Valentine’s Day

Posted on Feb 14, 2015 in All Blog Posts, Holidays and Celebrations, Romance

Valentine’s Day

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love. Sophocles Searching for just the right Valentine can be like searching for the perfect white shirt, neighborhood that feels like home, or special pet to love. Each offers something special and unique, but only one will speak to your heart. Valentines come in every shape, size and color, with far too many styles to showcase in a single blog. I’ve chosen a small sampling to illustrate the variety of ways hankies can convey “I love you.” Certainly there’s the ubiquitous Key to My Heart message. Sometimes the message is...

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Happy New Year

Posted on Jan 3, 2015 in All Blog Posts, Calendar, Entertainment, Food, Holidays and Celebrations

Happy New Year

Oh dear, looks like this hapless chap may require a bit of “hair of the dog” to restore him to his former glory, or at the very least to an ‘upright and locked’ position. Note the wobbly-kneed stance so cleverly depicted by the four-footed stumble of our staggering celebrant. Or is it just our own double vision? If you’ve ever attempted to “party hearty” like this sad creature, your sympathies are with him, I’m sure. Aside: Hair of the Dog dates back to the time of Shakespeare, and is a term we use today to refer to treatment for a hangover. Apparently the Scots believed that a...

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The Handkerchief Flirt

Posted on Dec 11, 2012 in All Blog Posts, Romance

The Handkerchief Flirt

“Flirting is a woman’s trade. One must keep in practice.” Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë Recently, I attended a graduation at Stanford as a guest, and found myself immersed in a throng of families, friends and parents of graduates at a reception. Many were alumni, and related tales of “when I went here…” or bemoaned the changes that inevitably come with time.  One remark that caught my attention came from a grandfather with whom I’d been speaking earlier. Apparently he had met his sweetheart at college and later proposed at a landmark on the campus. “Kids today” he sighed, “have lost the art...

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