Valentine’s Day is upon us! In honor of the holiday, I thought I’d recount some of my early infatuations for you. Some are painful, some are hilarious, but hopefully, all will be entertaining.

The first crush I remember having was on Jimmy from H.R. Pufnstuf. Mind you, I can barely remember a thing about the show, other than Jimmy and his stunning bowl cut. (And from what I now know, references to bowls were a mainstay of the Pufnstuf world.)

I tried to write Jimmy a fan letter, which was a challenge for me, because A. I didn’t know the mailing address for Living Island, where he resided on the show, and B. I was three or four, and still didn’t know how to write. Thankfully, my grandfather was on-hand, and OF COURSE he knew Jimmy’s address (which I now know was made up) and helped me write it on my homemade envelope. I’m pretty sure I made the stamp, too, so the mail carrier at the time must have been thrilled.

Unfortunately for Jimmy (and the USPS), my feelings for him were short-lived. There was a new show on TV called The Hardy Boys, and from the first time I saw it, I left Jimmy’s bowl cut behind for the feathered coif of a certain 1970s über-hottie.

TO BE CONTINUED

Two reminders: A contest for teachers and librarians! And a contest for everyone! (And not to give anything away, but at this point, if you enter, you have a REALLY good chance of winning. Ahem.)