So…Valentine’s
Day this week, eh? *yawn* You’d think someone who writes a lot of
romance would be into a holiday like that, but me? Not so much. I’m not
big on obligatory gifts, see, so any holiday wherein people assume they
should get/give something just because of the date on the calendar is
not my cup of tea. Call me crazy, but I’d far rather receive something
on some random day of the year just because that person happened to see
something and think of me rather than get something because it’s just
“what people do” on that day.
Day this week, eh? *yawn* You’d think someone who writes a lot of
romance would be into a holiday like that, but me? Not so much. I’m not
big on obligatory gifts, see, so any holiday wherein people assume they
should get/give something just because of the date on the calendar is
not my cup of tea. Call me crazy, but I’d far rather receive something
on some random day of the year just because that person happened to see
something and think of me rather than get something because it’s just
“what people do” on that day.
I’m
contrary like that. Luckily, I have a husband that understands and
respects that, so we’re both absolved of the whole obligatory gifting
thing, no matter the holiday.
contrary like that. Luckily, I have a husband that understands and
respects that, so we’re both absolved of the whole obligatory gifting
thing, no matter the holiday.
Of
course you can’t think of Valentine’s Day without thinking about
flowers – one of the most popular (and expensive!) gifts for this time
of year. My favorite flower is the lily, though I also love hybrid tea
roses and carnations. What do all of those flowers have in common? Just
that I prefer them (and most other flowers) outside in the garden where
my overactive immune system won’t take offense. I used to do okay with
cut flowers, but then my allergies started flaring up with them a couple
years ago, and now they pretty much just make me miserable in the
house. Oddly enough, my flowering houseplants don’t seem to bother me –
just cut flowers. I wonder why that is? In any case, my little flower
allergy inspired a short story last week that I included in my monthly
(yes, it’s going to be monthly again – the February issue went out
Saturday) newsletter as a subscriber exclusive. Inspiration is
everywhere!
course you can’t think of Valentine’s Day without thinking about
flowers – one of the most popular (and expensive!) gifts for this time
of year. My favorite flower is the lily, though I also love hybrid tea
roses and carnations. What do all of those flowers have in common? Just
that I prefer them (and most other flowers) outside in the garden where
my overactive immune system won’t take offense. I used to do okay with
cut flowers, but then my allergies started flaring up with them a couple
years ago, and now they pretty much just make me miserable in the
house. Oddly enough, my flowering houseplants don’t seem to bother me –
just cut flowers. I wonder why that is? In any case, my little flower
allergy inspired a short story last week that I included in my monthly
(yes, it’s going to be monthly again – the February issue went out
Saturday) newsletter as a subscriber exclusive. Inspiration is
everywhere!
Interestingly
enough (to me, anyways) is that last night, my husband and I opened a
bottle of Malbec red wine to try. Red wine normally sets off my
allergies bad enough that not only can I not breathe, my head hurts for
hours after due to the sinus pressure. But I’m happy to report that the
wine last night didn’t affect my allergies at all, so perhaps all the
white wine I’ve been drinking has sort of anesthetized my immune
reaction to the red? Whatever happened, I hope it stays that way…more
variety, more fun!
enough (to me, anyways) is that last night, my husband and I opened a
bottle of Malbec red wine to try. Red wine normally sets off my
allergies bad enough that not only can I not breathe, my head hurts for
hours after due to the sinus pressure. But I’m happy to report that the
wine last night didn’t affect my allergies at all, so perhaps all the
white wine I’ve been drinking has sort of anesthetized my immune
reaction to the red? Whatever happened, I hope it stays that way…more
variety, more fun!
In
other news, I was watching a little of the Olympics this weekend, and
the figure skating brought this question to mind: why that is considered
a sport, but regular dancing (ballet, ballroom, what have you) isn’t?
They’re all the same basic thing…movement to music that requires good
muscle control, rhythm and balance, yet somehow figure skating is
considered “more athletic” than other forms of dance. It’s odd, don’t
you think? Or maybe it’s not – feel free to explain in the comments if
you have the answer, because I’ve been wracking my brains for several
days trying to figure it out…
other news, I was watching a little of the Olympics this weekend, and
the figure skating brought this question to mind: why that is considered
a sport, but regular dancing (ballet, ballroom, what have you) isn’t?
They’re all the same basic thing…movement to music that requires good
muscle control, rhythm and balance, yet somehow figure skating is
considered “more athletic” than other forms of dance. It’s odd, don’t
you think? Or maybe it’s not – feel free to explain in the comments if
you have the answer, because I’ve been wracking my brains for several
days trying to figure it out…
As
for my to-do lists, last week was more productive. I still didn’t get
as much done as I’d have liked, but it was far better than the previous
week, and with regular office hours established now, I think maybe I’ll
finally start getting caught up with the business side of things. Yay!
for my to-do lists, last week was more productive. I still didn’t get
as much done as I’d have liked, but it was far better than the previous
week, and with regular office hours established now, I think maybe I’ll
finally start getting caught up with the business side of things. Yay!
Lastly, Mr. Mysterious
will *finally* be available for purchase this Friday, just in time for
the holiday. And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can buy both of the
intertwined stories written by my alter-egos as well in The Holiday Pact collection. I’ll post a release announcement on Friday ahead of the next serial story installment.
will *finally* be available for purchase this Friday, just in time for
the holiday. And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can buy both of the
intertwined stories written by my alter-egos as well in The Holiday Pact collection. I’ll post a release announcement on Friday ahead of the next serial story installment.
I think that’s it for now…here’s to romance, and celebrating it all year, instead of just one particular day… 
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note – If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
If you’re looking for a good red wine, try Castelvetro. It’s the only red I’ll chance a migraine on. 😀
And I totally agree on the ice skating thing in the Olympics. But then if they’re going to call these sporting events the Olympics, I think they should stick to the original Olympic events. They’ve expanded the idea until it’s lost all meaning. IMO
Jamie, I had been wondering over the weekend if you were still tending to your African violets. When you mentioned your flowering houseplants I hoped they were included. I love violets but cannot keep them(or any other plant)alive. When I think of other people growing violets it makes me smile.
I have never thought that figure skating and ice dancing would not be considered a sport. Ice skating is not an easy task so choreographed movements for skaters are more taxing than regular dancing would be so it seems like a sport to me. Of course, I love the Olympics and enjoy all of the sports but that’s just me.
I am not a Valentine’s person either. It isn’t that I can’t be loving but I celebrate love every day. I don’t just reserve it for special occasions.
BTW, I enjoyed your flash fiction piece very much. It was a fun story. Well, at the end it was fun. 😉
I’ll watch for that wine, Carol…so far, I haven’t seen anything with that name, but you never know!
I’m honestly not all that interested in the Olympics, as far as watching goes. Some sports I like, and I’ll watch if nothing else is on, but if my favorite crime dramas are on, they win. I’ve never been much of a sports nut.
Now if they decided to put them back in the Colosseum, and had traditional contests and garb (by which I mean…well, you know what I mean LOL), I’d be glued to the TV…
I have one African Violet, Ardee-ann…it got sunburned over the holiday season, poor thing, because I had to move it to a brighter location to make room for the Christmas tree. It’s doing fine though, and the new leaves are coming in dark and beautiful.
Next time it blooms, I’ll post a picture. I have orchids blooming at the moment too – beautiful!
I doubt those who perform regular dancing (ballet, ballroom, etc) would agree that ice dancing/figure skating is more or less taxing – different, perhaps, but those non-ice disciplines require just as much athleticism, IMO. Hence my pondering this weekend.
And that’s exactly my point about Valentine’s day. Celebrate often & when you find something you want to give someone, just do it then. Don’t wait for one day a year…
Glad you enjoyed the short story – thanks for reading!