I have the stomach bug. It has swooped in and laid me flat, and tomorrow is Valentine's Day.
Except...we don't really do Valentine's Day, so it's perfectly fine (I mean, other than the fact that I have had severe nausea and chills all day, which is NOT FINE).
We do not enjoy the commercialism of the holiday, the overpriced flowers and dinners and the expectations of grand displays of love and affection for everyone to see. We usually have dinner at home (which is often quite tasty, although I suspect tomorrow will be soup) and for a couple years we have made our own Valentines for each other out of my crazy cardmaking stash in the basement...and that's it. We did take a last minute trip this past weekend at a swanky hotel in Toronto, which I'll write about later, so that was sort of Valentine's Day-y (although interesting to see so little hoopla in Canada about the holiday) activity but not really, as there was another purpose to the trip.
I guess our take is that we don't really need a prescribed day to show our love and appreciation for each other, we feel like it's better to do that all the time, interspersed with regular days, and for ourselves, not for public eye. I knew when I first dated Bryce that flowers weren't part of his repertoire (he's an engineer -- flowers die, why give someone eventual death as a romantic gesture? Not logical. Sigh, I married Spock.), and that's fine. If I want flowers I'll buy them (or cut them in the summer). But not around Valentine's Day when they are easily 2x the normal price.
So we do our dinners out, and our little surprises for each other that range from books to records to homemade GF coconut custard pie to special tea in the mail and love notes in the morning. All year long, not just on the day card companies and social media competitiveness tell us to.
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I don't like being given flowers - they're the laziest gift in existence. I hate seeing Marks and Spencers swarming with men on Mother's Day all buying their mums hothoused, cellophane-wrapped flowers at the last minute, along with the groceries - idle, meaningless, soulless rubbish. Lidl are doing Valentines bouquets this year - I'd die if I got one. Me and the hub exchange cards and if I can mobilize us in advance, we buy each other something like perfume or wine. Just because I want to embrace any chance for a small celebration in life (read = a present). I agree though that everyday kindnesses are way more important and Valentine's is commercialized shite designed to part us with our money, it really is.
ReplyDeleteOoooh, wine. That's a great valentine gift. Sadly Bryce has been drinking nice french white on his own while I guzzle water and ginger tea. I love that, "small celebration in life = present" -- I love unexpected surprises. You are so right, Valentine's itself is a corporate monster that gobbles up cash and guilt and competitiveness. I truly detest the "look how much I'm loved" flood on my feed of flowers, and candies, and whatnot. I feel like this is the Mother's Day if you're not with someone...so shoved in the face. I hope you have a nice evening despite my ranting... Ha! Happy wine and cards to you both!
DeleteI agree! We do cards, sometimes, and kisses and good wishes. Maybe chocolates, but Mr Turtle is off of sugar now. We did go on an unusual (for us) surprise date on the weekend, so that was memorable. We made valentines for AJ's classmates as a family. I hope you are better quickly: the pukies are the worst.
ReplyDeleteCards, kisses, and good wishes sound like a lovely way to celebrate. And chocolate, although if you're off sugar that would be hard to share (and I still have my fancy chocolates from Christmas because I like to stretch them out). Hey, happiness for a surprise weekend date! I'm on the mend now, it was fast and vicious but on its way out.
DeleteFeel better soon! I'm glad you were able to go to Toronto at the last minute. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, I'm feeling better now! Me, too -- further away or different days wouldn't have worked out, so it was a happy surprise.
DeleteYep, we do our Valentine's thing for each other all year long, and typically skip any kind of official celebration on the 14th. Guess it's the rebel in me that hates being told I "have" to on a particular day. *grin*
ReplyDeleteLove that! I don't like being told I have to, either. And I really dislike the public display it's become, like there's a competition for being the most loved, or something like that. Blech. I think I may become a hermit. :)
DeleteSorry about the tummy bug, hope you feel better soon. I've also been feeling off since yesterday. There are so many bugs and flus going around at the moment! I agree that you shouldn't just do romantic things on that one specific day. We normally exchange cards then have a nice dinner at home.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling better. So much sleep, which apparently I needed. Yes to love all year long and low key celebration on V-Day. We had Indian and Bryce is making my card right now (I did his while I was home earlier).
DeleteI hope you're feeling better today.
ReplyDeleteWe're the same way. Though I am totally going to buy myself chocolate this afternoon while I read a book for work. I deserve chocolate. Self love!
I am feeling better, which is lovely! I still look rather bloodless, but Bryce said my eyes weren't ill looking anymore so that's a plus. :)
DeleteMmmm, chocolate and books, that sounds perfect!
"So little hoopla in Canada"?? Really?? I would hate to see the States then, lol. I have to admit I don't notice it quite as much as I did when I was working downtown, but then I'm getting a bit older too & less fazed by stuff like this. Dh & I exchange cards & that's about it, for all the reasons you've outlined. We did go to the mall today & indulge in some retail therapy. ;) Which swanky hotel did you stay at?? Hope you had fun!
ReplyDeleteWell, the only store I went into was a Rabba, and there was nothing I could see there. We also went to the movies and saw no hearts or anything, and no promotions at the hotel... Here hearts and cupid and roses vomit on everything. We stayed in the SoHo Metropolitan, got a deal on a sweet room. I'm glad you had a lovely day of retail therapy! :)
DeleteValentine's Day was never a thing in NZ when I was growing up/first met my husband. It's growing in popularity/adherence (I refuse to admit it's popular amongst anyone except restaurateurs and florists) here which I think is sad.
ReplyDeleteWe celebrate our wedding anniversaries, and I guess we're lucky it's only a week before V Day, so don't feel the need to repeat that for what is a manufactured day. In fact, my husband said today something about him being a romantic, and I asked him if he knew it was V Day yesterday! lol
Happy anniversary! Yeah, I feel like it's just this overblown thing in the U.S., and unfortunately it doesn't surprise me that it's spreading like a virus. I feel like I sound very anti- V-Day, but I just hate the commercialism of it, and the idea behind flooding people with flowers and chocolates on one day. I'm glad you can celebrate your marriage a week before the blitz! :)
DeletePS. Get well soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you! A zillion hours of sleep and I feel so much better, although if I still look like this tomorrow no amount of blusher will make me look like I haven't been drained of all my blood. Which is a really weird way to say I'm still super pale. Ha!
Delete"I married Spock." I can't. I'm laughing so hard. It's so true, isn't it? We are going out to eat, only because I love any excuse to go out to eat food. :) And my husband bought me a new food processor. ;)
ReplyDeleteHa! It's good to know who you married. :) I'm with you, all about the good food (whether it's out or in). Enjoy that food processor!
DeleteStomach flu is awful stuff, hope you are feeling better fast! We do a low-key V day for the most part, cards and small gifts, so nothing too elaborate. Most of the time, we'll go out a couple weeks after the day because I'm waaaay too cheap to pay the premium prices at restaurants these days!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am all the way better (although something else happened within days of being healthy, so I am hating February right now). Seriously. So. Much. Price. Gouging. Definitely delaying or earlier is smart!
DeleteHope you are better now, Jess.
ReplyDeleteWell VT and I have never celebrated Valentine's Day. We believe we don't need a day to declare our love. So, yes! I had no plans and I was at work which was fun ;)
I am! Thank you. I agree, why need a day to declare your love with everybody else? Celebrate on your own terms.
DeleteI like having a special day, because it helps to overcome my husbsnd's Spock-like tendencies, but we usually pick another day and don't go out on Valentines Day itself. or we do something offbeat, like get Chinese takeout and stay in with a movie.
ReplyDeleteMmmm, that sounds lovely. We actually ended up getting Indian takeout, which seems counterintuitive given the stomach bug but I figured the spices would be healing. It was mostly true. ;) I like picking another day, too. Congrats on also marrying a Spockish man -- they are the best!
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