alentine’s Day, like every day, can be brightened by the smallest things — all it takes is a surprise break in the routine to make life just a little bit sweeter. Start the day off right for a beloved other: make morning coffee, stir some chocolate syrup into it, top it with whipped cream, and sprinkle on tiny colored candies (the kind you put on cupcakes). It’s OK to serve this with heart-shaped toast. For the little beloved others, they like heart-toast too, with cherry jam on it; or do what my mom did, make oatmeal, tint it pink with food coloring, sprinkle over cinnamon hearts.
or your girlfriends? The real people that Valentine’s Day was invented for? You know what they like….

Click on words to get recipe

Sending prayers to Brazil and to Australia for their losses in these terrible floods.
Valentine girlfriends the world around. Thinking of you…..

hat do I have for you this sunshiny, 25 degree, Martha’s Vineyard, frozen-snow-stuck-to-ground day? A bunch of little things; this is going to be like a letter that jumps all over the place.

irst off, I found a wonderful web site in case you’re planning to bake for Valentine’s Day. www.fancyflours.com has the cutest things for inspired baking… cupcake papers, candied flowers, colored sprinkles, cookie boxes, decorative garlands and even vintage wedding cake toppers…boggles the the mind, the fun you can have with the things on this site.

hen, I have to tell you…my sister emailed me this morning with a "kid’s say the darnedest things" Valentine’s Joke. Ready? Here goes…
"What would you do on a first date that was turning sour?"
Craig, age 9, replied:
"I’d run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns."
hahahahaha
He sounds so experienced with what needs to be done! I almost think I dated this guy!

hen I got one from my Dad who wrote:
This morning I made my usual breakfast of crunched up Shredded Wheat biscuit, topped with the combo handful of healthful cereals, topped with about 16 blueberries and milk — then the piece of resistance: atop it all (drum roll please), a nice dollop of Reddy-Whip, whipped cream, out of the spritzer can. It was beautiful! Lacking only the maraschino cherry, to say "I love you" — or if it was a birthday, a "lighted candle."
Isn’t he adorable? My whipped-cream-on-his-cereal dad is a "lighted candle" and doesn’t need the cherry to say "I love you."

ext thing is this: I told you I was reading The Help? I just wanted to update this to say, along with all of you who wrote me, I loved it too! Wonderful book! Also, just making sure you all read Water for Elephants? It came out sometime back, but it was also very wonderful.

nd now, remember that great book, published years ago, called Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach? (Her name is pronounced "Bon Brannock" — I’ve been saying it wrong forever!) Well, she’s out with a brand new book called Peace and Plenty. She’s been through some life-changing events, to the point of really having to start all over again; her new book is a lot about money, but more about life, and is filled with her insights and personal stories. It would make a great Valentine present….from you to you!

nd last but not least in this meanderment…I have a present for you. This is not a bribe or a reward for sticking with me through disjointed wanderings and family stories although you probably deserve one. It’s a bookmark I designed for you to give away; click HERE, print it out on card stock and pop it in with a Valentine card or a new book to your best friend, your mom, your sister, or your dad….I left space so you can sign it….

ell, that’s it for today, love to you, girlfriends, have fun!