A Matter of Choice

You may remember previous years posts about Valentines day, and how we don't really celebrate it in our house,  by 'we' I meant of course Aaron - for the last couple of years I've done something small to mark the occasion with the boys but we've not exchanged cards or done anything out of the ordinary. It's a bit of a long running joke - I 'moan' about it but I got over it a long time ago and don't sulk like I did when I was 18. The day before Valentines I was talking to Leo and gave him some advice....  I suggested that when he was older and had a girlfriend he should always get them a Valentines card,   if nothing else it would make them very happy and save himself from a lot of grief.   Of course Aaron was in earshot and he muttered something about 'forced romance and over priced roses'  - or something,  I was too busy laughing. I didn't get Aaron a card, or present as I haven't done for many years, and I no longer feel bad ab...

Love it or hate it Valentines is now over for another year and the overpriced red heart related crap will leave the shops to make way for creme eggs, bunnies and such like in preparation for Easter. This month, for my column in Daxi magazine I wrote about a previous Valentines day where I tried (and failed) to create the perfect romantic evening, (you can read it online) and it got me thinking as to when my views changed on the day. Looking back at my teenage years Valentines could be a stressful time (back in the day when we had nothing much to stress about!)  It was almost like a competition, do you have a date?  Will you get anything?  How much does your boyfriend actually love you?  What amazing romantic stories will everyone be sharing at college on the 15th? Back then was a time of generally uncertain relationships, they came and went more often than you could keep up with and it felt like Valentines was a day to 'prove' you were loved in a time when y...

Valentines Day - do you love it or hate it?    Or are you like me and somewhere in the middle? Once upon a time I may have been know to get a little over excited and carried away with the large amount of crap for sale (in the UK that is) during the run up to Valentines. I brought Aaron (then my boyfriend) a huge amount of loving purchased presents and planned a lovely romantic evening at home.  It sounded like such a good plan inside my head but he was not as enthusiastic as I'd hoped.... at this point I'd like to mention I was 20 and a lot more easily offended! Among the commercialized crapI brought him, which I presented to him in a big box was, Overpriced chocolate in the shape of a heart. Champagne and strawberries - he doesn't like either Novelty boxer shorts - why why-why! For dinner I planned Garlic mushrooms to start, followed by steak and pepper sauce, with Vodka jelly (made in a mold the shape of a pair of boobs) and hagen...