Peter Fountain

Month: February 2022

Life

Every Day Should Be Valentines Day

Feb 13, 2022 by Pete

Every day can’t be Valentine’s Day, of course, but the spirit of the day is something worth honoring all year.

Beyond the chocolates and cards and dinner reservations, who doesn’t like to feel appreciated, loved and valued?

How hard is it to make your partner feel loved and valued?

For most people, I doubt feeling loved and valued is the result of any grand gesture or act, but rather it’s the culmination of lots of little things such as:

  • saying “I love you” often
  • holding hands
  • learning your partner’s love language
  • writing little notes or texts
  • doing something helpful around the house
  • listening
  • making time for your special someone

How often do we hear someone who’s lost their partner lament that they didn’t do more? They didn’t pay enough attention, they didn’t tell them they loved them as much as they should have, they spent too much time doing crap that didn’t matter?

Love takes effort. Love takes time.

Love matters. Effort matters. Time matters. Why wait until February 14 every year to show someone you love them? Why not show them you love them in little ways all year?

business

Right Under My Nose

Feb 6, 2022 by Pete

This past week, in the middle of a crazy snow storm, I had a quick appointment with someone to sign some documents at a location not far from my home.

When I looked up the address online, I realized that the location was across the street from somewhere I visited frequently for several years, but for some reason I had no idea what this place was.

The location is called Homesteads for Hope and it’s located at 2185 Manitou Rd. According to their brochure, they are “a 501(c)3 non-profit Community Farm developing an inclusive agritourism center, offering programs, classes, memberships, CSA food shares, community and private events”.

The folks who run the place were kind enough to tell me all about what they do and to be honest, I was blown away. Not only do they run a 50 acre farm, but they have programs to help people with learning disabilities learn all about farming and agriculture. In addition, they host weddings and other events on their property, which runs along the Erie canal.

The experience was shocking. Suddenly learning that there was a 50 acre farm at this location floored me. I don’t know how many times I’ve driven by there, or driven to a location across the street, and never noticed this place.

As I learned more about it, I was a little disappointed in myself. I love gardening, I love live music, I love exploring local places, and yet I completely missed this one.

I’m already looking forward to this summer when I can visit for the first time and I’m grateful to the folks who took the time to tell me all about what they are doing.

It’s a reminder to always keep my eyes open and to be more aware of things that may be right there under my nose!