Valentine's Day

I have always enjoyed Valentine's Day. It comes along at a perfect point, mid-way between Christmas and my birthday in March. To me, it is the bright spot in the otherwise barren landscape of winter. I grew up in Iowa and so, for me the days of January and February seemed to march along in a continuum of gray, snowy, frigid days with nothing to distinguish one day from the other. I always looked forward to Valentine's day as the chance to regain a little festivity and warmth into my otherwise dreary routine.

I consider Valentine's day a nifty little holiday because it doesn't require hours preparation like Christmas or entail the hoopla of birthday parties. It is instead, an impromptu, spur of the moment, break-up the doldrums kind of day. It provides the excuse to wear magenta sweaters and silver heart shaped earrings. It is also a good day to wear pink plaid high heels with bows. It is a day to bring a sparkle into someone's eye by telling them that you think they are special. I derive great pleasure in the day by concocting handmade cards for everyone in the family. Sometimes I paint them, sometimes I illustrate them and other times create collages of a person's life with magazine clippings all pasted together into a giant red heart.

I myself, have always approached Valentine's day with suspended expectations, not requiring or demanding anything and perhaps this is why I take such great pleasure in the day. I don't expect anything and therefore am frequently surprised by everything. One year I was surprised by dinner at a French restaurant and another year by a pair of bubble gum pink hightops. There seems to be only one constant every year, and that is chocolate in some shape or another. This year I have already been pleasantly surprised by a big bouquet of flowers that arrived on our doorstep from my father-in-law. The flowers are filling the house and my office with a wonderful fragrance of spring and anticipation. Tonight we will have a family dinner of meatloaf and mashed potatoes (the kids love mashed potatoes) and we will exchange cards all around. Afterwards we will feast on brownies, strawberry ice-cream with chocolate sauce and last, but not least, heart shaped sugar cookies.