Happy Valentine's Day!

First, a follow up on my uncle's health...

He's home! My mom called to speak to my Aunt Rene and Uncle Mel picked up the phone. My mom said she just about fell off her chair. Uncle Mel is the Comeback Kid - he has completely overcome the odds and returned to health in a way that nobody predicted. So - happy Valentine's Day to Rene and Mel....and many more to come! I am certain that this is a special day for you both, knowing that it nearly didn't come to pass together.

I had to reschedule my tea party for church in order to visit Mel, and I will do that soon.

Today is also my parents' 41st wedding anniversary - happy anniversary, Mum and Dad! Thank you for giving me a model to follow, as you've made it through easy times and hard times and never faltered in your love for one another. Every child should be so lucky.

And me? We had a nice day as a family - a really nice day. We opened with waffles ala Mama for breakfast, and Ryan and I laughed to discover we'd purchased each other the same gift (a particular box of chocolates). Ryan was ready for some down time after his busy day-and-back trip to Portland, so Tessa and I went to church (which was lovely as always). shopped at the farmer's market (note: eating seasonally has me beginning to crave spring - there is only so much I can do with squash and I feel like I'm turning into a squash/potato...) and came back. We packed up a simple picnic, loaded up and headed to Lowman Beach Park for a lovely time in the sunshine - hurrah! and just soaked up the fresh air. Then we went for the loop walk through the park, with Shep sniffing every dog he could reach from his leash, and all of us pausing for Tessa to play on the beach and on the monkey bars.

Now, we're home, and Tessa is creating a treasure hunt, Ryan is (unfortunately) fighting a headache, and I've got dinner prepped. I had some extra milk and got the idea to make my Grandpa Goddard's recipe for rice pudding, which is simmering as I type. There was a sale on lobster tails at Thriftway, and Tessa and Ryan's eyes popped when I told them we'd dine on lobster! (For three of us, it was $20. Given that Ryan and I elected to not have a date for Valentine's, it's economical but luxurious.)

If every day were this simple, and this beautiful, for every person, the world would be a different place, I think.

Here's wishing you and yours a day filled with love, peace, and contentment.