ARE WE THERE YET?...

Although, 

the photo above usually sets the scene

 when the title question

 of this post is asked, 

but today 

it means something 

very different.

What it means today is: 

 Isn't it 

Valentines Day

 yet?

For such a short month, 

February is turning out 

to seem like a very long time! 

I will admit, however, 

that I did start our

 Valentines celebration

 a little early...

...the first posting 

reminded us of the garland 

and how it had looked before...

...the second posting 

showed the planning 

that goes into 

a labor of love...

...and in the third posting 

you could find beauty 

through gray skies

 if you looked hard enough.

Now 

we are at the fourth posting

 and it still isn't Valentines Day.

 Not until

 two days from now 

will we reach that 

auspicious occasion.

 But, 

since I won't be here then,

 I will show you, today, 

what I am fixing for

 the love of my life

 for his special 

Valentines Day dinner.

The candles are lit,

 the wine has been poured 

and the mood has been set...

...and now the food 

has been served.

 A porterhouse steak (for two), 

baked potatoes, 

fresh green beans and...

...fresh fruit 

to be enjoyed 

as a salad 

or as a sweet ending 

to the meal.

But, the puzzle remains:

 Since there is still 

two days remaining 

until Valentines Day, 

was the meal cooked ahead 

for a photo opp only, 

and then consumed 

at a later date, 

or was the day 

celebrated ahead of time?

  

If you answered 

"a little of both",

 you might be right.

 In actuality, 

the Captain had 

two teeth pulled on Friday

 and we didn't know

 how long before 

he would be able to eat 

anything of substance.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY 

TO YOU ALL...

"If apples were pears

And peaches were plums

And the rose had a different name

If tigers were bears

And fingers were thumbs

I'd love you just the same."

Anonymous

...Judy...

Sharing today with:

Dishing It & Digging It

and

Keep In Touch at Let's Add Sprinkles

FEBRUARY, AT FIRST LOOK...

At first look, 

through my window this morning,

 all I could see were shades of gray. 

 Not the gray 

that I might see 

in a beautifully appointed room, 

but a gray,

 that at first glance,

 would only seem

 dull and depressing...

...a gray 

that magnifies 

the drops of rain 

on an errant rose cane...

...or a gray 

that is washing away 

the dust and grime 

from the leaves of the camellia, 

leaving it bright and healthy

 for the days to come.

"What good is the warmth of summer

Without the cold of winter 

To give it sweetness."

John Steinbeck

Now that February is here

 that is most likely what we all see 

at first look.

 For such a short month,

 February probably holds us prisoners 

more than any other. 

 January

 is taken up with

 getting the aftermath of Christmas 

put to rights, 

and March starts 

the signaling of spring

 so that leaves February

 to hold the brunt of all

 that comes between...

...and it is up to us 

to look inside and see the "colors"

of our life 

for what they are.

"We bring roses, beautiful fresh roses,/ dewy as the morning and colored like the dawn."

Thomas Buchanan Read

(1822-1872)

At first look,

 I should have seen 

how even a gray sky

 can still shine through glass 

and make it sparkle...

...or just by flipping a switch,

 a lamp can

 fill your soul 

with warmth...

...or by turning on another lamp,

 the light can focus 

on a painted rose and 

make it come to life 

before your very eyes.

Beautiful roses 

that don't need any other introduction.

 They will bring joy and brightness 

into your life 

no matter how you look at them,

 whether in a vase,

 to shine in the moment,

 or as an everlasting

 that will be added next fall 

to a familiar garland.

From one room to another, 

you can gather your rosebuds

 where they may 

and they will always be 

a source of beauty

 in your day.

One thing that February has

 that no other month has 

is LOVE, 

and I will leave you today

 with only thoughts of love.

  I appreciate your following and

 all of your 

wonderful and constructive comments,

 but above all else,

your friendship. 

 It is enough

 to make me see

 beyond the gray skies.

BTW, 

how do you spell gray anyway?

  With an E or an A? 

That is something 

I will contemplate 

as I lay dreaming 

of spring.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All of the above 

took place over the past weekend and

 into Monday morning...

...this is where we are today

 as I publish

 this post.

Pretty and pristine...

...and with 

the bare necessities 

taken care of...

...back to 

Cottage comfort.

...Judy...

Take heart...

Gray skies are gonna clear up.

Sharing today with:

Keep In Touch at Let's Add Sprinkles

and

Dishing It and Digging It