hile the weather is still nice we are more likely to have afternoon picnics at the lake or walks in the woods, exploring rivers and streams. Beaches are also a popular destination that time of year. Wouldn't it be neat if you found a bottle with a note in one of those bodies of water?
I remember when I was a kid (many say I am still one) I would look all over in hopes of discovering a floating bottle with a message inside. I admit I would still like to find one.
The chances of you discovering such a bottle is nearly 100% if you plant it there yourself. The idea is for you to hide the bottle where it is unlikely for anyone else to discover and then take your sweetheart on a picnic or walk for him or her to discover the mysterious bottle in the water.
While any old bottle will do, you might want to shop or rummage around for one that is really interesting or at least would make a nice bud vase. My wife really likes the dark blue wine bottles to put on the table with a few flowers in them. The reason for picking out a nice bottle is that it is likely going to be kept as a memento of the wonderful romantic surprise you pulled off.
What you put inside the bottle is completely up to you. It can be as simple as a love note or as creative as a treasure map (soaked in hot tea and with its edges burned off to make it look aged) that will lead your darling to a present you have hidden or buried, or even a picnic that you have secretly prepared in the woods or park.

ONCE UPON A TIME
by Michael Webb

Occasionally my wife will have insomnia and has a little difficulty getting to sleep. If I am not exhausted, I will sometimes tell her a fairy tale to help pass the time until she becomes a little drowsy.
You can read a fairy tale from children's books lying around the house. Personally, I like to make up my own. Of course she is the main character and I am usually her knight in shining armor who comes to save the day. Not only do the fairy tales help her fall asleep, they are wonderful ways for me to improve my creativity, story telling and extemporaneous speaking skills. I have to do a lot of thinking on my feet when reporters call me out of the blue and want to interview me live on radio.
Please don't make the fairy tale too gruesome, otherwise she might fall asleep and then have disturbing dreams. A good fairy tale will have villains (her mean boss or rude neighbor), heroes and heroines, interesting locations and perhaps a good moral to the story. Sometimes I incorporate riddles into the stories to keep them interesting and clever. Jokes and puns liven up the fairy tale as well.
If you don't make up your own story, just put some interesting twists on the classics: Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Hansel & Gretel, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, etc.
And they lived happily ever after.

A Warm Welcome Home
by Michael Webb

A while back Athena had been out of town without me. It was a VERY long week. I missed her so much and I wanted her to know it.
A couple of hours before she was scheduled to return, I went to the local party supply store and purchased a dozen helium balloons and a "Welcome Home" banner. The entire purchase was less than $7.
I tied the balloons to the front of the house and hung the banner from our second story windows. In addition, I had a bottle of champagne chilling in the refrigerator (as is our custom) to celebrate her return.
She came home. I was overjoyed. And Athena really, really knew it.

One FANtastic Idea
by Michael Webb

Do you have a ceiling fan in the house? Have I got a great idea for you. First, you need to collect some small, light romantic trinkets. Some suggestions are: small wrapped chocolates, candy hearts, flower petals, confetti and paper hearts.
When your sweetheart is away, get on a step stool and place your assorted selection on top of the blades.
When the timing is right, ask your darling for a slow dance or somehow get him or her to stand underneath the fan. When you turn on the fan, your will "shower" him or her with your loving surprises.