Thank all of you for your sweet comments :>). The thing I most love and appreciate about my mom is that she gave us all wings to fly and she raised all of us to be strong individuals who weren't afraid to try anything. I have a HUGE family .. 4 sisters and 5 brothers .. and she always let each and everyone of us know how much she loved us.Even after I moved out, if I wasen't feeling well,she'd tell me to come home,she'd take care of me.I used to love to sit in her lap in her old rocking chair and have her brush my hair when I didn't feel good and I still did that as an adult. I didn't find out until after she died that all my brothers and sisters went home to be rocked by mom if the were sick or upset .. lol ! I wonder why people don't rock their children anymore ? Mamas' laps are the safest place on Earth in a rocking chair. Karen .. ROFL !! No, he hasent' eaten the house yet.. but I did find a board on my fence that looks as though he's chewing his way out to get to the house ..lol ! I also have his full brother. He was a year old Feb.12 and his name is Almost A Valentine and he was foaled on my place and both of them are constantly into mischief. I guess it's a good thing though. I lost my 27 yr. old mare Jan.4 and that was kind of devastating, so these 2 characters keep my mind off losing Lady. Susan

I like to do little things for valentines day. Nothing expensive and I don't expect a romantic dinner or anything, although I plan to make something I know he likes a lot if I can. Since his and DD's food tastes are similar it's like a two-fer ;). DD got a cookie decorating kit, some bath foam, and a lip sucker. DH got a sphere shaped puzzle and some fun-dip candy. Now, he doesn't eat candy normally but he had mentioned that was his favourite kind when he was a kid. It think I might have spent 15.00 total on everything. And that was only because the puzzle was Pirates of the Carribean and therfore a bit pricey LOL. We had stopped doing these things but discussed it recently and decided this year we will go back to the cutesy little things for special ocassions. No stressful "what will I get" type gifts, just little thoughtful touches. However, DH apparently forgot. When he realized it, he insisted he figured we would "celebrate" on Saturday. Okay then. But guess what? He is working saturday then has plans. So hmmmmmm. I guess he forgot that he forgot.

OHHhhhh, this is sounding better all the time....but yes, Chris, you'd better fill us in on this character!! Count me in for the dark chocolate...(altho' when it get up to about 70-75% cocoa, it's a little bitter for me...) I tasted some lovely ports this past week that would be heavenly with dark chocolate... (an aside -- we tease DS about being a foundling, because he's the only one in the family who really just doesn't like chocolate...) this is a far better celebration that what I'll get at home! take care litlbit

No-one noticed the look that passed between Jeeves and Bunter as they hurried to collect the few remaining guests and herd them to the elegant drawing room. Cece was growing impatient. She had an important meeting to attend and wasnÂt used to being kept waiting. She fixed a cigarette into an ivory holder, lit it and tapped her blood-red finger nails on the ten foot square partners desk left to her by her immensely wealthy third husband. "Why this delay?" she demanded of Chris. My goodness to think they had been roomies in their sophomore year at Vassar. Chris was from one of the oldest Baltimore families, the InthevalleyÂs went right back to pre-electricity days. She was a person worth cultivating. Chris eyed her friend speculatively from behind half-closed eyes and coughed loudly. "Ring for the maid to open a window, Cece. The smoke is bad for my health and the smell in here is getting worse." An ancient shapeless maid creaked into the room, holding a duster and a blood-soaked copy of a little regarded Booker prize winner ÂThe Siege of Krishnapur. The wealthy American matrons eyed her with distaste. Since the US had annexed the Commonwealth and the United Kingdom had become the fifty-something state the standard of hired help had gone right down the pan. "Vee. How many times must I tell you not to drip blood on my Maplewood floors?" Cece didnÂt know why she continued to employ these old-world wet-backs. They showed her scant deference, and couldnÂt make an Old Fashioned or a Whiskey Sour to save their lives. She has won Jeeves in a poker game, he had refused to work without Bunter from whom he seemed inseparable and Vee had arrived as a Special from Wal-Mart. But as Chris had pointed out she did have a cute British accent when answering the phone. "When you have opened the windows, Vee, make sure you have ironed the creases out of my white gloves. I have a meeting of the Junior League in an hour." She turned to Chris. "I plan on ousting Mrs Van Staedhowser III as chairperson of the fundraising committee." "Yeah" thought Chris. "And be voted Phenomenal Woman of the Year. Should be easy with all the money from those three so soon lost husbands." Vee watched as the two old buddies made their way towards the now-full drawing room and ignoring the instructions from her employer headed back to the mudroom where three policemen from Scotland Yard (now a branch of the FBI) where throwing themselves against the door. The smell was getting stronger . . .