Someone recently reminded me that, as men, we tend to be forgetful if not neglectful when it comes to doing something to celebrate Valentine’s Day. He suggested an evening including dinner and a show at Carter Caves on Friday and Saturday.

The Cool Waters group will perform songs inspired by the block harmony styles made famous by performers including Roy Rogers, Bob Nolen and The Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry, young Marty Robbins, Riders in the Sky, Riders of the Purple Sage, The Sons of San Joaquin and others.

The songs are presented in a storytelling style with humor and themes appropriate for a family setting. Audience participation is a big part of the show, and participants are encouraged to wear their best cowboy/cowgirl clothes for the Valentine Dinner Theater.

The package is offered for $34.95 per person, and the show begins at 6:45 p.m.

And, for what it’s worth, I know several people who swear the food at Carter Caves has been outstanding in recent months. For more information, call (606) 286-4411.

Don’t forget the 15th

If you love someone who isn’t especially tied into the whole Valentine’s Day thing, consider celebrating Feb. 15, the day my wife have dubbed “National Half-Off Chocolate Day.”

All those heart-shaped boxes, tins and other chocolate goodies get a “50 percent off’ sticker attached the day after Valemtine’s Day. While you are picking your sentinmental tribute from the leftovers, you get twice the chocolate, and all of the romantic benefits, for the same price.

More than yarn

In response to last week’s inquiry about a business called Yarn and More, I received a call from Norman McKnight, whose wife, Sharon, is the owner of the business on Ky. 716 across from Summitt Elementary School.

The shop specializes in yarn and knitting accessories, including spinning wheels and weaving looms, he said, and maintains a stock of “higher grade yarn” than you might find at other local businesses.

Mrs. McKnight teaches knitting classes at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and offers spinning lessons by appointment.

In her spare time, McKnight has been teaching knitting to inmates at the nearby correctional facility, and her husband reports the men have already produced quite a few “very high quality” articles for local and national charities. Those who attend the knitting classes have also banded together to create hand-knitted helmet liners for soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, he added.

“One thing I’d like to stress ... I call her the fixer,” McKnight said, explaining his wife has an uncanny ability to take knitted projects whose creators have become frustrated by mistakes or problems, and help get the project back on track. “She does very well in trying to help people out,” he said.

Yarn and More is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday from noon to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday (class nights), and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit the shop’s Web site and online store at www.yarnandmore.com or call (606) 928-1554.

Small biz Ethernet

Time Warner Cable recently launched new enhanced Ethernet services in Ashland, providing small and medium sized companies a more affordable, secure and efficient method for network communications.

Put simply, the Business Class Ethernet allows offices to link their computers without a need to invest in additional and expensive equipment. I called one of Time Warner’s people on the subject and he explained it is an option best suited for businesses working from multiple locations.

If you look around this area, you’ll notice a lot of places that have two to 20 different buildings, often within walking distance of one another — a situation that could present some distinct communication problems in the course of a day’s business.

For more information about how Time Warner Cable Business Class Enhanced Ethernet may work for your company, visit www,twcbc.com or call Ashlee Clark at (606) 326-6808.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2651.