Happy Valentine's Day

For this greatly over rated day of love, I am going to the elementary school to do a Valentine's party.  Doug will be attending the preschool party because I simply just cannot be 2 places at once.  Luckily the kids get that, but George has already said I should be HIS party planner next year.  Sheesh.  
After the party, I begin my usual Tuesday afternoon which I have come to call in my mind, the gauntlet.  Then home for a nice dinner with my husband, kids, and my mom. This is the only part of the day I am looking forward to.   Dad is out on business and even though I am somewhat cynical, I am romantic enough that I don't think you should be alone on Valentine's day.  We will be having steak, mashed potatoes, dragon tails--also known as asparagus, and Caesar salad.  For dessert, we have your choice of a root beer float, store bought chocolate cake and strawberries.  I am weeping at the store bought cake, but I am not at all sad that I don't have cake batter and frosting all over the kitchen.  People, life is all about compromise.

For Valentine's Day, I got flowers that I can plant in the ground and enjoy for a while.   I love that!  
This is some kind of African Daisy.  Isn't that a cool flower?  Some of the splendor is wasted because I don't know how to properly use my camera to capture the beauty of nature.

This one has tiny pink blooms all over it.  It is called Diamante Coral Rose. The color reminds me of the Sugar Plum Fairy's costume in Lindsay's production of the Nutcracker.  

For Doug, I made mashed potatoes.  He had a bowl for lunch and he is a happy, happy guy.