Who on earth thought having Valentine’s Day in the middle of the calving season? But even if time is tight, there’s still time for romance in our lives – especially if it is freezing! The thing is when life is busy, dates seem to go out the window. Kids need to be brought to activities, dinners need to be cooked, calves or lambs are being born, paperwork has to be done, the TV is switched on in the background, suddenly it’s 11:30pm and you’re thinking of an early start the next morning …..
Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday this year. Even though farmers don’t take weekends off, they do tend to be more relaxed on Saturdays. After all, they know there won’t be any sales reps calling up looking for money if nothing else! So if there is time, take a little time out to make the day a little bit special. I know it gets over-commercialised but let’s face it, sometimes we need an excuse to put some more effort into celebrations. According to this survey, 51% of women and 29% of men see Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to show your loved one how much you care.
Special Breakfast: Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday this year so if you have kids, get them involved in making up a Valentine’s Day breakfast. Love heart cookie cutters will turn fruit into love heart shapes not to mention heart shaped cookies for breakfast! Maybe the farmers market near you is having a Valentine’s theme – like this one?is doing with their French toast breakfasts.
Romantic Walk: It’s a busy time of year so farmers tend to feel guilty about taking time off. However, the farm could do with a check over particularly if you’re a grass based farm – that grass needs measuring! So combine a walk together with measuring grass or planning your crops for the year. If it is a crisp sunny frosty day like it is today, a walk will be lovely. Buying her a new pair of Hunter wellies with a piece of jewellery inside is a good move too – and of course, she has to try out the wellies on the walk.
Drive into the sunset together: Okay, it’s slurry spreading time here so maybe inviting her out to spread slurry with you isn’t the best idea but if it’s a sunny day, spreading fertiliser or ploughing may not be too bad a suggestion! Oh, and promise her a holiday at the end of it – it’s the most popular gift wish according to this survey.
Indoor Picnics: It might be too cold for having a picnic outside but there’s nothing to stop you ordering one of SocialBee’s romantic afternoon tea picnics and relaxing in front of the fire – even if the calving monitor has to be on in the corner of the room! Or perhaps more suited to our wintry February – a board game evening complete with picnic.
Read the funny bits from Would You Marry A Farmer?: People tell me that one member of the family sits in a kitchen armchair and reads funny extracts from my book to anyone else who happens to be there with the result that they all end up laughing and exchanging their own stories so maybe you could highlight some funny bits to read aloud and reassure yourselves that dating or marrying a farmer was a good idea after all! If she hasn’t got a kindle yet and she likes reading – buy her a kindle and a copy of the ebook!
Get Engaged: The winter months are the most popular for people popping the question with 30% of all proposals happening on Valentine’s Day according to this survey of 7,000 people. So if you really can’t get away from the farm, spell out ‘Will You Marry Me’ using bales in the field or give her a copy of Would You Marry A Farmer? I’m still longing to hear of my book being used as a prop in a marriage proposal! So if you are thinking of popping the question this Valentine’s Day, do give her a copy and then go together to buy?the ring!
Mid February is always our busiest calving slot so there won’t be a night out and I’d say I’ll be busy teaching up to ten newborn calves how to drink and Brian will be training heifers in to milking in the parlour for their first time but Kate will bake us a heart shaped cake and one of us will pick some Christmas roses from the garden at the very least. And I may even give one of the newborn calves a Valentine-inspired name!
How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?
More from my site
My Farming & Writing Week: Calves, Calf Hutches & Press Coverage
Update on ‘Marry A Farmer’, Virtual Tour and Getting The Farm Ready For Winter- Competition – Win Two Farming Books
Valentine’s Day – Romance during the spring calving?
Me and My Dog: So much for our routines changing for another season- First Anniversary and It’s A Good One!
Sally
Going out to measure grass would be the one that would do it for me! (In my boring wellies from the local shop, of course.)
Lorna
Yes, I have the boring wellies too but they suit my style 😉
I’m going to be doing the grass measuring this year but first we’ll do it together until I get the hang of it so we’ll have a few romantic walks!!
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Dee Sewell
Hmmm I might not be married to a farmer but I love the idea of the hunter wellies with a piece of jewellery tucked inside! Was that a big hint?? 😀
Lorna
Not really – to be honest. WE were discussing brands of wellies on twitter one night and I discovered I was totally hopeless in terms of recognising stylish wellies! I just get the Dunbar ones from the creamery. Jewellery doesn’t do tons for me either now but time to read books is what I appreciate. Is that a sign of age?! Have to admit I was thinking of younger farmers when writing this!
I have to admit I like the idea of a romantic picnic though – that someone else has prepared and made to look really special.