"thank you for giving us a day for love"

i have basically neutral feelings about valentine's day. i've only had one truly traumatic valentines experience (it involved me, a boy i liked, and a dead rose. he said it was a statement about consumerism, but i couldn't help feeling it was a statement about me), and lots of really happy valentines experiences, often involving local productions of "the vagina monologues" or the colin firth version of "pride and prejudice."

this year, in the madness of post-india readjustment, i almost completely forgot valentine's day was coming until my cousin keri invited me to join in a decades-old family tradition of valentine's day dinner. this year it was heart-shaped belgian waffles and other yummy breakfast food on a stunningly-prepared table (kathryn went all out with heart-shaped dishes, an adorable centerpiece and gifts at each plate). emma gave an adorable prayer over the food with gratitude for lots of things, including: "thank you for giving us a day for love." at that moment, i couldn't have agreed more. i think i'd like to try harder to make every day a day for love.

the night was rounded out by the usual antics of children on sugar highs, and the revelation that peggy used to think the "flashdance" lyrics, "take your passion, make it happen" were actually "take your pants off, make it happen." really the same concept expressed slightly differently, if you ask me.




the valentine's day table, complete with placecards and gifts at every plate. there was also a door prize for the person who could say "i love you" in the most languages. suzanne was the winner. (where did she learn hebrew?)



me with peggy, keri and baby joshua from across the street (karen was watching him because his parents were out to a romantic dinner. ours was better but, whatever.)



keri, whipping up our delicious and adorable heart-shaped belgian waffles. (the kids dowsed theirs in chocolate *and* maple syrup.)



karen and suzanne (they got into the spirit by dressing in pink.)




the hostess with the most-ess. kathryn in her valentine's day sweater, with the treasure-chest of candy dreams.

i also got the annual valentine's day package from my mom. this year's gems included a pink tablecloth (being used as we speak. or as we write and read respectively, i guess), and a card in which my mom wrote, "i heart frances." her response when i told her everyone was impressed with her hipness: "well, it's really no trouble at all." amen to that.