valentine's imagery, that inspired him.

And last not least our daughter Valentina's elaborate Valentine's card with illustrations and poems. She invented a complete story . Her wonderful imagination and ability to draw everything from scratch always fascinates me. I love that the girl in her card is holding a real hanky.