“In case anybody’s interested,” Molly Whiteside told the guys at Mabel’s Grill as she delivered the menus to their table the other morning, “Mabel’s made up some cupcakes decorated for Valentine’s Day for customers to take home.”
    “I’ll warn my neighbour, the teacher,” Dave Winston said. “She has some kids who bring her cupcakes every Valentine’s Day .”
    “Aw, that’s sweet,” Molly said. “I’ll remember for my kids when Valentine’s Day comes around.”
    “Yeah, maybe Mabel will have some cupcakes left over that you can get cheap,” Cliff Murray joked.
    “Oh you are nasty,” Molly said, playfully slapping his shoulder.
    “Sometimes that would come in handy,” observed George Mackenzie. “I remember I was in about Grade 4 when there was a big winter storm  that was a surprise and we got stuck at school for three or four days with nothing to eat until some neighbours brought food on snowmobiles. Of course that was in January, well  before when kids would have cupcakes for the teachers.”
    “I don’t imagine kids took cupcakes for the teacher way back then anyway,” Dave said.
    “It wasn’t that long ago,” George objected.
    “Yeah, I remember when we used to buy those packaged Valentine’s cards and take one for every kid in the class,” said Cliff.
    “Wendy, my neighbour, tells me kids grow up fast these days and by about grade five or six they skip the whole Valentine’s card-giving bit,” Dave said.
    “Valentine’s Day isn’t a real holiday anyway,” George said. “It seems like such a long month, even if it is the shortest month of the year,”
    “And it’s a day longer this year because it’s a leap year,” Dave said. 
    “Oh no!” exclaimed George, “I can’t find the energy to stagger to the end of February, let alone leap.”
    “I guess that’s why they came up with Family Day on February 19,” said Cliff.
    “I forgot about that,” George said. “Do I still get it when my family’s all grown up and away?”
    “Or you can go to Manitoba,” Cliff said. “They have a holiday for Louis Riel Day on February 19. “
    “Louis Riel? Wasn’t he a bad guy back in history? Didn’t they hang him?” George wondered.
    “Yeah but that was back in the days before they rewrote history,” Dave said dryly. “Now he’s a hero!”
    “Well the Americans know how to celebrate their history,” Cliff said. “They have a holiday for George Washington’s birthday on February 22,”
    “Yeah but they also have Donald Trump!” Dave said.
    “Now let’s not forget Mabel’s rules about not talking politics,” Molly scolded.
    “Heavens, I may move in here for all of 2024 if it makes Trump go away,” Cliff chuckled.
    “I feel the same way about Justin Trudeau,” George snarled.
    “When it comes to Donald Trump I wish Mabel could extend her rules to the entire U.S.,” Dave grumbled. “There’s entirely too much about him on television every day.”
    “I guess you watch too much American television,” Molly said.
    “I don’t know: between the U.S. election and all Trump’s trials I suspect we’re going to hear far more than we want to, even on this side of the border,” Cliff sighed.
    “Yeah, it sort of ruins your appetite,” grumbled Dave.
    “Which is one of the reasons Mabel forbids discussions on politics,” Molly said. “So I better get your orders before you lose all interest in food.
    Despite their distaste for American politics, the guys ordered full breakfasts.
    “It’s not fair,” Dave argued when she left. “I’ve been down to Florida for a break and people down there only have to see politics from one side of the border. They don’t even know who Justin Trudeau is.”
    “Gee, the U.S. isn’t all bad”, George chuckled.◊