Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day


It is fashionable every February 14 for people to complain that Valentine’s Day is a “Hallmark holiday” and totally commercial and that they can show their love for their dear ones on other days. To which I say (although generally under my breath) “So what?” Chocolate tastes good. Flowers look pretty. Cards are cheerful. Go take your hipster disdain for happy-making things someplace else, thank you very much.

Three years ago, hubby and I were on an Antarctic cruise on Valentine’s Day. I bought him a large Valentine’s Day card before we left, and carefully kept it hidden and unmangled for close to a week before giving it to him on the day. He was thrilled and sent me belated flowers when we got back.

The day the flowers were to be delivered, I had a migraine and left work early. Hubby called work to find out if the flowers had been delivered, only to find out I was at home. He called me there and fessed up about the flowers. Meantime I was feeling better, and didn’t want to miss my flowers, so I called work to tell them I would be back in the afternoon. “You can’t come back,” said our panicked receptionist. It turned out they had told the florist to take the flowers to my home.

You don’t have that kind of delicious romantic mix-up in your life if you spurn Valentine’s Day. 

When it comes to Valentine’s Day meals out, however, hubby and I have stopped going to restaurants on the actual day. We generally go a day or two later, when the wait staff is not rushed off its feet. This year’s plan is to go have lunch at Houmas House tomorrow, at the Cafe Burnside. We have eaten there before, and it is the perfect Valentine’s Day (or thereabouts) kind of place, plus the weather should be nice enough for us to stroll around the extensive landscaped grounds.

The crawfish pumpkin bisque at the cafe

Houmas House


I did give hubby his gift this morning, though. He buys most of his clothes at JC Penney, and ever since they instituted their new marketing plan, he has missed the $10 off coupons he used to get in the mail. So I bought him a gift card. He of course got me flowers and chocolate. 

Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody.

2 comments:

  1. Happy Valentine's Day! I personally don't celebrate it because my husband has to work a 12 hour day (restaurant work). Like so many holidays, it gets shoved off to some more convenient time. Instead, we typically combine it with my birthday and go out to cover both of them.

    The flowers story is adorable though!

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  2. Does he at least get good tips, or is he working behind the scenes? Either way, working in a restaurant on Valentine's Day must be exhausting. I'm not sure I'd be up for celebrating under those circumstances.

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