Hey, friends – happy Valentine’s Day! I don’t have Anyone Special to celebrate it with but that doesn’t mean I begrudge anyone else their romantic time! I used to get the kids candy after my divorce; now they live across the country and buy their own.
This is the intense time in my new job, next week we have the first of a twice-yearly series of four days of Board committee meetings and then the full Board meeting at the end. It’s going okay; I’d describe myself right now as catching the things that have slipped through various cracks — no hotel meeting room / catering booked for next Friday’s cocktail schmooze? Oops, I’m on it! Oh, we need to order name badges? What company do we use? Etc., etc. Next time I’ll have a better idea of what needs to be done, and when, and how to do it.
My planned work attire for Valentine’s Day is a vintage-1970s cranberry plaid maxi skirt and a cranberry sweater, worn with cheerful insouciance and some low boots. (That’s if work isn’t closed — it was 50 and sunny at noon, and now it’s snowing like crazy and it’s gonna be really cold tonight.) Apparently there’s some giant boiler lurking in the basement at my job, and we have radiators so hot you could fry an egg on them. Having spent much of my adult life freezing in too-cold forced-air commercial office space, the fact that I have my own office with a door and a window, and it’s heated to 74 degrees, is a delight.
So, what are you up to? Did someone special treat you (or did you treat yourself – hey, you’re someone special!) to perfume, candles, or scented body products? A fancy meal? A night out? I’ll be at home with the dog, but I did make myself some delightful beef stew.
photos: snapped yesterday on Canyon Road (when it was sunny and 53 degrees)
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! My wonderful husband gave me a perfect card and a fancy badly of Very Expensive handmade chocolate from a shop in the mall (which he hates going to – the mall, that is). So I feel loved. Its a busy day for me, so fancy meals will have to wait. And if he really wants to go to the big car show this weekend, I’ll go along (that’s true love, that is!)
Oooooh, fancy chocolate! Enjoy! I’ve been having less chocolate (more migraines) and some chocolate sounds great! And true love, yes, is going to the car show <3
March, I’m right there with you on the migraines = chocolate avoidance thing. My grandma and all 3 of her sibs had chocolate as a migraine trigger. Super bummed to learn that a few years ago.
Happy Valentine’s day everyone! I’m not celebrating but I’ve made a nice blueberry tart and will drive over to my boyfriend. We had a coffe together today and I got a dark violet carnation. Looking forward to a quiet cozy evening.
Blueberry tart sounds delicious. Like a hint of summer, actually. I hope you get your quiet, cozy evening!
We’re gonna order takeout food tonight. I bought my family gifts and cards. Jeans for DH, a cookie jar for DS, and a fleece blanket for DD. I bought myself 3 Korres bath gels. I’ve tried the Neroli Iris so far, and anyone who loves Prada Infusion d’Iris or Chanel No 19 would appreciate this. It’s an HSN exclusive. Your cozy office sounds nice, as does your beautiful outfit. I’m wearing a bright red oversized turtleneck sweater with jeans and boots today, and silver heart-shaped jewelry.
That sounds like a perfect day and evening! Honestly I wish the kids at least were closer for several reasons, among them I’d love to give them little things and buy them dinner or something. I miss them. I have a silver heart I looked for and couldn’t find!
Hey, peanut!
Happy VD! I’d totally forgotten about it – these Enforced Holidays give me hives (though like you I am FOINE with anyone who enjoys it/them).
I’m enjoying a relatively mild (41F) morning ahead of a lot of wind and rain (so they say). Policed the yard, watched M. Jacques thunder around… Tuesday in IL. Am grateful for the quotidian nature of the day.
I think I might smoke the town out in Carnal Flower, though. Just because Tom said ‘stinky’.
xoxoxo
and…btw… those people are probably on their knees on the daily, thanking FLOYD! that you are there!
xoxo
They seem very happy to have me!
I hope you wore Carnal Flower! I’m glad I dug the car out and went in, I got a lot of useful things done that I’d have been sitting here fretting over. We are getting more snow tonight so lather, rinse, repeat — but as always we need the precipitation so I am trying not to complain.
Love the pics and happy valentines to everyone. it’s not a big thing in this house. baklava arrived this morning — that’s our sweet treat.
Ooooh, baklava — a favorite of mine! My daughter always called it balaclava which makes me giggle (I think she still does, as a joke) Enjoy.
Not celebrating, we rarely do but we will be apart. DH is back at the Cancer Centre with decimated blood counts after his final chemo. He’s also has sepsis, a line infection & is having a couple of units of red cells as he has severe chemo induced anaemia.
We’ve exchanged greetings on the phone already & will speak again later. I have other duties here so phone calls are all we can manage right now.
I’m looking forward to having my hair done today for the first time in over 6 months as it’s urgently needed!
Hope your husband shows improvement. Enjoy your haircut!
Oh, I hope you have a nice haircut — I can’t remember if you felt like that was self-care or just maintenance. I’m so sorry about your husband, warm thoughts for you both today.
sending best wishes. hope improves quickly.
alityke, wishing you and your husband …everything good!
fwiw, you might try Vitamineral Green powder to increase his red bc count – I started using it after a friend researched for her brother who was undergoing chemo. It seemed to work well for him and it certainly is working for me (just as a general ‘green’ – I’m fortunate to not have red bc worries).
xoxoxox
Hope his infection clears up very quickly, alityke, and he gets back on the path of wellness and healing. Enjoy your haircut today!
Oh I hope your DH is fit soon. In the mean time I sincerely hope that you enjoy your hair appointment. So many caretakers don’t care for themselves thinking it’s foolish or selfish. It’s not. It’s even more important for someone who is giving 24/7 to take some time to care for themselves.
I won’t reply to everyone separately but a HUGE THANK YOU for all your good wishes.
Thankfully DH has completed the 6 cycles of chemo. Once his line is out, the blood transfusion & IV antibiotics have done their jobs he should be able to come home. I hope so, I’ve booked a post chemo break for us in Ludlow. We both need a break.
I’m delighted with the hairdo, the stylist has performed miracles! Greys now blended into ashy highlights, bald patches disguised by the clever use of my calflick. Shame she couldn’t rejuvenated my craggy face
I think we discussed our mutual love of radiators- even the banging (the sound of incipient warmth) is kind of nostalgic.
I’m not doing anything special for V-day. I might treat myself to some pizza. The temps here have dropped so much they’re actually talking about wind chill factors. So it will be movies and pizza. Or binge-watch the rest of “Wednesday” and Chinese. The possibilities..
But I will of course douse myself in something stinky..
I might have said this before but the fact that I wound up with radiator-like heat in my house (not common here) AND in my office is a total delight to me. Whoa, wind chill — although, does that mean “it will feel like 45” in your neck of the woods? Takeout dinner and movies sounds perfect!
Try 20. In the Valley. It’s noon an it ain’t cracking 50 on this side of the hill.
WHOA that IS cold for you!!! I hope all the plants are okay!
Heya March,
Jin bought me a beautiful Tommy Bahama linen shirt in navy with flowers printed on the shoulders. Very nice.
I grabbed him a Basquait printed bag from UniQlo.
Last night we had early Valentine’s Aquarobics and pizza afterwards as our date night. Then on Thursday night we are going with friends to see a new theatrical thing called Burlesque.
Pretty good Valentine’s considering we both think it’s a load of rubbish.
Glad you’ve got a cozy warm office.
HUG
Portia xx
That sounds lovely! I dunno, I’m fond of soppy stuff too even though you’re right (also St. Valentine the man was kind of a nightmare lol). I miss Uniqlo, we had one near us. They had great work basics and also fun stuff for me and the kids. I know you can order online but I liked going in and nosing around.
My husband treated me to a bottle of Celine Black Tie perfume, a box of chocolate and a cozy fleece top. I’ll be home with the dog tomorrow night nursing her after her dental cleaning so no big night out (not that we ever do that, even for our anniversary, we live like hermits). We don’t do date nights. So it will be a cozy night at home. Just the way we like it. 🙂
A cozy night in sounds perfect! Who wants to go out in February anyway, if you live in a colder climate … terrible night to go to crowded restaurants. There’s a new mac and cheese place here I might go get lunch from lol. Not romantic but I bet it will be tasty.