Valentines from Grandparents

This Valentine, from the 1940's, is from my grandparents Roy Long and Vivian Maupin Long.
It just reminds me of the art in so many books of my childhood and uses the slang of that era.
This Valentine is also from my Long Grandparents: Roy and Lena Long. Vivian had died and Roy had re-married Lena who was the grandmother most of us remember. They sent this to me while I was in college in 1964. So, Lena included a letter:
In the letter, she relates that they'd been to my mother and dad's house where Grandpa Wicker (whose wife Vennie had died) had brought his "Lady friend". The Longs had been invited to the wedding March 7 and "we are sure going hope your mother have tould you about this."
She then says, "Know you would like her. I think it wonderful for both of them. . .I know it hurts your mother for someone to take her mother's place but it is hard to understand till you get in a place like that. I know how it was with me, but Mother was taking it real good."
This Valentine is from my Grandpa Wicker inviting me to his wedding on March 7th. Note that he says, "Are you proud to get another grandma. . . you will just love her Jannie does and I know you will too."

Well, Janie may have loved her, but Mother never did really "take to" Mae, my grandfather's second wife. It's funny because Dave's dad, Grover was a widower for almost 20 years---I think we would have welcomed a second wife because we hated that he seemed so lonely, but he wouldn't even consider it. I think men often remarried years ago because they didn't know how to cook, clean, do laundry just as the women didn't know how to write checks or pump gas. But, today, we've learned to share household jobs and it seems less important to re-marry. . . and yet with this independence, the companionship is missing.

So, this is a Valentine to my step-grandmothers who provided my grandfathers with love and companionship (and meals) even though the grown children might not have appreciated them at the time. Thanks Lena and Mae.