[BeyondtheRainbow]

Happy Valentine's day! While it's not much of a day for me I have 2 special memories. The first was in high school when my boyfriend who we were too shy to say boyfriend/girlfriend sent me a carnation. The 2nd was after I had quit my job to go on SSDI I had to turn in my work stuff. So it was an extremely hard day. My family friend/non-bio dad sent me a beautiful tulip arrangement that made me feel so loved on that painful day.

What are your special memories? Are you looking forward to anything today?

[Soupe du jour]

Happy Valentine's Day to all, and thanks for your well-wishes and stories, BeyondtheRainbow! They certainly reflect the goodness in people.This morning has been pleasant with Hubby. Cards and a bouquet of flowers. I love flowers a lot!

A particularly memorable one (bad way) was in 1990 during my freshman year of college. I had been dating two guys at the same time, neither of which particularly excited me, though one was a VERY sweet guy. The sweet one had even asked me to his parent's house days before. The day before the holiday, I met a third guy that excited me more. So, on Valentine's, I "dumped" the other two, rather nastily, as soon as they came and presented me with flowers. The sweet guy looked crushed and confused, almost crying. The other reacted with anger, almost yelling at me, consistent with aggression I noted from something else. I believe I was at least hypomanic during that period, which didn't always yield decent behavior. To this day, I feel bad about how I treated that sweet guy. In the end, the third guy didn't pan out to anything. At least that was a sort of deserved punishment for me. I'm unsure if I might have continued with the sweet guy if I hadn't met his parents. It was clear his mother did NOT like me. I suspect religion was one factor. I noted how many religious items were displayed throughout the house. Obviously the sweet guy didn't care, though. Regardless, I felt awkward.

[Crazy Hitch]

I don't even think my partner and I wished each other Happy Valentine's Day. It's not something we believe in / celebrate.

My earliest recollection of Valentine's Day was being 11 years old at a new Primary school and on Valentine's Day morning when I reached the classroom my desk was FULL of Valentine's Day gifts from boys ..... cards / chocolates / pink panther. I remember being so embarrassed and slamming my desk shut LOL

[*Beth*]

My favorite holiday. In high school Valentine's Day was absolutely fabulous. There were fundraisers and for $1 you could send someone a rose and a chocolate, so that was a ton of fun. In my senior year I had a boyfriend who gave me a wonderful Valentine card and chocolates.

There was another guy, incredibly good-hearted, he left a very large box of chocolates for me at my front door. Ugh. So awkward. I felt sooo sorry for him, because I wasn't interested in him, at all. I had dated him for a short time. That guy pursued a relationship during my senior year, then for 2 years after. He was a year older than I, and a wonderfully talented artist. But I was living with David and madly in love. Well, maybe I was really stupid. That young man went on to film school and became a cinematographer. I've checked out his info online; he's doing really well, living down in SoCal and went from being a tall, gawky guy to such a handsome man. Ah me, the road not taken. Oh, well.

Grade school was always such fun on Valentine's Day. When I was very little my sister would hide a box of the word heart candies under my pillow on Valentine's Day each year. Oh, I loved that.

When I had my children at home I'd bake a little heart-shaped cake for my daughter, my son, and for David. I'd give the kids a box each of the candy hearts with words on them. Some years I'd do the PTA thing and take cupcakes to their classes. Wonderful times!

David never has given me a Valentine. The man I lived with for years always did. Now...I buy myself a Valentine every year. This year, a pair of black leggings that I need and a piece of raspberry cake from a bakery

***Happy Valentine's Day!***

[*Beth*]

Oh! And one year I was in Ireland on Valentine's Day. That was so interesting, because while it's very celebrated as a secular day (the store windows in Dublin had Valentine's Day displays, it was so happy - it's also a religious holiday, so the churches have special services.