So Whats Up With You - Valentines Day

[2much2recover]

Husband and I don't go in for the commercialization of Valentines Day but we do try to make a special day dedicated to ourselves and our relationship. While we are deeply in love and recognize the little things that equal romance through the rest of the days/weeks/months and years - we at least get caught up in expressing it in different ways for Valentines Day.
This years plans has us making our own cards and hubby is making a prime rib and I a decadent chocolate mousse cake.
Without the chaos of having a difficult child around we definitely enjoy our couple-hood more. Maybe cherish it more is the right way to say it. We cherish each other.

So whats up with the rest of you for Valentines Day?

 

[recoveringenabler]

What a lovely post 2m2r. That dinner sounds delicious. To cherish your husband is a beautiful thing.......I feel that way about my husband too. Today we are going on one of our road trips out of town. We'll get in the car and head in the direction of the Pacific ocean.........along the way there are small towns, where we'll stop and have a bite, walk around, check it out. Then drive along the ocean road, which is breathtaking, stop and hike somewhere, either along the water if it's not too windy and/or cold, or in any number of redwood forests along the way. It's a feast for the eyes and for the spirit. We'll stop in some more remote area and likely grab dinner, away from the crowds. My husband will bring some beautiful CD's to listen to, often the music matches the scenery, he's good at that. So, all our senses will be nourished, what we see, hear, taste, touch and smell. It works wonders for refreshing the body, mind and spirit.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! May your day(s) be filled with love, wonder and beauty.

 

[TerryJ2]

Very nice, you two. Great ways to celebrate. If only every day could be Valentine's Day ...
We "celebrated" Thurs at dinner, because we have had very bad luck in years past. Crowded, bad service, wrong orders ... chaos. Just not worth it. So we always choose another day. Also, husband never buys me red roses on The Day because they go up to over $55, when they are normally $20. He can do carnations or just wait a week. We really do like nice things, and we're not *that* cheap, but sometimes, it just sticks in your craw, Know what I mean??
We exchange cards, and he buys me chocolate.
Today we will have lunch together. It will be Mexican. And I will wear red and pink. He has a collection of ties and will wear a perfect tie, I'm sure.

 

[Lil]

That sounds wonderful! I have to admit, Jabber and I are kind of ignoring Valentine's Day this year. He's actually very good at the sending flowers or having a card or flowers at home for me...and I usually make him some kind of dessert...but this year with it falling on Saturday, and we had a work holiday on Thursday, took off yesterday, and have a three-day weekend with another work holiday Monday...somehow, with the 5 days off work Valentine's Day kind of fell through the cracks.

Doesn't feel like this is my 4th day off work (I took Wed. too for the boy's court date). I've accomplished bupkiss. Ah well.

We're going to meet a realtor and look at some more recreational property this afternoon, so we'll have a few hours in the car, like last weekend and the weekend before that. Luckily, Jabber and I are very good traveling companions. It's not romantic...but I guess planning our future is pretty special.

 

[AppleCori]

I am sick. Flu.

I'm also 1100 miles away from my wonderful guy.

I've been visiting my older kids for the last few weeks, so have had a good time, but feel especially sorry for myself today.

Though I shouldn't feel sorry for myself. I am 1100 miles south, sending pics from the pool while my sweet man is working hard in the frozen north. (well, not at the pool today, I meant previously.)

My 27yo daughter is going to take 10 yo to see Paddington today.

Other 27yo daughter is with her long-term boyfriend.

Son will be coming over here later today.

We will probably order pizza as I am not well enough to go anywhere.

 

[nlj]

Him - playing golf this morning and watching rugby all afternoon and evening (It's the six nations championship on at the moment, Wales, Scotland, England, France, Ireland and Italy - the highlight of his year , sad)

Me - lunch with a friend, ironing and trying to read over the noise of H and our son (the other one) shouting at the TV and Wales aren't even playing today ! - they're playing Scotland tomorrow, so the shouting will be at fever pitch.

I did get back from lunch to find a big bunch of roses waiting for me though.

 

[JKF]

Hubby and I are both miserably sick with a cold but we figure at least we're sick together. Plus it's super cold here and we're expecting snow and high winds and even colder temps (-30 with the wind chill!!) We're watching movies today and nourishing ourselves with some homemade chicken soup and yummy herbal teas. I got him chocolate from a wonderful little candy shop here in town and he got me beautiful flowers which are certainly helping with the doom and gloom that goes along with being sick. I'm making a ham, twice baked potatoes and broccoli for dinner and a homemade Devils food cake with cream cheese icing for dessert. We usually eat very healthy but tonight calls for a splurge! P C got some candies from the shop as well and I make funny handmade cards every year for him. He's very content playing a video game and listening to music right now and he'll enjoy the ham dinner and dessert later! That boy loves to eat!

 

[PatriotsGirl]

I brought Connor to his momma for a sleepover last night. Seeing her tears of joy was beyond wonderful!! Today is visitation and husband is coming with me this time. We will visit and then have family counseling before heading home. Dinner will unfortunately be fast food on the road home...we figure we won't be able to get into any restaurant...

 

[KTMom91]

Hubby and I are keeping it low-key, since he's working till 5 and the restaurants will be packed tonight.

Miss KT's hubby is working tonight, too, but he got her a cactus and an herb garden since she's starting to cook lately. Scary thought for the girl who burned microwave mac n cheese.

The Sons are celebrating with their SOs, as they should be.

 

[pasajes4]

I spent the day with my daughter and the grands. We had a lovely day. We shopped and people watched.

 

[SeekingStrength]

Apple and JFK, sorry to hear you are sick!

husband and I had the talk yesterday - no presents, no cards! Still, husband gave me coupons for TWO car cleanings (inside and out) and another one for weeding the garden (that one cannot be redeemed for a few months; he is wise like that). I bought him a package of DuraFlame logs --on sale. His birthday is in a couple days, so I have time to think of something else/better....

We have never observed the day much. Married 35 years and very happy (best friends), so everything is good with the relationship.

Youngest two "kids" are here right now. Son just brought in wings from pizza place he works. Gonna be a good night, romantic or not.

 

[Farmingmom]

How lovely to read how some of you guys are spending Valentine's Day. My hubby and I never went in for holidays when he was alive. We didn't do Valentine's Day, or buy each other Christmas presents, or even birthday presents, for that matter. However, it's days like today...when the whole world seems focused on couple-ness...(especially with all the kids gone and no one to talk to but the animals) that I tend to get kind of...blah...and I miss him more.

You'd think reading about everyone's plans for the holiday with their special someone would make it worse. But, it doesn't. It reminds me of all the times the rest of the world was running around, trying to do something special because the calendar rolled over to a set date, when hubby and I would just shake our heads. We opted more for the 'just because' stuff. Reading everyone's laid back, non-cliche plans for the day - and how much everyone is focused on just spending some downtime together reminds me of our approach to days like today...and all of the things I loved and appreciated him for.

He would randomly bring me a single rose for no reason - just because it's Tuesday or because he really enjoyed breakfast, or stop along the highway on his way home to pick the first wildflowers of spring so I could see them too, or he'd just call on his lunch hour to say 'I love you.' In turn, I'd leave random notes in his pockets when I folded the laundry, or call and have pizza delivered to him at lunchtime (so he could have mushrooms or peppers or some other grossness I wouldn't let near a pizza I was going to eat,) or shoo the kids outside early in the morning on his day off & leave a cup of coffee on the nightstand for him so he could have an hour of peace before starting the 'honey do' list.

I was very blessed to have him, even if we didn't get to grow old together. It's good to hear there are other people doing the kinds of things we would likely have done. It makes me so incredibly grateful that we never did place much emphasis on calendar dates and reminds me of what it felt like to know I was simply loved - not that he was pressured to do something because it was a holiday. Thanks for letting me take a peek into your lives...and remember what that felt like. It is a beautiful thing to know you are loved, no matter what day of the year it is. And I am ever so grateful that we never got into the commercialism of the holidays. Thanks for sharing your plans...betcha never knew it would help a grumpy widow feel better, did ya?

 

[recoveringenabler]

What a beautiful post Farmingmom, thank you for sharing your thoughts........

 

[in a daze]

My twin niece and nephew turned 2 today. They are miracle babies as sister in law had lost several pregnancies and brother had prostate CA. So we went to the party tonite.

Difficult Child was there and he got a hair cut! That's all the Valentine I needed.

Husband deserves a Valentine. He has been very patient with Difficult Child over the last few years trying to repair their relationship and they are finally getting along.

 

[Lil]

We had a lovely day, found a piece of property we are very seriously considering putting an offer on, and came home to a ringing phone and a son in an absolute panic and screaming and crying and on and on and he kind of ruined my mood and my night.

 

[sooooo tired]

What a lovely post 2m2r. That dinner sounds delicious. To cherish your husband is a beautiful thing.......I feel that way about my husband too. Today we are going on one of our road trips out of town. We'll get in the car and head in the direction of the Pacific ocean.........along the way there are small towns, where we'll stop and have a bite, walk around, check it out. Then drive along the ocean road, which is breathtaking, stop and hike somewhere, either along the water if it's not too windy and/or cold, or in any number of redwood forests along the way. It's a feast for the eyes and for the spirit. We'll stop in some more remote area and likely grab dinner, away from the crowds. My husband will bring some beautiful CD's to listen to, often the music matches the scenery, he's good at that. So, all our senses will be nourished, what we see, hear, taste, touch and smell. It works wonders for refreshing the body, mind and spirit.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! May your day(s) be filled with love, wonder and beauty.

 

[sooooo tired]

WOW are you a very lucky woman !!! I have never had anyone treat me that way. I have been divorced for 13 years and would love to have a special someone, but also have very little trust in men any longer. My ex was of no help for me when it came to my daughter, in fact he made it worse !! I just see myself single the rest of my life.

 

[nlj]

I just see myself single the rest of my life.

I was a bit like that ST, never wanted another bloody man in my life, but then I met H and now I'm happily married at the age of 53.
You never know what's around the corner. x

 

[SuZir]

Around here Valentine's Day is both considered American silliness and also reworked to be a day to celebrate friendship

As you probably guessed, we do not do romance in my culture, not much at least. Or not at least with big gestures or big words. In fact we have a joke about old married couple: Wife seemed bit bothered all day and at the evening finally said to her husband that it would be nice if he every now and then would tell her that he loved her. Husband was quiet for long time and then answered: "I told you I love you once 58 years ago before we got engaged. I will tell you if that changes. That should be enough!"

The joke may be a bit exaggerated, I mean, I'm sure that for example I have mentioned to my husband that I'm kind of attached to him at least once or twice or maybe even thrice during the last year and he has maybe also mentioned something that would imply he may like me during last year or two, but we are not too big on romantic gestures or words. This year we however did do something Valentine's Day related: We were working on the Valentine's Day's skating event in local ice rink to help local sport club in fundraising. I was selling coffee and hot chocolate in the kiosk and my husband was was selling tickets elsewhere

 

[BusynMember]

Although it's in the negatives, weather-wise, my hubby drove me down to see my daughter and grandbaby for Valentine's Day. It was the only thing I wanted. I'm having surgery a week from Tuesday (not dangerous, but still...) and I wanted to hug BB for good luck and take pictures of us so I can wake up to the baby's sweet face on my hospital bedstand.

This was a very generous gesture on hubby's part because we always take our dogs with us so he had to spend the entire weekend in a hotel with the dogs, not with us or Princess and BB and her SO. No way to leave the dogs alone or they'd bark up a storm, and it was too cold out to take them for a long walk!

Gave BB all the stuff I'd collected for her and miraculously she did not get tired and skipped one of her usual naps while she got a lot of fussing and loving. I also had a good visit with Princess. All in all, it was a great day, even though hubby and I forgot to buy Valentines for each other...lol. We're kind of iffy on all holidays. We celebrate them when it suits us...often earlier or later than other people so that we can have our kids alone and not share them with other relatives . We also wait for good weather sometimes to celebrate. Depends on the holiday. The actual calendar date doesn't mean much to us.

When I got home, I immediately texted Bart and told him to put Junior on Skype as he had called me while I was at Princess's house and I couldn't Skype him there. I'd sent Junior something dark and sweet for V-day and he was calling to thank me and to show me some stuff Bart's new squeeze bought him. Jumper called, which was a bonus and told us she can't wait until basketball is over so she can come home weekends and we can go to Chicago together. Sonic also called to tell me, somewhat embarassed, that he has some candy for the girl he likes at work.

It was a wonderful weekend.

So that ended my V-day and now I'm just wiped out. I get that way when I haven't been alone for a long time, even if I'm with my beloved daughter and her baby...after being with people, I need to be alone.

Thankfully wonderful hub understands. He is the same.

Happy V-Day to everyone, whatever it means to you and whomever you spent it with. I consider everyone I love my valentines, not just my hubby.