Celebrating Marriage Series: 4th Anniversary

Inseparable

We’re like a flower to a tree

That’s how we’ll always be

Like words to a melody of love

Inseparable

There’s no way we could break up

Just you and me

No words that could make us blow our thing

It’s so wonderful

We are just….

To know you’ll always be around me

 

 

Inseparable

Incredible

That’s how it is

What you are to me

Inseparble

Incredible

For the rest of our years

You bring the woman out in me

It’s so wonderful

With your style of love

To know you’ll always be around

Inseparable

 

Inseparable

 

–          Natalie Cole, Songwriters: Marvin Yancy, Charles Jackson

For those of us who serious about romance, don’t we adore seeing a couple’s, young or old, determined commitment to each other till eternity?  Songs such as 1974 Inseparable have been selected over the decades as a favorite renewing vows song; it perfectly conveys a couple’s dedication to their loving marriage.   Couples who are arriving on the fourth year of legal coupling, have thrived and matured, similar to the life cycles of nature’s fruit and flowers.   By year four, a wedded couple has shared numerous life events, whether that be the birth of a child (ren) or the loss of loved ones, career changes, perhaps more schooling and additional degrees, moving once or even twice to a bigger home and continuous negotiations of giving and taking while living under the same roof. 

This anniversary typically is not as substantial of a milestone as compared to 1, 5, or 10 years, although for any couple, every year is a relationship success when checking off goals as a team.  As with every anniversary year, the most common gifts usually result in a bouquet of flowers or reservations at a fine dining establishment.  Certainly, nothing is wrong with those choices, but our readers are more discerning and creative, so let’s consider a few ways to elevate your demonstration of love.   

The themes of the 4th year wedding anniversary are:

COLOR
Blue represents depth, stability, truthfulness, and sincerity; or the alternatively color of Green signifies nature, spiritual balance, growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility.

 TRADITIONAL GIFTS 

Traditional in the United Kingdom means either linen or silk (bedding, underwear) illustrating smooth sailing after working through rough waters; the United States’ traditional gifts are represented by fruit and flowers symbolizing growth and maturity. 

MODERN GIFTS

Are defined as electrical appliances..

If the plan is to purchase an electronic appliance, attempt to lean for more indulgence as opposed to typical kitchenware used for daily chores.  One particular area would be gifting either a premium juicer or blender.  This site does a comprehensive job of differentiating between the two.

JUICERS separate the fiber from the rest of the fruit/vegetables which give more juice per cup and allows for the user to receive all the vitamins and nutrients in the most easily digestible form. However, critics charge that too much fiber pulp is unnecessarily discarded.  However if you prefer the smoothness of digesting only the juice as well as the instant infusion of vitamins in your bloodstream,  here are the top juicers tested by Good Housekeeping this year.

BLENDERS on the other hand process the whole fruit or vegetable, including the fiber which makes for a thicker drink and longer to digest withthe sensation of feeling fuller longer.  Forbes offers a comprehensive list on the line of best blenders for 2020.

AN ESPRESSO MACHINE would also fall into the category of an epicurean gift to be enjoyed by a household of coffee drinkers.  To have the ability to make a cappuccino, a latte or other specialty coffee drinks in the privacy of your kitchen is an absolute treat.  Here is a rundown of the best coffee makers offered in 2020.

If you’re serious coffee drinkers and inclined to take this anniversary to another level, consider planning a weekend trip to a U.S. city that can boasts being home to the best coffee shop ranked by the top online food and beverage critics providing not only a great cup of coffee but white glove customer service and the shop’s culture reflects that particular region.

2019 Food and Wine Survey of Top 5 is below with a Link to explore the remaining list of, close to 100, essential cafes, coffee shops and espresso bars in the United States

·         Sey Coffee.com – Brooklyn, NY

·         Day Glow. Coffee – Los Angeles, CA

·         Cat and Cloud.com – Santa Cruz, CA

·         Orchard Coffee Roasters.com – Waynesville, NC

·         Mom and ‘Em Coffee & Wine  – Cincinnati, OH

FRUITAND FLOWERS 

Considered an integral theme for a 4th Wedding Anniversary, so a few suggestions that fall within the portion of the 4th Anniversary theme:

·         Apple Technology (creative way to play on words with the fruit theme); what does he or she need in regards to enhancing their Apple lifestyle?

·         Another fruit theme in considering a car or private jet road trip or a weekend stay in the Big Apple now that State and Local Governments are in the middle of rolling out phase openings from the pandemics.  Up to date openings, current, and future activities are listed on New York City’s official travel site.

·         Plant a fruit tree appropriate for your region that will forever bear fruit throughout your marriage and beyond.   If you both are attracted to outdoor work, consider this as an intimate couple weekend project.   

·         Subscription for floral arrangements to be delivered for 4 weeks or 4 months signifying the number Anniversary 4.  Luxe Digital  List of Online flower delivery services

·         How about a private wine tasting class or visit a local vineyard for a day of discovering new wines to add to your growing collection?   Or visit an Orchard for a day of gathering fruit if your Anniversary falls during specific picking seasons.

·         Arrange for a private chef to prepare all your fruit themed meals for the day
–  Breakfast –  blueberry pancakes and/or oatmeal with bananas topped off with a glass of champagne all  served in bed
–  Mid-day Mediterranean picnic lunch in the park with melon, prosciutto, mozzarella, almonds,  olives and fresh baked bread served with a fruit infused gin or vodka cocktail

–  Ending the day feasting on Ahi Tuna with mango salsa dressing, coconut rice and grilled vegetables served with a favorite bottle of wine; with a dessert such as Passion Fruit Vacherine  or a Raspberry Soufflé served with a favorite coffee liqueur. 

·         Gift a fruit- infused Gin or Vodka.  

–   Tanquery is considered the traditional London Dry Gin, however, to stay within our theme, Hendricks is a contemporary gin with a mix of botanicals and heavy on floral flavors.   One other bottle of gin to consider is a lovely premium brand called  Ki No Bi Kyoto Dry Gin distilled, blended, and bottled in Kyoto, Japan using rice and botanical flavors of green tea, ginger, bamboo, shiso, and cypress. 

–  Several Vodka brands have embraced the blending of vodka with fruit and botanicals as well as creating a category of new drinkers attracted to the flavors including Ciroc with coconut, apple, French vanilla, mango, peach, pineapple, and red berry.  The Spruce Eats lists their top 10 fruit flavored vodkas  with incredibly innovative combinations including Hangar 1 Vodka out of California offering a Buddha’s Han Citron and Swedish Vodka Absolut’s kurant and raspberry flavors.

GEMSTONES

– Blue Topaz  Alternative:  Blue Zircon/Amethyst

– The lovely blue topaz historically associated with love and affection actually can come in many shades of blue and is versatile enough to be designed into several jewelry classifications including earrings, pendants, bracelets and rings. 

FLOWER

– Hydrangea symbolizes appreciation and heartfelt emotion and the Geranium signifies happiness and positive emotions.

I have a strong affinity for the Hydrangea as these are the bushes I chose to be a major part of the landscaping in my parents’ home this year.   Certainly, Hydrangeas look stunning in a vase, no matter the color, but if you prefer to admire within a public natural environment, create a  perfect day to visit an arboretum or botanical gardens with your spouse celebratomg the theme of flowers by spending time admiring nature beauty within a manmade design.

Here’s a few suggestions:

·         Fairchild Garden Botanical Garden in Coral Springs FL

·         United States Botanical Garden, Washington D.C.

·         The Atlanta Botanical Garden houses oaks, hickories and poplars and  native azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas, perennials, and bulbs.  The Garden hosts the largest collection of orchid species on permanent display in the US; a garden pond filled with aquatic plants; and a children’s garden with fountains, sculptures, and fun exhibits on botany and ecology.

·         While visiting the above mentioned New York coffee shop, plan to also spend the day on the 250-acre botanical garden in the middle of the Big Apple. The New York Botanical Garden’s historic, Victorian-style glass house provides tours of 11 distinct plant habitats, including a tropical rain forest and desert environments of the Americas and Africa. Two of the garden’s major events are its spring orchid exhibit and its winter train show.  -AJ

Share your comments below in the suggestion box or on Twitter!

Thank you to the following sites for providing excellent content used for this week’s blog:

Blender Republic.com – juicer vs. blender

Good Housekeeping.com – juicer reviews

Forbes.com – Best Blenders for any Budget

Good Housekeeping.com – Coffee Maker Reviews

Food and Wine.com – The Best Coffee Shops

AZlyrics – Lyrics to Inseparable

New York City – The Official Guide

Hat Tip to the excellent work of the following photographers:

Akhila Katuri – Wedding Rings

Alburt kunnen – Expresso Machine

Carlos Inneu da Costa – Absolut Bar

John Vossen – Topaz Gemstone

Yuval Levy – Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gable, FL

Japanibackpacker – Frog and Hydrangea

Pexels – Fruit Torte

Heather Ford – Continental Breakfast in Bed

Chris Ralston – Small plates of melon, prosciutto, mozzarella,


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