11 February 2009

Valentine's Day

You know Valentine's Day is looming when the BBC turns philosophical and ponders the question 'What is Love?', newspapers lament the demise of the love letter and American psychologists reduce a kiss to a chemically-induced sensation of cortisol and oxytocin.

There is even a suggestion that an ideal Valentine gift For Her might be a silver-plated afternoon tea stand. I kid you not. This is apparently the ideal gift because 'afternoon tea is always well-received'. Better not come and visit me then. (Not only because of the lack of afternoon tea but also because I currently have my nose stuck in 'Love Letters of Great Men' which serendipitously arrived in my Amazon delivery yesterday and wouldn't be the best company.)

So what is love? What is romance? Is it lovenotes stuck to the bathroom mirror? Two dozen roses? Being told that 'a reasonable man might gladly travel three or four thousand leagues to see your nature, and your wit, in their full perfection'? Or is it silver-plated afternoon tea stands?

(I'm off to Scotland tomorrow for a few days, so Happy Valentine's Day!)

8 comments:

Jackie Ashenden said...

An afternoon tea stand?? But surely... I think if my husband got me one of those I'd hit him over the head with it!

What's love and romance? For me, I used to think it was coffee in bed, brought to me every morning by my husband. But now I have to say it's being whisked away to Sydney for our 10th wedding anniversary and not knowing where we were going until we go to the airport. Well done that man. :-)

Enjoy Scotland, Lucy. Hope you've got your woollies...

Suzanne Ross Jones said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Suzanne Ross Jones said...

PS I meant 'perhaps I SHOULDN'T be aiming to write romantic fiction'. Some days I really shouldn't be allowed out.

Sorry.
:-)

Suzanne Ross Jones said...

More apologies - have deleted my first comment. A copy came through on my e-mail and the missing 'n't' gave the whole thing a sarcastic slant that I hadn't intended. I may be bitter and cynical, but I'm never knowingly sarcastic (unless it's to someone I don't like - which you're not). Think I'd better stop blethering now...(and haven't even had a drink - yet).

So here's the new (slightly) improved version:

Have just come back from the shops where you can't move for Valentine's stuff (no afternoon tea stands, sadly). I didn't find any of it romantic and would rather my beloved didn't bother. But I'm bitter and cynical so my views don't count (perhaps I shouldn't be aiming to write romantic fiction).

After all that, though, Jackie's trip does sound very romantic.

Where in Scotland? (Don't worry, I'm not a stalker, but I will wave if you're anywhere nearby.)

Lucy King said...

Jackie, I know. An afternoon tea stand. The 21st C. mind boggles.

Suzanne, if it's any consolation, my laptop touchpad thingy is so sensitive that it does all sorts of things I'd rather it didn't like uploading comments/posts before I've finished them. BTW, I was in West Kilbride, just west of Glasgow - do you know it?

Lorraine said...

My husband took one look at the roses and paper hearts that our hotel room had been decorated with (we were away for business, it was purely coincidence that it was Valentine's Day) and wondered if he should report that our room had been vandalised... He does do romantic things but not when he's told to!

BTW our Highland neighbours don't consider Glasgow, Edinburgh or the Border country to be Scotland :-)

Suzanne Ross Jones said...

We're about 45 minutes to the east of West Kilbride. I could have waved, after all.

:-)

Lucy King said...

Haha, that's hilarious, Lorraine :)

Suzanne, I probably passed you on the way to the airport - what a coincidence!