It was Christmas Eve and we had finally packed up the SUV with all the things that we would need to spend the next week at our lake home. It was good that we had side mirrors because the backseat was piled so high, the rear view mirror was inaccessible. The snowmobiles were hooked on to the back. The children had arranged to spend the day in town with their friends and had promised to arrive later that night. As we drove the hour drive to the lake, it was lightly snowing. There were Christmas carols playing on the radio. It was starting out to be a wonderful Christmas.

My husband had made arrangements for the driveway to be plowed before we arrived and there was no trouble getting into our little romantic hide-away. And then it seemed to take us forever to unpack the car and put away the groceries and supplies for the next week's stay.

Once everything was put away, we climbed aboard our snow mobiles and set out to find the perfect Christmas tree. As we rode out of our driveway, we found a little tree. It was not perfect but pretty good. We didn't want to choose it though, because it was, after all the first tree that we had come to. So we continued on. We rode along the trails and then decided to navigate the frozen lake. We spent several hours riding in and out of the bays of the lake looking for that special Christmas tree. Nothing was as good as the first. So back we went to the foot our driveway and carefully harvested the little green sprout for our special Lake Christmas.
I'm writing this several years later, and a new husband later, however I still get goose bumps when I think back to that special time.

Inside the cabin, we made ourselves rum and cokes - mmmm - and decorated the Christmas tree and the surrounding room. While I finished that task, Gordon put on the steaks to broil. I still remember standing on a chair, and pinning garlands to the ceiling and smelling the frying onions and mushrooms. By the time the decorations were up, the tree was decorated, the presents all in a pile beside the tree, the candles on the table were being lit, the red wine was being poured and the dinner was going onto the table. Just the two of us settling in to a nice Christmas Eve Dinner.

As we sat down to eat, my sister-in-law, Patti, popped her head in the door. She had made the trip all the way out to the lake to .... Hmmm .... I don't remember after all these years. And I remember she didn't stay long. Just long enough to take a look at the scene and say "Wow! This is a story book Christmas! Decorated cabin, a husband who cooks, candles on the table! I'm so jealous!"

Of course the exercise wasn't to make the sister-in-law jealous, but I remember at the time thinking, "I was just taking this for granted. How fortunate I am to have this!"

That Christmas was truly a highlight of my life!

I'm writing this article to inspire you to find ways to create romance and memories with your wife.

You may not have a cabin at the lake. You may not have snowmobiles. You may not even have snow or a frozen lake! You may not have a sister who will come in and be awed by what you are doing. But you can create an event that has the possibility of being a memory to cherish in your old age! You might be rich or you might be dirt poor. You may have lost all your money and your home. But don't let that stop you from what is really important in life: romance and the care of the woman that you love.
What is romance? What creates a romantic atmosphere? Let's talk about that for a few minutes. Romance is an exaggerated or decorated expression of love. It also refers to a feeling of excitement associated with love.
Women like romance!

I think women like romance because it is more about the emotions than about the physical.
When a man is being romantic, he is in the pre-foreplay stage of sex. He is letting his wife know that she is special by doing those little things that bring her joy. He is setting the stage for continuing the relationship both physically and emotionally. Romantic gestures tell a woman that you are thinking just of her and that she is special. A single red rose given to a woman when you come home is one of the most romantic and pleasing experiences that a woman can have. A simple act and yet intimate and personal and just for her!
There is a great scene in the Movie Bull Durham. Susan Sarandon tied the young male ballplayer's hands to the headboard of the bed and she read him love poetry. In another scene she is painting his toe nails. Now, you may not want your wife to do that to you (or maybe you do!) but I bet she'd like you to do that to her! You could start by watching the classic movie and then living it out in real life. (Depending on your comfort level, you may or may not choose to tie your spouse up. I always think - what if he had a heart attack and I'm tied up????? But that is just me!)