The earthquake, tsunami and devastation in Japan have greatly affected at least one couple’s honeymoon plans. A local couple, Jessica and Kieran wanted to go to Japan during cherry blossom time, as their wedding next week is having a cherry blossom theme, which sounds all lovely and romantic. The honeymoon was to have been spent in Japan at the famous cherry blossom festival in Osaka. But recent earth shattering events in Japan have put paid to that idea. Sadly their plans could also seriously dent their finances as they are not able to recover their losses on fares and so … Continue reading →

How long since you complimented your spouse? No, this is not a rhetorical question. I’d really like to hear your answer. Plus, it might be good for you to think about it. Can you even remember the last time you complimented your spouse. Mine was last night just before we went to sleep when I said to my husband. ’I’m glad I’m married to you.’ When was the last time your spouse complimented you? Sadly, compliments according the recent report appear to be one of the first things to disappear. In the first throes of love a person can expect … Continue reading →

When you see a marriage that works it is just so obvious, you can’t help but notice. Recently Mick and I were invited into the home of an elderly couple we know. This couple has been married over 60 years. A couple of things struck me as we entered their home. The first was how important their marriage was to them. They had photographs of their wedding and also photographs and items from the local paper about their 6Oth wedding anniversary which occurred last year on display. Their home had real warmth as it was filled with lots of other … Continue reading →

How important a role does music play in your marriage? Many couples have a special song that is their song. It may be the one they first danced to, the one that was playing when you met or when he proposed. It may simply be a song that captures how you feel about your spouse. Tristi talked about sappy love songs and I’d hazard a guess most of us have a place for them in our lives. They are songs that make you look at your marriage partner and smile. For Mick and me our song is You’re my World. … Continue reading →

The other day, I was listening to a particularly sappy love song, sung by a man, and the thought popped into my head—are these lyrics representative of what a man really thinks about his woman? Or are these songs targeted to the female audience and therefore, only give the women what they want to hear? I asked my husband this question, and he shared some interesting insights with me. “The mushy songs, no,” he said. “But the songs that talk about faithfulness and feelings that endure, yes. Those are the songs that resonate with me and the way I feel … Continue reading →

Valentine’s Day has been and gone here in Australia but the feeling, the romance the caring for each other needs to remain. Yes, it is great to celebrate a special day like Valentine’s Day or a wedding anniversary, but make sure you don’t let the romance and the feeling of Valentine’s Day dissipate after the day. Those little acts of showing your spouse you care need to be an everyday occurrence. Each day ensure you find one thing at least to encourage your marriage partner about, or one thing you can do to show them you love them and that … Continue reading →

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and you want something special that says, ‘I love you.’ That something doesn’t have to be an expensive gift. Often it’s the little specially created things that show our love more than the big gestures. It’s not too late to come up with an inexpensive way of showing your love this Valentine’s Day. Remember that old poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, How Do I love Thee, Let Me Count the Ways? Write something similar for your spouse, letting them know how much you love them. If composing a poem seems way too hard or beyond … Continue reading →

With less than a month to Valentine’s Day, can I suggest you start thinking about a Valentine treasure hunt? I can thank my little granddaughter for this idea. She is right into treasure hunts and makes a lot of them up. She is always giving us or other family members little slips of paper with clues on them which tell us where to look for the next clue. She gets a big kick out of watching us search for her next clue. It occurred to me the other day as Mick and I were involved in following her treasure hunt … Continue reading →

As we look to this year of 2011 and wonder what joys and sorrows it will bring, we need to remember that for those of us who are married, we are facing this year as a couple not as an individual. Perhaps if we were more conscious of being part of a couple, we would be less inclined to make independent decisions without actually asking or caring what our partner thinks about it. A rule that I see as being a useful one in marriage is letting love be your guide. Let love be your guide when you are tempted … Continue reading →

My father passed away in June – this picture to the left is the one we used for his obituary. As we were cleaning out his office, we found two pictures that were taken of him with me when I was three years old. I’d never seen these pictures before, and I held them for several long seconds before putting them in my stack. There’s something in his face as he looks at me that tells me he just adores me, and after losing him this year, and missing him so much, I felt that was a gift that had … Continue reading →