So what are you going to get your sweetheart for Valentine's Day? I tried to do a search of my Knott-so-reliable memory bank to see if I could come up with a cool gift for that man-of-mine but as many hints as he's dropped over the last few weeks, I couldn't pull any of them up.

It used to be that I could bank on getting him one of his favorite things-a new roll of duct tape, especially some of the colored stuff. However, instead of one plastic storage tub of duct tape there are now two. And, he has every color and width imaginable along with a treasured roll of VT duct tape and plaids from L. L. Bean. There's even a forest green roll with little mallard ducks.

In the good old days, back when duct tape was silver-grey, I could rely on Craftsman to help me out. Almost any tool would do. Now, if he wants a tool, he buys it. Heck, he's got enough electric and lithium powered tools to start his own drill team.

Sweaters and ties are out. There's no drawer or closet space left. Okay, so maybe I could replace his favorite sweatshirt that I shrunk a couple of weeks ago when I threw it in the dryer. But, a trip to Newport, Rhode Island is out of the question. Besides, it only cost $11; and, I'm pretty sure I warned him about the quality when he ran back to the gift shop to get it. Of course, he's convinced that I shrunk it on purpose. Okay, so I'm wearing it right this very moment but I really didn't mean to resize it-really.

What makes matters worse though and fuels his conspiracy theory is that this morning he came to the breakfast table in a black, long sleeve polo-type shirt that he claims I also tried to shrink. I attempted to convince him that I had too much black in my wardrobe. Then, in a calming voice, I told him it really didn't matter if the sleeves hit midway between his wrists and elbows because he usually pushes them up anyhow.

With a snickering laugh, I offered that maybe, just maybe, I was trying to motivate him to do his own laundry. Perhaps I should get him a gift card to the cleaners-for his favorite things.
<br />Kidding aside, I do need to come up with something special. After all, that man-of-mine is truly the love of my life, my soul mate, my knight in shinning armor, and my best friend. And although I know he knows all of that-I want to offer a Valentine validation of some sort.

Besides, he always has something special for me. The duct-tape bouquet is one of my favorite V-Day gifts. Three red roses and one yellow one fashioned from duct tape. The hubby even placed them in a small milk-glass vase and tied a duct tape bow around it. The message was clear-he was stuck on me.

Then, there was the year of the relentless ice storms. After a week of being without electricity, he drove all the way to Virginia Beach on Valentine's Day to get me a generator. There were only four left in the entire state of Virginia. Okay, so maybe there were five but they were definitely scarce. That generator was better than a diamond necklace-well, at the time it was, anyhow.

One of my other favorite sweetheart gifts was an easy-to-use electric chain saw. And, who could resist romantic gifts like purse-sized containers of pepper spray and mini-mag lights? Yep, he certainly knows how to spice up my life and light it up, too. What could say I love you more than that little hammer-like gadget that he put in my car so I can break out the window if necessary and cut through my seat belt?

So you see my dilemma. I've got to get him something very special but I just can't come up with…WAIT. I think I've got it. This morning, as he was sitting at the breakfast table in his black polo shirt with the sleeves pushed-up, we watched a segment on one of the morning shows about gadgets to give REAL MEN for Valentine's Day. And, there it was-a hand-powered Snoopy Snow Cone Maker. Yep, he even said, “I want that.” Okay, so he added that the grandkids would really get a kick out of making their own snow cones-but so would he. Now all I have to do is find one…before Monday. UGH, maybe I better try to find it tomorrow before he reads this.

Reckon there's any chance Snoopy will let him know how cool I think he is and, maybe, help him chill-out the next time I shrink one of his favorite shirts? KNOTT MUCH.