It’s Valentine’s Day! – a day to celebrate love and romance with a box of fine chocolates, a bouquet of roses, or maybe a candlelight dinner at home with a glass of wine.

My wife and I have celebrated Valentine’s Day as a married couple for over forty-nine years (Who would have thought!) and these later years have been the happiest years of our lives. Part of the reason is I have learned early on some of the secrets of a happy marriage: put down the toilet seat, put the cap back on the toothpaste, and answer her requests with a gentle “As you wish”. And more recently I’m learning to understand her concerns while not trying to solve them – which is always my first reaction. And it goes both ways. She has learned to accept my lack of any kind of organization – but I try! – and she still laughs at my corny jokes.

But sadly, for many, it may also be a time when you feel the loss of your true love; the time when life, unexpectedly, tossed you into a deep canyon with only memories of the special times together. Your whole world changed, and it was a struggle trying to climb out of your grief. But you eventually moved beyond the sadness and learned to adapt – and life continued. And then one day, after you have accepted the solitude, you unexpectedly found a second love, a companion, someone to create new stories and adventures with.

It may be someone you knew from church, or a friend from your school days, or someone you met at your local meal site. And although you will never forget the memories of those times with your first true love, surprisingly, you found unexpected happiness that you thought would never happen again.

Many of us will experience loss; whether the passing of a loved one or through a divorce.  But Valentine’s Day reminds us: when love is lost, it doesn’t mean it is lost forever – because it is never too late to discover a little romance one more time.

Brain Tease: The following clues each form a unique word by themselves; add them together to get the name of a country. Example: blue and yellow mixed + solid ground. Answer: green + land = Greenland

So here goes. 1. frozen water + solid ground of the earth; 2. used to refer to oneself + competed in a race; 3. anger or wrath + to lower an airplane from sky to ground; 4. a relaxing resort + not out. Bonus: never used + enthusiastic devotion + in addition.

The name of the New York’s Jet’s brash young quarterback who guaranteed a win even though they were 19 ½ points underdog was “Broadway” Joe Namath. I received correct answers from Sandy Haechrel, Judy Kiser, Ken Jernstedt, Lana Tepfer, Dave Lutgens, Donna Mollet, Bruce Johnson, James Bondurant, Rose Schulz, Keith (Wild Bill) Clymer, and Dan Crisp this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket. And last week I missed Raina Demmings.

In my high school English classes, I remember reading such contemporary classics as 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Lord of the Flies, and this 1945 short novel by George Orwell which was described as a satirical tale against Stalin and Russian totalitarianism.

For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of this novella that tells the story of a group of animals who rebel hoping to create a society where the animals can be equal, free, and happy, but ultimately, under the dictatorship of a pig named Napoleon, ends up in a state as bad as it was before? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with the history of the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Well, it’s been another week, trying to keep the sun out of my eyes while driving.

Until we meet again, have you ever felt you were in the right place, but couldn’t remember why?

“It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them.” — Agatha Christie

Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through Friday unless otherwise noted.

Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) – Mondays and Wednesdays; Mt. Hood Townhall (541-308-5997) – Tuesdays; Hood River Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center (541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333).

For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services: Goldendale office(509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068), and in Skamania County call Senior Services (509-427-3990).

Answers:  1. ice + land = Iceland; 2. I + ran = Iran; 3. ire + land = Ireland; 4. spa + in = Spain. Bonus: new + zeal + and = New Zealand