First of all, before I forget, the winner of my One World, One Heart drawing is Changeling Things (a knitting blog, purely a coincidence, but it was delightful to discover!) I'll look forward to hearing from you and getting your information!Now, about the cherub with the bow -- his aim was very good!
I'll show you a bit of his present a bit down the post, but first I have to tell you what an amazing Valentine he was!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJQwY7LkJ8GAMtMI3DiECTxPkjMD9QLQ9809sRs-Xr6OMxOT2ESYor7zpx8rpzDSPavpvp7I3TKFC6lHIBzxJGbp9Ao-uxqApRX_YFPXs9R427UpqTH14cFRIjCkEobtt8mCgzeeqIxZy/s400/Valentine's+Day+039.jpg)
As I arrived at Rick's for dinner, I was greeted by a lovely table with a wonderful menu, printed in French (sort of!) for our dinner!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUTbEgdU2-FN2jLAb97HfIoRaeNIYjw0elYLjh6e3La0tCd1jppO61O8oXv2HekbbxUVlbd9N5GJGorAxB0dBy4Ldu9S5XFIlF1DvGhIITcmVwBj0tIdLgql7LIJWovbFmH6xnzdJPlYE/s400/Valentine's+Day+083.jpg)
Upon closer inspection, I could see what work he had put into our evening!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7n_uz1QtUewdBL0ahi5fjoknQ3c_92F9YimjmG1i8G5dggsnLqECUdupmF3ku9O5tuTBCH7Y5pFWBNfk22MTX9HD-fGTrYbyarOjm7S0Yp2o-IqIf3itcZLTr2EAoh2Ns9fG07YISIR6g/s400/Valentine's+Day+063.jpg)
And oh, it smelled wonderful!
We had a wonderful spinach dish... I know -- it just looks like creamed spinach here, but it was exceptional!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5P-rC5F8xJPQ80KusqVXnRq1abP5B8HqFBMMQbOSWAUg8_1RWJ23Gd-Tzy3RPfYRncddWY6OM1RSpXAZdqjFJ9F-tQmMZw62PmXUlTVapuC1lQMrtvnMVTUN8BJ3rHydQvkT5hBjrYqz/s400/Valentine's+Day+099.jpg)
These potatoes-to-die-for where he thoughtfully carved our initials...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMjkes6mrTJTuX8iUVouIj1fkGnhlT5Eyo6-7nP73El55WeNWdBIu12ng1KaUfLtEOojAiNlrWKdDTJfUFb9V7jbh5bxYfx93ROH875njuyCvioxD4se4w2HYl_JYPR9ldk7Ggkaszfjf/s400/Valentine's+Day+097.jpg)
Steak on the grill...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_HZs5EiffZ4tD8Ar-kmw7ZNAxMZBGU1BthQkK_RZP1gq0kX9NokxljKaDoZyeaxTyJtW9t8yxbcgpOdlm4lzPr4JJHTeoo2QK9kjtdLeaIAOhFW5OU24kzszCyv9iR5MeNcnQ5DLuWQB/s400/Valentine's+Day+080.jpg)
And I brought the dessert -- Remainders d'Partee were leftover brownies from our visit taking dinner to his aunt and uncle on Saturday (plus a few chocolate covered strawberries and candy hearts!)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdt6-ymXUINMy6bIM9Di3RMkjmsTeeeS2pbAmmJzPkceISmThuPZYTzgFKGNfkdb5kUuUsQ4FDPVr_sRmhm0s7ilB0tTTd8yr2fnfmHHGXqlkmecX2P_0HIjU1UG75UetQg7tqfBDn0l1/s400/Valentine's+Day+094.jpg)
And the wine! Oh, it was wonderful, just wonderful.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6z4IhpImFcOdLr6QRMKMJqy1dOVWsWIvY5FVq6ZtxQZebgS_fhXH-PJog3dHTHbbmnGflZZxDSrp0wE9gm4YnFgUDabuD-2l6GYjM38wZYECPThCdBGDfuk9lFBFXwytgQXzuiemiCT8/s400/Valentine's+Day+085.jpg)
I would definitely recommend this bottle of Bordeaux!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YUz1eLCnydDltNqlopFKkEckOqz9AZ8S0eoFDG66b_7x5kNNClN36uH6cqsE2xTJrIVKrHy_gWhDlYjy43crSu5ivrS_6QFE93LseRKsv7jqnqS_SqLF4UGqBF1sV45e_k_f86qwtlJZ/s400/Valentine's+Day+092.jpg)
The flowers were beautiful, too. I love African violets -- they seem to be the one plant I can't kill! And these were beautiful in their little basket and so many pink-and-white blooms!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwR-r1jByWGb4muAVxYPpz3IIegexKySUXzfNyws31O-8s0RCIOFzrasCMiI2wKi8ivNEYc4JXSX763WByqD_flvwbAUyfpXfZdKm3sWsqD9f3T0z6jKHmtAAgBQ_ZxJvTotEkgaGYTtL/s400/Valentine's+Day+088.jpg)
If you've read The Gypsy for awhile, you may recall that a Valentine's Day tradition I created with Rick is to each year make him a poetry book with photos that summarize our year.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKqx33naJmnCWDUTWyZMYm-tqf32AUcHUDkHdOPClCnubJlkpJFBIK1TdaPjfyNEvpyti1ohI2j_JLZf_kbdMlKWO4VUphthN0NX79JFq95Lnyc7ix1melTGvwyZxWbSumloggaarzWmO/s400/Valentine's+Day+069.jpg)
This year we had a lot of depressing events -- cancer and bike crashes and other sickness. I had trouble coming up with many happy poems! So I included a few depressing ones, because after all, ups and downs are part of what we all are.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJ7-epdMS4lGyKeOR7Z5j1sJrVZJhiBZhMC1YMRrjatR0jwm47jmO9yVQUN3JuCzn2iuejWsyjKYsWHXauYZi4BzZ-XDte5ypXJa6SwZyZDHvSFSznq8e-afPHEoyl9XIJF8LpBRbsvDO/s400/Valentine's+Day+009.jpg)
But all in all, I'm pleased with the book. The book itself was handmade with a wonderful textured paper as the cover and brown pages inside. The heart and key were affixed to a small watercolor I did, and the title reflected our relationship. It was "sewn" with very thin wire and has a beaded spine.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltrFUI70ol7twxRNYg4H3ozyBfSX5b3UYoIb-uaHTwj5cF9sQQOUWmBFTrRD2EUoMWHwJTRmYwMwNSM04ZP_PZJ2yfJGi7DiNwUuWKX9i0C90kOPpnVduUto7Ux7J9686ciM5jSIpqaqQ/s400/Valentine's+Day+032.jpg)
And while the poetry is nothing to write home about, it's a way to capture some of our experiences and marry them with photos.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFbhyofGX5_oBaYp0TsO37PuDQXcFtHxKxGURjDCWnndpDoEVYt5XjSWVNa_HYoAEV7dimeonY2js64I4h3GT78wOPGcnd-glghOHF_-LybuS8OLat1HRq-H4CrLnf28Bh0XgwU4vhdAW/s400/Valentine's+Day+024.jpg)
Everything from Christmas to Rick's accident and bike rides, Greg's cancer surgery and even wine tasting was included!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvvGSobXYmb3LP1ttQNwg0F7BCBDt45Bphb9zlXEFVmaXom6cJ63J-UQt4F8Nw0JfxcOMUvrVwhDaXFO0hOUKCL7Ae_JnizHt8c_iSsl5AtlMwsT60ThjLcuG18CtFOKQIXImtHLgYS36/s400/Valentine's+Day+018.jpg)
I went with a blue-green theme for the cover to make it look a little less "girly," but the pages inside were brown paper and I used hand-painted tissue made at an
Artiscape workshop to add some texture. Then I added embellishments and photos. (The button is by
Joanne of ad libitum and the top photo in his "Fiddler" cap and vest is
Mama K's husband, my cousin David.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjPEerKHp5Egef-_aTHcaF6r9H1C6KhgbKGx72VBeWAJDEvS0X6UQ_knTcXiG9kXBbM2vPmSVGJ4UMcGuHoRarQSLy1Zi5fKEds1XNZlHtNZqGfRPEhbn7CsPwoU6tie4RKrJC6vnxnZn/s400/Valentine's+Day+013.jpg)
Inside I included a couple of tags.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxY8LfIPa8YRvWyfk0ZfxYHT-Qq5NUmJTSBhyRT5zH1jxFQROvBQsv03E1-OzHQBfxfOBKTbpi4ZTNSjnGWDluGFqkU0K8RbicQCZr6ibrR_wiw6V7nCEmsq4PggGxfsaHQXFjYkbmAJU/s400/Valentine's+Day+011.jpg)
I especially liked this one, with the musical notes "coming out of" Rick's hands. Three cheers for tape transfers!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsVu995Jq60Krcej9nAHM0HhWFOkTj2vugwTg79m8RzJvTq9r0hZapcIGyT5Kj5WVEI7Miycl9-xHqZDHVB4PZL1FjUO8lbz3iv0AZXUOzEU0jjbhoV9WjR3Q4j3dmE9C6ybMFB0nGmZE/s400/Valentine's+Day+020.jpg)
And yes, he liked it! Very much!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmq3BWk2ZtToXCaTK4vz4j5TKNTgpBRQWhsRpofYI4bvB3VPjqV6M31IzCSnpuK4L7hDQTDzml3o0_RMMrIw52aLSlbbM6qduV29nY0ZHu9wMszoP-De-PrfgA5eq4BseVd7Hn7DlPTin/s400/Valentine's+Day+076.jpg)
Now, onward to participating in
Karla's "Alice in Wonderland" swap!