Ferocious Flirting: Making Marriage Wonderful

In the movie, Johnny Lingo , Johnny tells that when the women gather and talk, they discuss about how many cows their husband bargained for them. The one whose husband saw fit to give her father the most cows had the bragging rights. In real life, people like to play this same game of one-upsmanship. We all like to stand out and we all like to have a story to tell. There is something about human nature and group dynamics that makes us want to be part of the group and stand out in the crowd at the same time. Here's an example. I have noticed that when my sweetie gets together with other women the talk will sometimes turn to wedding rings, especially if there is a newly engaged girl in the group. Each woman will have some story to tell that makes their ring unique. One diamond is so big. Another has a special cut to it. The crown on this ring is made of stronger stuff. My sweetheart's stone isn't the biggest, but she got to design the ring and have it custom built by a friend

I received feedback about one couple who had enjoyed time working on the car together. Every person has things they are good at and are knowledge about. Likewise, every person has things they do not understand and really do not do very well. There is something about teaching that makes one feel good. Its fun to watch as another person learns and grows. Learning is just as fun. Finding out you really can do what you thought you could not do or were even afraid to try. Both the teacher and the student grow from the experience. Think about yourself and your sweetie. What are some things that your sweetie could teach you? Schedule a date and ask your sweetie to help you learn. Simple auto maintenance Cooking your favorite meal Chess Golf A note on being teachable. As adults we are used to being able to do stuff well. It can be a really ego-struggle to admit that there are some things we are not good at and allow ourselves to be taught. You need to leave your ego at the door a

It is so nice to be able to get out and enjoy this time of year. What better way, weather permitting, to enjoy a nice day then to get a kite up? Its fun but not that difficult. Rather than buying a kite, consider building your own , they aren't that hard.

Here it is again, Friday the 13th, namesake of a lot of really bad movies. Maybe that is why the day is considered unlucky because it makes you think of awful cinema. I'm sure there are other reasons for the Friday the 13th superstition that you could find if you just looked in different places . Unless your sweetie suffers from triskaidekaphobia , the day makes a good time for a surprise gift for your sweetheart. A while ago it was suggested : Give your sweetheart a dozen real roses and one silk rose with a note that says "I will love you until the last flower fades". For whatever reason, we like to think in terms of "a dozen". Many things come in dozens likes eggs, donuts, and flowers. Today's tip is to turn the common place dozen into a special dozen plus one, a baker's dozen if you will. The trick is to make the "plus one" stand out as a surprise as in the above idea. The note focuses the attention on the one flower that will last foreve

Do you like doing chores? Do you enjoy going to work? Do you look forward to all those things you hate to do? Whether you like it or not, there are certain things you have to do that you do not like to do. It might be dishes, laundry, yard work or just work work. A previous post discussed having passion for some things in your life. Today, we are not talking about those things, but the things we don't really want to do. As parents and spouse, there are some things that just have to be done. We, as the responsible adults, are responsible to make sure they happen. What is our attitude about these chores? Do we gripe about chores? Do we complain about work? Do we find ways to put it off, so we can complain and gripe about it more? Do we spend more time complaining than it would take to do the chore? What has this to do with romance and flirting? Chores and work are about as far from romance and flirting as you can get. The answer is enthusiasm. There is something about an e

We like to play different board and card games. Its a great way to pass some family time or even just the two of you. The downside to most games is that they are competitive. That is, if one of you wins, the other must lose. There is nothing wrong with that really. Life is just like that. As fun as being competitive is, its often more enjoyable and more rewarding to work together. That is where Hoopla comes it. Rather than competing against each other, all the players make a single team trying to complete a number of given tasks in a certain amount of time. The game consists of a bunch of cards with something on them. There is also a die with colors instead of numbers. Also included is a wind up timer. On your turn you roll the dice. The task is determined by the color that shows. Each task consists on getting the other members of your team to guess what is on your card. The color determines how you give the clues. One color means to draw it, another means to act it out

I went on a business trip to get some training in Chicago. Unfortunately, my sweetie was not able to come so I had to spend my evenings alone in a strange city. One of my friends had told me about the Art Institute of Chicago , so I decided to go see it one evening. I found out that on Tuesday admission is free thanks to the generous support of Ford Motor Company. What a great evening I spent there. From the Art of Flight exhibit to the ancient armor and the paintings. It was a really enjoyable time. I just wish my sweetie could have shared it with me. Of course not everyone lives in Chicago, I know I don't. But most places have art galleries and museums. Colleges and universities often have art displays and even some traveling exhibits. Even one of the malls here in town had a traveling Titanic exhibit here for a while. Another bonus is that you can often get in free or very cheap.

Mother's Day, they say, is a made up holiday. Just an excuse for the flower companies and greeting card companies to make money during an off season of the year. Well, we here Ferocious Flirting feel that made up holidays are just fine. Particularly holidays dedicated to how much we love and appreciate our sweethearts. My mother is not perfect, although just about. She was the perfectest mother I ever had. She protected me, even when I didn't think I needed protection. She tried to guide my chosen career in life, but for the life of me I can't figure out why she wanted me to be a physicist. Maybe I'll ask her later today. However, she did not stand in the way of me becoming a professional geek ( software engineer). Mother tried to make sure I married the "right" girl and when I found my own right girl to marry, she loved her too. My wife is perfect for me. As I watch her sacrifice herself for her children, I finally understand what my own mother sacrificed f

Twas the day before Mother's day and all through the land, sons and daughters were searching the land for a gift that was best of large or small for a woman who is the grandest of all One of my sweetie's favorite pieces of jewelry is a mother's necklace. It is a simple chain with a small ring with a birthstone, one for each of the kids. Many woman have either a ring or a necklace already. If you sweetie already has a mother's ring or chain, consider giving her charms soldered together to represent your marriage. It was not overly expensive but it is meaningful and unique. My sweetheart wears hers all the time. Its probably too late to order from Lifetime Mothers, a leading on-line retailer of mothers rings, bracelets, charm, and necklaces. but they still have some good ideas for another time.

As discussed previously, a personalized message means so much more than just saying it. Hand written notes mean more than email. Why? Its the difference between a work of art and a product off the assembly line. The work of art is one of a kind. It is unique and there will never be another one like it. Same with your hand written note. Same with your sweetie. My sweetheart and I came across some audio tapes we had. One I had recorded and one was sent to my sweetie. The family had so much fun listening to them. It had been a lot of years and we had forgotten what was even on them. Why not make an audio tape or CD for your sweetie? Rather than trying to sit down and recording a whole hour, record it in little sound bites over 2 or 3 weeks. Include on it funny things that have happened, things your sweetie has done that you appreciated , little things you are planning on doing , and how much you love your sweetheart . Once it is done, wrap it up and give it to your sweetie.