Valentines of all sorts

Ahhh yes...Valentine's Day!
Celebrated with loving made (ahem...OK, store bought...) Valentine's cookies AND chocolate covered strawberries.
YUM!
OK, enough of that mushy stuff.
Back to work.
We've got a whole house to paint!

Best Girl Friend Gail came out to help with the painting efforts.
You know how you can tell a Best Girl Friend?
It is the person that when you call on a Friday afternoon in melt down mode, calmly says:

"I'm driving out to see you right now."

(She lives in Colorado Springs; it is an eight hour drive in best conditions.)
A quick check on the cost of gas, and the time, and a quick look at airfare lent a bit of sensibility to the offer and minutes later a flight was booked for the following Thursday afternoon.
I explained that we were basically camping out with one bathroom sink, and no kitchen.
She would have to sleep on an air mattress and bring her own towels.
She said she didn't care.
She would come anyway to be with me.

Gail flew in this past Thursday afternoon, and I was able to show her all the places in SLC that I had been wanting to go to with her.
You know; girl time.
Valentine's Day it snowed like crazy and Gail, Bernie and I painted the kitchen, living room and a couple of closets.

Mid 50's bodies painting mid 50's house = {I'm pooped!}
Such a way to celebrate a day devoted to love!

Please notice that Gail is wearing a pink turtle neck.
She had brought grubbies to paint, but then asked if I had a long sleeve shirt that she could borrow to paint in as well.
I handed her the old pink turtleneck that I had used another day under a sweat shirt to paint before.
(it was now freshly washed...)
She put it on and went to the rollers with zeal.
Later when we looked at the walls totally knackered, she took a moment to point out to me just how much she loved me.
No, it wasn't the painting (although that is not her most favorite past time...)
It was the fact that she meekly slipped on the PINK shirt.
Gail HATES pink.
She almost becomes ill at the suggestion of pink anything.
Knowing how we are "just basically camping and making do" she just this once swollowed her revulsions and put the shirt on and got on with what needed to be done.

I knew how she felt about pink; and just plain old forgot it in the craziness of the tasks at hand.
She was bearing the pink for me.
The funny part?
I can't bear to listen to the music while I work.
(Earworms and all...)
The contractors had left a radio in the living room; Gail switched it on to an oldies station and together we rocked and rolled while we paint rolled.
If Gail wanted to listen to music, then music it would be!
Cuz' I just love my friend and whatever Gail wants, as far as it is possible for me to make happen,
Gail gets.
Including listening to that old time rock and roll!

(please be praying for Gail...she was one of the 1/3 reduction of work force at Focus on the Family. It looks like she has found a new job...but until you sign on the dotted line...you just keep looking, you know what I mean? She is her own sole support....)