Happy Valentine's Day!

Hello friends! First, I need to wish my dear friend Pam a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! She's so sweet and it was totally perfect for her to be born on this day! And, a happy Valentine's Day to my readers! I hope it's a good one for you, no matter what you're doing!

I'm not one for a big blown-out celebration, but usually a little something special for dinner like a good steak, a nice salad, a baked potato, all served at the dining room table on china instead of going out to dinner. We've found, starting with our very first Valentine's Day together on which we were engaged 28 years ago, that going out to eat ON Valentine's Day ia a big hassle, so why not eat in? (Four hours until our food was brought to the table at a high-end restaurant...no room, elbow to elbow...we vowed to never do that again!)

I may be lighting a candle, putting some Elvis on the iTouch, making a pretty dessert...that's what we usually do. I may or may not get a little something special for each family member, I want it to be special or a surprise if I do it, so I don't do it every year.

Today, I will probably make Rice Krispy treats for my youngest son and some sort of a good cake for the rest of us, perhaps a coconut layer cake perched on a pedestal plate...with a creamy and magically delicious (it might have something to do with the whole cup of BUTTER!) cooked frosting for the top and seedless raspberry jam in the center: with lots of coconut added of course! We bought half an angus beef this summer, so I'll have to go out to the freezer and do the dive to find out what kind of steaks we've got for tonight!

I did get some work much-needed and long-past-due work done around here this last week, and somehow it always turns out that the more you do, the more there is to do: one project completed makes me notice many more that need to be done before the grass starts growing and the lawn needs mowing! In order to spend guilt-free time outside this spring and summer I have many more indoor projects to complete and will need to get a big garage sale together, too.

I'm sorting and editing and there's a definite need for unloading some of my stuff! We won't paint again this weekend, we'll do more next weekend but hope to get to the garage and do some sorting and cleaning: it's SO BAD that I want to scream. And, it's not my husband's fault: it's mine! I know, it's weird but true.

The weather this week got warmer, and three of the four of us got sick with a terrible cold. The mud came and the snow melt revealed many many jobs to do in the yard, and now this morning I woke to softly-falling snow that covers up all the ugly once again. Somehow looking at all the sticks, pinecones, leaves and debris in the yard, the ditches full of road gravel and dirt scraped into it when the road was plowed dozens of times, is upsetting because it's another big job to be done, two acres worth of cleaning and raking and picking up. Thankfully, the snow helps me forget what's waiting for us when the weather breaks and makes looking out the window pleasant once again. I don't know how people that weren't born and raised here can get through this time of year without losing their minds...it's so ugly and nasty!

So probably after Simple Sunday and Mellow Monday, I will post some photos of a couple completed projects and a couple vintage pieces of furniture that now live at our house for this part of their existence. Especially one chippy robin's egg blue end table with a gingerbread railing that is as cute as can be.... that one may never be allowed leave here; it's a keeper!

Have a great, and relaxing Valentine's Day!

Dessert tonight is Lem's favorite....a white cake with creamy, dreamy frosting with raspberry, frosting and coconut between the layers and coconut all over!