My Perfect Thursday

I had the most perfect day yesterday, I just had to share.

Jonathan worked on Valentine's Day, so we didn't do anything special. He made up for it yesterday...big time.

First, he let me take a wonderful afternoon nap. As any mother of a baby will tell you...an afternoon nap is worth more than all the gold in Fort Knox. We'd die for it. We'd kill for it. Either way, don't wake us 'til it's over.

After the nap, we went thrift shopping (always a favorite pasttime for me). I found the most comfortable pair of shoes I've ever owned in my life...a pair of black slip-ons by Issac Mizrahi (one of my favorite designers; yes, it's just the IM for Target brand, but I'll take what I can get, thanks). They still had the tags on, and I got them for a third of the price. I also bought a gorgeous pale-green fisherman's sweater. The kind you can wrap around you and just melt. Both are going to be ideal for the long train trip. Among my other finds: several books, another pair of shoes (I call them my "naughty librarian" shoes, lol), a mushroom jar for my kitchen (my entire kitchen is done in a mushroom theme) and a few toys for the kiddies...including a brand-new Weebles village for Eden! A very profitable day of shopping all around.

From there, we went to our favorite family restaurant: Giuseppe's. If you live in the Portland area and have never been there...GO NOW. The food is fantastic, the wait staff is beyond reproach and the portions are gigantic. We've never actually finished an entire meal there...no one does, from what I've observed. Everyone gets take-home boxes. We spent less than $60 for five people, left completely stuffed and had FOUR boxes of food to take home.

Anyway, we had a lovely meal. We had mozzarella sticks, antipasta and cheese bread for appetizers. The kids ordered their usual: pizza, one-half cheese (for my vegetarian daughter Wren) and one-half Pepperoni (for my carnivore son Phoenix). Jonathan ordered chicken parmageana with fettucini and a salad. I had speghetti and meatballs with garlic bread and salad, all of which I shared with the baby. Eden ate like a little piggy! We haven't been to Guiseppe's in nearly a year (thanks to my health problems), and had no idea she'd love it so much. She even ate salad, which she normally turns her nose up at with an "are you kidding?" look. I chose not to get my usual strawberry daiquiri, but I highly recommend them: they make the best daiquiris I've ever had, and being a former bartender (as well as a former club hopper), that's saying something. If you have a chance to eat there, get one. Even the virgin daiquiris they make are marvelous.

To top off the evening, Jonathan gave me a few surprise belated-Valentine's-Day gifts. He developed some of our backlog of film, and I was overjoyed looking through these photographs, some of which were four years old. He also bought me a lovely display box for pictures, a teddy bear and a HUGE, beautiful box of Godiva chocolates. Yes, this man is a keeper.

But the best gift of all was the same gift I get every year. It is my most prized and precious of all posessions. We call it "the Valentine's Book."

Ten years ago, Jonathan and I were struggling to make ends meet and raise our child with another on the way. Every penny was accounted for, and there was little extra money for frivilous things like Valentine's Day.

This did not deter my husband, however. He purchased a hardcover, blank journal. On the cover are Rubenesque angels. And inside, every year, he has written a love note to me on Valentine's Day.

I share those notes with no one. In fact, until now, few people were even aware of the book's existance. And while I am willing to talk about the book itself...the contents are mine alone.

Sometimes, when I am feeling the weight of my life or the world itself upon my shoulders, I'll read those entries and just feel...enveloped in love. I realize how blessed I am to have this man to love, and to love me. I would sooner sell my wedding ring than give up even one page from that book.

Romance isn't dead...at least, not in my house.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day.