I got a can of sardines from my husband for our 23rd wedding anniversary two weeks ago.

Nothing says love like a can of sardines

You're no doubt thinking a gift of canned meat would be grounds for divorce, and in most households it probably would be, but I was thrilled with the funky fish offering. A little background is in order here.

A few years ago, sardines showed up in my Christmas stocking. My husband was searching for out-of-the-ordinary trinkets that year when he settled on sardines as a gift that would create an element of surprise. The cans of fish were a big hit, because these weren't just any sardines. They were Norwegian King Oscar brand sardines, packed in olive oil. My favorite.

Ever since then, the sardines show up every so often as an offering of his affection and a reminder that it's the little things in life that ultimately cement a relationship.

It's a bold man who can profess his love with fish.

My better half knows my fish fetish all too well. I have publicly declared my love of lutefisk, the Norwegian delicacy of lye-soaked cod. I've been known to consume copious amounts of the flavorful fish at Sons of Norway dinners. I'm also a connoisseur of pickled herring, another side effect of my Scandinavian heritage. It always surprises me how few people seem to like or even tolerate herring. It was always standard fare in our house while I was growing up, and I remember liking it even as a preschooler.

Before I finish this fish tale, I have to acknowledge that my husband (lest he be stoned to death by his co-workers or his own mother) dutifully lavishes more ordinary gifts as the occasion dictates - bouquets of flowers for anniversaries, cards and cakes for birthdays, the usual. He's big on kitchen utensils and cookware, too, but those come with an ulterior motive: They're really for him, not me, to feed his passion for gourmet cooking.

His gifts also come in the form of fanciful entrees, like the time he made some kind of exquisite demi-glace-covered lamb chops for my birthday and garnished it with deep-fried spinach leaves, something he'd read about in one of the dozen cooking magazines he subscribes to. Who deep-fries spinach leaves? I was impressed.

But really, after 23 years of marriage, we've largely quit keeping track of who gives what for anniversaries. I think we'd both agree that small kindnesses peppered throughout the year are much more appreciated than one big blowout present. I remember the time that there was a hot bubble bath and a glass of wine awaiting me after a very long day of work.

Marriage is a wonderful thing, but sometimes it takes work keeping things glued together and headed in the right direction. A sense of humor helps. That's why I'm sticking by my contention that nothing says "I love you" like a can of sardines.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.