Remember the Sweet Things : One List, Two Lives, and Twenty Years of Marriage

For most of her life Ellen Greene had been unlucky in love. She married young, only to divorce before the age of 30, leaving her to raise two young children alone. In her late 30s, an ill-fated relationship took her and her children across the country, but when the relationship soon dissolved, Ellen knew it was time to put her life together. And she did - quickly securing a job she loved and convincing herself never again to be at the mercy of a man who didn't treat her or her children right.Then came Marsh Greene. Twenty years her senior, Marsh wasn't like other men - he was kind, courteous, and treated her like an equal. Ellen had decided to keep a list of all the terrible things Marsh did so that when it was time to end the relationship, she could do so without regrets. But after six months, the list was blank, and Ellen decided instead to write down all of Marsh's thoughtful gestures. For the twenty years of their marriage, Ellen would steal moments here and there to jot down deeds big and small (from cleaning ice off her car unprompted to helping her son with his homework), and every Valentine's Day she would give him a copy of the entries she had made that year. Tragically, Marsh died in 2006, but the list created a lasting legacy of his caring outlook. An unabashed love story, "Remember the Sweet Things" is a memoir of a marriage we can all learn from.

For twenty years, Ellen Greene kept a running list of the thoughtful, funny, touching things that her husband, Marsh, said and did. She wrote them down secretly, then shared them with him every Valentine’s Day when he would find pages from her “Sweet Things List” tucked inside a card.

A lovely and poignant tribute to a man and a marriage, written with grace and candor, Remember the Sweet Things captures the kindness, sharing, humor, and affection that defined the Greenes’ union and encourages us to acknowledge the goodness in our own lives and relationships.

Publishers Weekly

After poor career choices, a failed marriage and three moves to three different states, first-time author Greene needed to establish sanity and stability for herself and her children. What she gets when she accepts a job offer she thinks will be just a nice resting place turns out to be a wonderful new life. Greene, now the grandmother of seven, recounts the transformation of her life and her 20-year marriage to Marsh, a man she met after her move when she was in her late 30s. Greene kept a running list of the funny and touching things Marsh did for her each day, and each year, on Valentine's Day, she would share the Sweet Things List with him. Weaving recollections from this list into her story, Greene opens up memorable times of their lives: the early period in their relationship, the years in China for Marsh's career, their time sailing the Pacific and searching for a new home, his illness and the surprising publication of this book. What could have been a saccharine story filled with clichés is instead a gentle and genuine reminder that the smallest things in life are the most precious. This is a heartfelt tribute to what really matters. (Feb.)

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For twenty years, Ellen Greene kept a running list of the thoughtful, funny, touching things that her husband, Marsh, said and did. She wrote them down secretly, then shared those thoughts with him every Valentine's Day when he would find pages from her "Sweet Things List" tucked inside a card.Married and divorced at a young age, Greene raised two small children alone. After another failed relationship in her late thirties, she swore she'd never again subject herself or her kids to men who treated them poorly. Then she met Marsh Greene.In this beautiful tribute to a man and a marriage, Greene intersperses selectionsfrom her "Sweet Things List" with recollections from their years together. Written with grace and candor, Remember the Sweet Things captures the kindness, sharing, humor, and affection that defined the Greenes' marriage, and encourages us to acknowledge the goodness in our own lives and relationships. Remember the Sweet Things isnt merely a love story. It is a manual for healthy living, told with searing honesty and profound tenderness, and poignancy that touches you on virtually every page. Wayne Coffey, New York Times bestselling author of The Boys of Winter Ellen Greenes Remember the Sweet Things is a heartfelt, deeply affecting memoir of love, devotion, and a very special marriage, reminding us about what truly matters in life. Fans of Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach will appreciate this warm and loving remembrance that author Susan Wiggs calls, a beautiful meditation on love and life, and an affirmation of the power of gratitude.A true gift to the reader. For twenty years, Ellen Greene kept a running list of the thoughtful, funny, touching things that her husband, Marsh, said and did. In this beautiful tribute to a man and a marriage, Greene intersperses selections from her "Sweet Things List" with recollections from their years together. The author describes her struggles with divorce and single parenthood before meeting her husband, Marsh, whose many kindnesses she would jot down and make into a cause for thanks and celebration every Valentine's Day