Happy Valentine's Day!

There was a mushy card at my place at the table when I got up this morning. It was lovely and touching and sweet. We don't usually do gifts since we've been Valentine's so long there's not much left to gift each other. I'm guessing there'll be something especially yummy for supper since we got some fresh asparagus the other day. Mmm, maybe I'll bake a little something we can share for dessert. Something chocolaty. We'll see. Skully and I walked in the mall this morning since we're not sure of the condition of any of the trails. Last week it was icy and she slipped a couple times, so walking indoors was a better choice. I showed her the quilt blocks I made last weekend and she approved of them, even the backs. I feel all proud. She's been quilting for ages so she knows all the tricks and tips. It's good to have a friend who knows stuff. I've got a chiropractor appointment later to get my bones rearranged, hoping that it'll help alleviate the numbness in my arms and fingers. Next week I'm going to have some sort of test to see if I have carpal tunnel and what to do if I do--or don't. (I don't think I can study for this test.) Durwood just called down the hall to say that the History Channel's running a special on the history of the bra. Excellent Valentine's Day programming choice. (I don't think he's watching.) I need to go to get my nails done today too. They're so long that 90% of the time I type a number when I hit a key on the top row. Annoying. (He is watching the bra show. There's either scantily clad women or nothing else on.) I stopped at the grocery on my way home from walking and the man ahead of me in line checked out, took two steps, and abandoned his cart in the middle of the wide aisle. Really?!?!? I did my good deed for the day and put it away. Honestly, some people's kids...

February 13--William Morris, Pink and Rose Wallpaper. Julianne dreaded starting work in the dining room. When she and Matt talked about buying the old house she had envisioned dark gleaming woodwork and elegantly appointed rooms, not months of dust and stripping acres of wallpaper. They had fallen in love with the house and property the first time they saw it. It had such potential, the gardens needed trimming and weeding, the house needed cleaning and a bit of sprucing up. They negotiated a lower price, signed on the dotted line too many times to count, and it was theirs. They didn't have nearly enough furniture and what they did have seemed to huddle together in the spacious rooms with their soaring ceilings. Matt said, "We're young, we'll accumulate things, everyone does." Julianne and her sister scrubbed floors and woodwork. They cleaned bathrooms and washed windows. One afternoon the girls were finishing washing the windows in the front parlor when Julianne scratched up a flap of the hideous psychedelic wallpaper and peeked under it. She was surprised to see beautiful, old floral paper in pink and green behind it ugly stuff. She pulled harder and a large strip of the top wallpaper pulled away leaving the paper below it looking fresh and new.

I had a perfect name in mind for the sister last night but didn't write it down. D'you think I can remember it? No. I'm putting a picture of me and my valentine on here today so you can see how cute he is. Have a loving (and chocolaty) day!
--Barbara