Shopping for Johnny

I love Johnny every day of the year but this over-hyped holiday reminds me how giddy in love I am with my husband. It will be interesting to see what the Simmons do 20 years from now, but as of 2006 we unabashedly exchange sappy cards and fun gifts. Yesterday afternoon I set out to run errands which included groceries and a stop by Barnes and Noble to buy Johnny's presents. The adjacent Starbucks beckoned so I purchased a small Awake tea to fuel my browsing. I wandered around for 1 1/2 hours which is quite short for the typical length of time I could spend in a bookstore. To my credit, I did consult my list for possible Johnny-gifts first. I didn't find my exact ideas but I did find two items he wants: The Last Sacrifice by Hank Hanegraaff and Sigmund Brouwer (Johnny doesn't always have to read Great Literature, nor do I) and The Return of the King extended DVD edition (both are similar shades of blue which worked out well aesthetically). But since books sing like the Sirens to me, I eventually shopped for myself. I was determined to find Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity or Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner.* I read her wonderful book, Girl Meets God , which I know I've mentioned previously. Finding her other two books was not meant to be and I think for good reason. It taught me a gem of a lesson, one I need to be reminded of continually: marriage is good, lovely, fun, sometimes difficult, mostly blissful, but above all it is a selfless endeavor. In God's Providence I believe those books were missing from the shelf to remind me that Johnny's happiness is more important than my own. Again, I must brag because he has the selfless thing down unlike myself.

Then while grocery shopping, to go along with his book and DVDs, I also purchased a bar o' love, literally: Chocolove Extra Strong Dark Chocolate which even has a love poem inside the wrapper. And we enjoyed a pre-Valentine's dinner last night at The Red Onion. I had a Fusion margarita, swirled with sangria, and Mayan Chicken: potato-crusted chicken breast sitting in queso topped with mango relish and a side of cooked plaintains. This is not a food blog but I had to tell you about my delectable meal. To further celebrate, I'm driving with Johnny to College Station, TX this afternoon for the massive-sized Breakaway Bible study. He plays there with the Smith Band every Tuesday and I have not tagged along for quite some time. To be all romantic Johnny and I will drive alone, no offense to the band.

*Let me share my excitement of finding Lauren Winner's blog which I quickly added to my links! She is a fellow bibliophile.