Mark Your Calendar

Posted on October 26, 2009 by Debi Walter

halloween heart

With Halloween this coming weekend, the Central Florida area is a buzz with Haunted this and Haunted that.  Here at the vineyard, this isn’t our idea of a romantic evening, so our list of things to do this week are quite limited.  However, we are finishing up our Fall In Love Contest tomorrow – so make sure you are entered and check out our post on Thursday to see if you will be blessed with our very special “Fall In Love” gift basket.  Have a romantical week!   We know, romantical isn’t a word, but we may just coin this one for our own use.  It has a special ring to it, don’t ya think?

CENTRAL

  • Lake Eola Park – Relax Grill hosts an outdoor movie on Wednesday, October 28th.  This month’s feature is: Ice Age 3

NORTH

Altamonte Springs:

EAST


Posted in Mark Your Calendars (time sensitive) | Comments Off on Mark Your Calendar

Freebie Friday – Devotions for Couples

Posted on October 23, 2009 by Tom Walter

Moments Together

Dennis and Barbara Rainey are well-known authors and speakers.  Dennis serves as Executive Director of Family Life – an effective ministry that has proven to be a great resource for our blog.

They have an excellent daily devotional for couples titled, Moments Together, that is e-mailed to you daily.  To sign up simply click HERE and scroll down the list to the title, “Moments Together”, or if you prefer a hard copy – it can be purchased HERE.  It is the perfect way to help couples grow in their spiritual intimacy as husband and wife.   Do you purpose to pray together, read the Bible together and discuss what God is currently saying to your heart?  If not, this may prove to be an excellent tool to nudge you in the right direction.  It’s easy to join and free.  Simply follow the prompts at the bottom of the daily reading.

Here is today’s devotional to whet your appetite.  We pray it will water your soul!

Have a great weekend – and don’t forget…our Fall In Love Contest ends next Tuesday, October 27th!  Click the side bar picture for all the details!

Posted in communication, Freebie Friday, Spiritual Intimacy | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Time For A Check Up

Posted on October 22, 2009 by Debi Walter

curtains in breeze

Just over six months ago we had our first contest: Romanticizing Your Master Bedroom.  It proved to be a fun contest and one of our most popular series.

So, how romantic is your bedroom these days?  With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, it would be a good idea to make sure you’re ready for the holidays without neglecting romance.

I recently read an excellent article that pointed out 4 Ways Clutter Can Kill Your Sex Life.  The Author, Lorie Morrero, emphasized what we’ve been saying all along; every master bedroom should be a place where you and your spouse can escape without reminders of “to-do” lists and other family issues.

So enjoy this cool weather, open the windows and freshly romanticize your space.  We just did our room, and it is relaxing, refreshing and most of all – very romantic!  It is “our place” where we can find retreat from the demands of every day life.

NOTE:  Our blog has been nominated for a “Love This Site” Award.  If you love our blog won’t you please vote?  We thank you!

Posted in Intimacy, Romance, Romance in Marriage, Romantic Ideas | Comments Off on Time For A Check Up

The Letter “S”

Posted on October 21, 2009 by Debi Walter

S

“S” Activitites:

Sunrise/Sunset – Take a ride to the beach either east or west to watch the day break or day depart.  If you have the time…I’ve always wanted to take a road trip and do both in one day – an advantage of living in Florida.  If you’re not local…you can still enjoy both wherever the view is best.

Skating – go roller skating or skateboarding if this is your forte’.

Surfing – If this isn’t possible, then rent a surfing classic, like Beach Blanket Bingo, or a surfing documentary, Riding Giants.

Sailing

Snorkeling

Skiing – water or snow, whichever you are fortunate enough to have in your area.

Sunday drive – make plans for someone to have your children for the afternoon and take a leisurely Sunday drive in the country.

Starry Night – make plans to visit your local planetarium to view the stars with the help of telescopes.

Shells – Collect sea shells together

“S” Food:

Snow Cones

Swedish – Visit your local IKEA store for the night and have a dinner of Swedish Meatballs.  Make a point to buy something on SALE.

Sub Sandwiches – make your own, or have some made for a sunset picnic on the shore.

Shrimp

Southern cooking – visit a local diner that specializes in southern cuisine…or check out Paula Deen’s recipes for your own romantic evening at home.

Salad – go to a restaurant with a soup and salad bar and enjoy the evening, the food and most of all your Spouse.

Steak – sizzling is the best!

S’mores – have a s’more date night where you build your own sweet treat, then make plans to have your spouse asking for “s’more” of YOU.

“S” Special Touches:

SEX – This is the best part of the letter “S”.  Enjoy an evening of being one – in the Biblical sense.  🙂

Flowers – Sunflowers

Scents – spend an evening in a department store finding a new fragrance to call your own.   Be sure it’s one your spouse finds sensual.

Saxophone – there is nothing more sexy than the sound of excellent saxophone player.  Check out our favorite song by Gato Barbieri.  You can purchase this CD by clicking here.

Santana – Carlos Santana is one of the greatest guitar players ever, and his DVD, Supernatural displays his amazing talent.  Check out Rob Thomas as he sings the classic…Smooth!

Shower – take a shower together with lots of suds!

Send your spouse a Singing Telegram introducing your “S” date night.  To save money ask a friend who sings well to deliver the message for you.

Sheets – have clean sheets – as a special treat iron the top sheet and pillow cases with spray starch.  You’ll find it’s worth the effort when your spouse is Surprised by the luxury.

Snicker candy bars – need we say more?

Posted in Alphabet Dates, Date Night Ideas | Comments Off on The Letter “S”

Keep Current

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Tom Walter

TuberCouple

Living in Florida we have had the joy of tubing down a river enjoying the scenery and the cool, refreshing water.  There is nothing quite as relaxing and fun as spending hours together floating down the springs.  However, it is of utmost importance to  stay in the current  in order to avoid the sides where spiders and snakes may dwell.

It is the same in our marriages – our lives are spent together day after day enjoying (or trying to enjoy) what life sends our way.  It is just as important that we stay in the current!  What we mean by this is not holding onto anger, resentment or ill-thoughts towards our spouse.  If we attempt to ignore these issues and pretend they’re “nothing”, we’ll find ourselves sidetracked into all kinds of danger and mucky water.  “Keeping current” with your spouse means committing yourself to share with them your feelings, observations and heartaches.  We must quickly ask forgiveness when we’ve sinned against them, and we must quickly extend forgiveness when they’ve sinned against us.

We don’t realize how these little choices day after day will fuel the current of our relationship successfully bringing us to a place of marital unity years from now.  Sadly, many couples hold onto offenses and refuse to let go of past hurts.  They hurl the pain back onto their spouse at every opportunity.  It’s like permanently pushing your spouse into the shallow water of adversity and hoping they’ll stay there! And to what does this avail?  Only misery and more heartache.

As Christians we must resist such behavior!  Why?  Because Christ has not treated us this way when we deserved it most!  He has extended forgiveness to us for the unforgivable acts we have committed.  The Cross stands as our motivator giving us the ability to stay current.  Love is choosing to do the right thing even when we’d rather not!

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”  Colossians 3:12-13

Posted in Christian Marriage, Growing Strong Marriages | 1 Comment

Mark Your Calendar!

Posted on October 19, 2009 by Debi Walter

fall_couple_walking

What a beautiful weekend we enjoyed with the coolest weather so far this year!   It’s invigorating and energizing.  We pray you’ll be motivated to make some special plans this week with your spouse.  Here’s what’s happening in our area:

CENTRAL

  • Winter Park – Rollins College Knowles’ Chapel is the setting for the Bach Festival Society’s performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah Choral Masterworks Series.  For tickets click HERE.  The date is Saturday, October 24th.  Check website for times.

NORTH

  • Deland – Taste of Florida on Saturday, October 24th from 7p – 11p.  The cost is $75 per couple.

EAST

  • Casselberry is hosting an outdoor Jazz Concert with saxophonist, Jessy J. The event takes place on Saturday, October 24th from 6p – 9p.  FREE

SOUTH

  • Winter Garden – Come to the Winter Garden Village for a special Wine and Chocolate Event on Friday, October 23rd from 6p – 8p.  at Put A Cork In It.  There will be delicious chocolate to sample from Peterbrooke’s Chocolatier. FREE, but you must RSVP by e-mailing: thevillages@putacorkinit.info or calling: 352 259 2878

WEST

  • Clermont is celebrating their 125th Anniversary with lots of activities.  On Thursday, October 22nd from 6:30p – 8p enjoy The Taste of South Lake. Tickets are $30 per person.  Over 20 chefs will offer their dishes for your to enjoy.
  • EPCOT Food and Wine Festival is taking place now through November 8th.  Not only are their great foods and wines to sample the entertainment is top-notch as well.  Click HERE for concert schedule.
Posted in Mark Your Calendars (time sensitive) | Comments Off on Mark Your Calendar!

Freebie Friday – Bloomin’ Onion

Posted on October 16, 2009 by Debi Walter

blooming onion

Did you know that The Outback Steakhouse and AAA have joined together to provide all Florida members with a free bloomin’ onion with any purchase until 12/31/09?  That’s right!  If you’re a AAA card holder all you have to do is show your membership card and you’ll receive a free bloomin’ onion!  Now that’s a deal worth holding on to!  Have a great night out…back – steakhouse, that is!

G’day, mates!

Posted in Freebie Friday | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Miracle of Miracles

Posted on October 15, 2009 by Debi Walter

Remember when you first knew you loved your spouse?  Not the first moment you noticed them, but the moment you knew this person was different from all the rest.  What was it?  Take a moment to think of it, even it it’s been years…

What was it that drew your heart to theirs?  How long has it been since you reminded them of how your love began?  We must give thanks to God and our spouses for what a miracle our love is!

This post is designed to be a dedication page where you can quickly post (using the comment feature) the first thing that captured your heart for him/her.  Comment and then, forward our link to your spouse!  It may cause your hearts to “Fall In Love” all over again. 🙂 May we never tire of repeating to them our love and how it began.

Miracle of miracles…God has given them to us and we are blessed!

NOTE:  Remember to enter in our Fall In Love Contest.  The deadline is October 27th.  Click the link for all the details!

Posted in Christian Marriage, Testimonies | Tagged | 7 Comments

The Letter “R”

Posted on October 14, 2009 by Debi Walter

Our Alphabet Date series continues…

R

“R” Activities:

The color RED.  Plan an evening that revolves around this color – use your imagination or gleen from the list.  A few examples – wear red, eat red meat and red-skinned potatoes, drink red zinger iced tea and finish with red velvet cake.

Romance – spend an evening talking about what is romantic to you and your spouse.  Often times we don’t ask and assume it’s the same.

Reflexology – this is a great excuse to give your spouse a great foot and/or hand massage.  Here’s a handy chart to use.

Roller Coaster – plan an evening enjoying the thrills of the ride.

Reminisce – plan an evening doing things you did a long time ago.  Recreate your first date, if possible.

Read a good book together out loud.

Rowing – plan a date out on the river or lake.

Road Day Trip – simply start driving to an area you’ve never explored before.  Some great things can be discovered in the little towns found off the beaten path.  If you’re local check out these resources.  If you’re not local – simply Google Road Day Trips for your area.

Rainy Date – purpose to have a spontaneous date the next time it rains…here are some fun ideas!

Racket – play tennis, squash or racket ball

Radio-controlled car park – spend an evening racing your radio controlled cars.

Rifle Shooting – spend an evening at a shooting range.

Roller Skating

“R” Food:

Red Lobster

Ribs

Roast

Relax Grill – a great local restaurant in Orlando, especially as the weather cools, since it’s completely outdoors on the shores of Lake Eola.

Russian themed dinner – or check to see if there’s a local restaurant serving Russian food.  You could even invite a few couples over for a group date night.

Railroad – have fun visiting a local depot.  If the funds and time permit – take a short excursion to the next town for dinner.  Click here and scroll down for an idea for Orlando residents.

Retro evening with Root Beer Floats

“R” Special Touches:

Roses, of course!

Reasons – share on paper the many reasons you love your spouse.

Recline at table – when planning a romantic, relaxing  “R” dinner at home – set a table low to the ground and “recline” around the table with lots of pillows and candlelight.

Music – Rock N Roll, Righteous Brothers, Rolling Stones

Respect Letter – Wives spend an afternoon writing a Respect Letter to your husband and give it to him to introduce your “R” date.

Rendezvous – Husbands, plan for a babysitter without your wife knowing…have her show up with instructions as to where you are to “rendezvous”.  The “R” date has begun…

Rhyme – pen your own romantic rhyme.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub-Two-In-A Tub!  Enjoy a bath together – don’t forget the Rubber Ducky!  🙂

Posted in Alphabet Dates | 2 Comments

A Sponge or a Spring?

Posted on October 13, 2009 by Debi Walter

rock springs

All married couples desire to have it.  What is it?  Romance.  However, romance in itself is not the answer.  If it was then all we would need is Hollywood.  Romance is the outflow of all the right stuff in our marriage; it isn’t the foundation.  The foundation that will lead us into a more intimate and romantic relationship is the Gospel.  It is here where we learn what true love is.

From the Gospel, husbands learn to lay their lives down for their wives, giving of themselves 100%.  Wives learn to respect and follow their husbands 100%, not because they’re perfect, but because the God who leads him is!

In the book, Counsel From The Cross, Elyse Fitzpatrick says:

When spouses begin to grasp the depth of God’s love for them in Christ, the need for romance, respect, and attention will rapidly diminish.  Rather than seeing themselves as needy sponges, trying to soak up every drop of earthly, human love, they will see themselves as wells supplied by a divine Spring, overflowing with living water that is meant to satisfy, cheer, and serve those around them.  They can delight themselves in the streams of water and the true bread that their Savior feeds them.

So, are you a sponge or a well?  It is of utmost importance that you determine the answer to this question based on how you relate to your spouse.  If you are a sponge – you will never be satisfied.  If you are supplied with the Spring of Living Water, you will never be dry.

Our vineyard provides lots of nourishment for relationships irrigated with Living Water.   Enjoy our ideas like a drink of cool water, but soak in the goodness of the Gospel – for here is where true growth in marriage takes place.

Posted in Christian Marriage, Growing Strong Marriages | Comments Off on A Sponge or a Spring?

Mark Your Calendar

Posted on October 12, 2009 by Debi Walter

heat_wave_072605

We can’t wait for cooler weather to make it as far as Central Florida – these record breaking hot days are enough to make you want to stay home!  But this is the time of year when there is so much to do around town.  We hope you’ll be able  to make some special plans with your spouse this week!  If nothing else – you could go out for ice cream!  🙂

CENTRAL

  • Double Date to see CATS – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic Broadway hit is coming to the Bob Carr Auditorium.  For a limited time the Central Florida Zoo website is offering a deal for 4 tickets to see CATS for only $99.  Visit their website for details!  The show is from October 20th to 25th.

NORTH

  • Taste of Altamonte – Monday, October 12th 6p – 9p. at Uptown Altamonte.   Come enjoy a night of great food and entertainment.  Cost is $25 in advance and $30 at the door.
  • Dancing in the Park – Saturday, October 17th in Downtown Mt. Dora from 7p – 10p. enjoy live music and dancing under the stars. Location:  Donnelly Park – Corner of 5th Avenue and Donnelly Street.  The cost is $10.  For more information call 352-383-4833 or 352-735-7183.

EAST

  • Oktoberfest – Saturday, October 17th 5p – 9p. in Avalon Park.  FREE.  Enjoy live German music and great food.
  • Bandshell LIVE – Daytona Beach’s historic bandshell is offering free concerts every Friday night in October.  The music begins at 6:30p and ends around 10p.  There’s a Starbucks to the left and the ocean to the right – a perfect night to spend together.  Can’t go this week?  There are two more Fridays left in October – make your plans now.

SOUTH

  • Boktoberfest Plant Sale – Saturday, October 17th from 9a – 5p. Admission to the Garden is FREE.  There will be live music, great German food, and lots of plants to purchase and gardening advice for Florida Fall Gardening.

WEST

  • Yalaha Bakery – If you’ve never been to Yalaha before, it’s worth the drive for lunch.  On Saturday, October 17th from 11a – 1p they’ll be having a pumpkin carving contest.  They offer a great deli with fresh baked goods too.
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Freebie Friday – That’s What It’s All ABOUT!

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Debi Walter

couple in fall

Although it is officially Fall, it sure doesn’t feel like it here in Orlando.  Summer is still alive and well!  What can we do about it?  Other than complain, we could check out what’s happening to celebrate the Fall this weekend and take part in the celebration!

I have found an excellent resource to help in discovering what local events are taking place, and it’s available in major cities all across America.  It’s called About.com, and it’s FREE.

So if you’re in a location where the fall leaves are turning yellow, crimson and gold – pause to thank God for sharing such beauty with you.  If you happen to live near us, and Fall color is something you can only dream about or buy in the store, check out local Fall Festivals taking place this weekend.   It’s a great way to spend an afternoon with your spouse, and after all – that’s what this blog is all ABOUT!

Posted in Date Night Ideas, Dating Your Spouse, Freebie Friday, resources | Comments Off on Freebie Friday – That’s What It’s All ABOUT!

No Trick – We’re Tweeting!

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Debi Walter

twitter_bird_follow_me__Small__bigger

For those of you not familiar with Twitter, it’s a way to stay connected with friends and colleagues while on the go.  We’ve decided to start using this service to communicate with our followers on a more personal level.

While we’re out and about, as the Lord leads us, we’ll send out a “Tweet” for your “Sweet”.  It may be a romantic quote; it may be a simple idea to help you in cultivating affection for your spouse.  We’re not really sure how it will evolve, but the idea is to share with you our thoughts, favorite places or whatever, as they come to mind.  So, if you would like to take part, simply sign up to follow us by clicking HERE.

You can also find our “Tweets” in the right hand column.  Happy Tweeting!

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The Letter “Q”

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Debi Walter

Q

Our first thought was, “Q???  What in the world is there to do that begins with the letter “Q”?”  To our amazement – Quite a large Quantity!  See?  And the best part?  You don’t have to use it with the letter “U”, like in a Scrabble game!  🙂

“Q” Activities:

  • Quadruple Date – plan an evening out with three other couples and quadruple the fun.
  • Quality Inn – plan a quiet night away at a local hotel.
  • Quarters – give your spouse a roll of quarters and head to a local game room.
  • Play 20 Questions – think of a true romantic in either history or literature and have your spouse try to guess who you’re thinking of in 20 questions.  Or use the questions found here to rediscover things about your husband/wife you may have forgotten or never knew.
  • Quirkie – this won’t be for everyone, but we heard of some friends who dressed up in an quirky fashion and went to a local theme park acting out the way they were dressed.  They had fun pretending to be really quirky – and the funniest part?  They were meeting friends who didn’t recognize them at first.  What a fun memory!
  • Check your local phone book for other “Q” ideas.

“Q” Food:

  • Quiche Me – for breakfast to announce your “Q” date
  • Quesadilla – enjoy an evening making your own together while listening to quiet music.  Or go to your favorite Mexican restaurant.

“Q” Special Touches:

  • Quickie – surprise your spouse with an unexpected moment of intimacy!  🙂
  • Quench – we all know what it’s like to be thirsty – surprise your spouse with their favorite beverage to announce your “Q” date night.
  • Quote – search these famous romantic quotes and plan a quiet evening under the stars on a quilt while you read to each other.
Posted in Alphabet Dates, Date Night Ideas | Comments Off on The Letter “Q”

Saying It

Posted on October 6, 2009 by Debi Walter

arts0410 Fiddler1.jpg

Tom surprised me this past weekend and bought tickets to see Chaim Topol’s fairwell tour of Fiddler On The Roof – one of my all-time favorite musicals.  When the house lights dimmed, the stage came to life with this timeless story of the changing seasons we all must face.  Tevye struggled letting go of his daughters to suitors he felt were below his standards dictated by tradition.  His love was obviously deep for each of his little girls, but it was the scene with his wife, Golde, that brought me to tears.

It was towards the end of the play when both Tevye and Golde were sitting side-by-side outside their humble home reflecting on the life they’d shared for 25 years.  Times are changing, and they both realize there is nothing they can do about it.  Tevye wonders if after all these years Golde loves him.

Tom and I were deeply affected by this intimate scene.  The question was asked, “Do you love me?”

This is why we blog, hoping it will help many couples purpose to say these three words often both in word and deed. We all need to be reminded of the love we share with our spouse.  So go ahead – watch the video below and then, purpose today to SAY IT, because it really is “nice to know!”

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Mark Your Calendar

Posted on October 5, 2009 by Debi Walter

mark your calendar

Don’t forget we have a contest taking place…all you have to do to enter is join our Vineyard.  Follow the link located in the right sidebar.  The contest ends October 27th!

Now for all this week has to offer in Central Florida:

CENTRAL

  • Winter Park – Music at the Casa Open House – Sunday, Oct. 11th from 12p – 3p.  Casa Feliz, 656 Park Avenue North.  Enjoy live a live harpist while strolling the beautiful grounds.

NORTH

  • Lake County Folk Festival – October 10th and 11th.  Eustis, FL.  Some of Florida’s best musicians, singers, songwriters converge on downtown Eustis for  this two day festival.  Many different venues including our historic band shell, along our lake front, and in our Downtown.
  • Mt. Dora 35th Annual Bicycle Festival – October 9th – 11th. Attracting 1000 cyclists, this is Florida’s oldest and largest bicycling event! With rides of varying lengths skill levels, cyclists of all ages come and see why Lake County is recognized as one of the best places in the world to ride (Bicycling Magazine, March 1998).

EAST

  • Waterford Lakes: Beef O’Brady’s Trivia Night – Thursday, Oct. 8th starting at 7p. Beef O’Brady’s hosts a trivia challenge allowing you to win prizes and gift certificates.  Build your own burger for only $7.99 (includes french fries).
  • Daytona Beach: Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory Tour 154 South Beach St., Daytona Beach; Located in the historic Riverfront Marketplace, Angell & Phelps Chocolates has been a Daytona Beach tradition since 1925. Take a free, guided, 30-minute tour through the chocolate-making process. Tours begin at 10 and 11 a.m., and 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. each Monday through Friday.

SOUTH

WEST

  • Winter Garden – Friday’s on the Plaza Concert Series, Friday October 9th, 7p – 9p. FREE  Located at Centennial Park Gazebo, 56 West Plant Street.  This week featured artist: Bob Rafkin (folk guitarist).
  • Clermont: Lakeridge Winery – Vintage Venture – October 10th and 11th from 10a. – 5p.  Cost $2 – There is nothing better than a Vintage Car Show to bring back nostalgia. These special gems from the past are a must-see and you can also enjoy a variety of live vintage 50’s and 60’s music by top class performers on the outdoor stage. Lakeridge wine, beer, soft drinks and a variety of food will be available for purchase, along with complimentary Winery tours and wine tasting.
Posted in Mark Your Calendars (time sensitive) | Comments Off on Mark Your Calendar

Freebie Friday – Kids Eat Free

Posted on October 2, 2009 by Tom Walter

restaurant

In this economy it’s hard to set aside money for anything special.  But local restaurants are working hard to help you enjoy a night out to dinner as a family by offering “Kids Eat Free” nights.  Guys, this may not be your typical idea of romancing your wife, but ask her:  releasing your wife from the responsibility of cooking for the crowd can be very romantic!  And you’ll make some special memories too!  Check out this link for a list of many area restaurants offering free food throughout the week!

Bon Appetit!

IMPORTANT CONTEST INFO:  We seem to be having some technical issues with signing up to receive our blog via e-mail.  When you follow the link to join, it will prompt you to enter your e-mail address and then, type in the confirmation code as displayed.  Once you do this you will be e-mailed a confirmation that includes a link you must click to activate your account.  If you sign up and do NOT receive this confirmation e-mail, you’re not signed up.  As an alternative you can simply e-mail us at theromanticvineyard@gmail.com and we will sign up for you.  You will still need to confirm the e-mail you receive, but it seems to work better this way.  We want everyone who wants to participate in our contest to be included.  Please let us know if you signed up, but never received a daily e-mail.  We hope this clears the process up for you!  Thanks!

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Communication Trouble…No Wonder!

Posted on October 1, 2009 by Tom Walter

Below is an excerpt from Mark Gungor’s comedy routine, and it will certainly make you laugh.  Left to ourselves this is true about how men and women communicate, but we can change for God’s glory.  Be sure to check out the soil samples of our blog to help you find better ways to communicate that will provide lasting change.

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The Letter “P”

Posted on September 30, 2009 by Debi Walter

We have a contest underway, yet it’s time for another letter from our Alphabet Date series.  This week we look at all the letter “P” offers.

P

“P” Activities:

Picnic in the Park – Spend some time really making the best picnic you’ve ever had – not a p.b. & j. kind, but the fried chicken kind.  If you start planning it a week or so in advance, you’ll be surprised (and so will your spouse) of how special a picnic can be.  Don’t forget the “Peaches”.  Here is a romantic picnic for two and here is another one.  Both will provide great memories because of the company!

Pool – visit a local hall and challenge your spouse to a special game of billiards.  Click here for a variety of rules.

Para-sailing –  You’ve seen them hovering over the ocean like human manned kites.  But if you’ve never ventured up in the air, you don’t know what you’re missing.  This one is worth saving pennies for, and to do it together – how romantic!

Play Ping-Pong – don’t have a table?  Why not buy a set of ping pong balls and write secret clues on them.  One will lead to the next, to the next and so on.  Have the last one located in a special place where you’ve prepared a special treat*.  See “Special Touches” section for ideas.

Putt-Putt Golf – This is a great way to spend an evening.  Set different prizes for a hole in one.   For locals – we recently played at Disney’s Fantasia Miniature Golf Course.  It was a lot of fun.  We felt like we were on vacation!

“P” Food:

Pizza – make your own heart-shaped pizzas.

Peanut Butter Pie or Pecan Pie or Pumpkin Pie or Peach Brown Sugar Sorbet.

Pasta

Pork Chops

Puerto Rico, Poland – check out the links for traditional recipes

Make heart shaped pretzels together

Panera Bread Company

“P” Special Touches:

*Ideas for final ball location of Ping Pong Ball Hunt Game – bubble bath, pool (for a late night swim), porch (with candles and soft music playing), pantry (where they’ll find their favorite late night snack), park (if you’re doing this outside of the home).

Peppermint Patties – Use these to announce your “P” date night, with a secret message inside the foil wrapper.  Or try making your own!

Say it with “P” Flowers and their meaning:  petunias – your presence soothes me; phlox – harmony, a good relationship; peppermint – warmth of feeling; pansy – merriment or thoughtful reflection; periwinkle – sweet remembrance.

Pop the Question (again).  If you had it to do all over again how would you Propose to your wife today?  Why not take some time to plan a special time and do it up in a perfect way.  If the budget allows, buy her a special surprise.  Here are 50 romantic ideas of how to do it well!

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Announcing our FALL in Love Contest!

Posted on September 29, 2009 by Tom Walter

fall in love

The long wait is over.  We’ve been planning this for awhile and can’t wait to tell you…

Fall is our favorite time of year, and we wanted to celebrate by doing something to help you not only fall more in love with your spouse, but to help you fall in love with our blog!  So, what better way than to have a contest?

We love contests around here, in fact we just won an amazing Grand Prize that was being offered by a local radio station, which is why we’re inspired to share the excitement!

The Romantic Vineyard provides free membership that delivers our daily posts via e-mail.  This is a great way to keep in touch without the bother of remembering to follow our link.  You can read the post whenever you have some extra time.

Here are the complete rules of the contest:

1.  Sign up through this link , “Join Our E-Mail List“.

2.  Everyone who joins our Vineyard will have their name entered into the hat.  If you’re already a member – you are already entered once.

3.  Think of other couples you know who would benefit from our blog.  Send them an invitation to join The Romantic Vineyard telling them they can also take part in the Fall In Love Contest.  Husbands and wives can join separately too, doubling their chances.  We try to provide information that is not locally driven, so think of friends and family members who live in other areas too.

4.  IMPORTANT:  Send us the list of names and e-mail addresses of the friends you’ve invited to join to: theromanticvineyard@gmail.com.  If they join we’ll add their name to the hat as well as another entry from you.  The number of people you invite is unlimited, so the more you invite the greater your chances of winning.  (NOTE: The reason we request both name and e-mail address is for identification purposes only, since all that is required to join the list is an e-mail address.  We may not be able to correctly identify a new member as being from you without both name and e-mail address.  These will not be used for any solicitation purposes and will remain strictly confidential).

5.  That’s it!  The Grand Prize is a “Fall In Love” Gift Basket valued at a minimum of $75.

6.  Contest deadline is October 27th – four weeks from today.  The winner will be revealed on Thursday, October 29th.

We hope you are enjoying this beautiful time of year!  Happy Fall, ya’ll!

Posted in Contests | Tagged | 3 Comments