2600 Riveredge

Well, here she is...our new home! It's located in Cascade with Forest Hills Schools. 3200 sq ft (not including the unfinished basement), 4 Bedrooms and 4 Bathrooms (2/2), over 1/2 an acre of property, circle drive, etc. I will try to post some inside pictures tomorrow...just understand that this is a foreclosure and it will need a lot of paint and flooring, among other things.

Our offer was accepted and we should be closing on the house in mid-March. I wish that I had time to write more but there is a lot going on today and not enough hours to do it all in! Story of my life....

We are sooooooooo excited!

Where am I?

No, this isn't a game like "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" but rather a statement of confusion. Where am I? I have reached a plateau and seem to be perpetually stuck here, needing badly to move forward, onward and upward! There is soooooo much to do and I don't feel like doing any of it! It's not that I don't want to do these things because I do...really...but I feel like I'm in a bog and unable to move without extreme effort, only to be sucked further into the mire.

So, I am forcing myself to make a list. I like lists and they usually work for me-groceries, trip packing, school supplies, etc. I normally don't need to make them for everyday issues but things have gotten out of hand and I feel that I have no choice. We are going to be moving soon (made an offer on a house today) and I really need to work out a game plan to get this house packed, cleaned and move-able by the end of March. Plus, if we get the house in question, it will need a lot of work before we can move into it and time is of the essence. Mike and I will really need to make a plan in regards to which improvements come first and stick with it.

But before all of that, my real concerns lie in the everyday things that I am not getting accomplished. The floors are vacuumed and the clothes are washed, piano dusted and dishes clean but I still have not gotten out all the "Thank Yous" from the girls' birthday party(s), responded to e-mails that should have been taken care of immediately, filed all the paperwork that is piling up like a mountain on my desk and dining room table and counter, etc.....

So, I would like to start by thanking our dear friends, Joe and Sharon, for sending the beautiful dolls to Lauren and Tara for their birthday. It was completely unexpected and they were thrilled with their first porcelain dolls-they are so careful with them but still play with them like their other babies. So cute! I'm attaching a picture of them watching a movie and holding their dollies with care. I apologize for it taking so long to let you know that they arrived safe and sound and to let you know how much we appreicate your kindness and friendship!

Now, on to the rest of the list!

Love is in the Air

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day? Inquiring minds want to know....

I don't know about you, but I can't imagine too many scenarios where my hubby/boyfriend/significant other comes home with a little gift or flowers or chocolate, and I'm not happy about it! If having a special day set aside each year where we can all feel free to express our love for each other is what it takes, than gosh darn it, I'll take it!

Sure, we can mock the holiday and the "cheesiness" factor built into little hearts and cupids, etc. We can cry, "No one loves me...I didn't get a Valentine." Or, we can embrace the day and take it upon ourselves to let our friends and family know much they mean to us and how much we love them, because who knows what an ordinary day like February 15th might bring!

So, love on people! Share the warm fuzzies with abandon! I'm gonna do it and you can to!

A Little History

I've been thinking about Valentine's Day and what the actual history behind it is. Since I love historical novels, especially 12-16th Century England, I know that St. Valentine's Day is included frequently in the writings of that time. So, it's truly not just another "Hallmark Holiday" as some people like to say, it really has been around and celebrated for hundreds, if not over a thousand years.

Here is a little snippet of information and history that I have gathered for your reading pleasure:

Every February, across the world, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February — Valentine's Day — should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)

*info courtesy of History.com