Valentines Day

Yesterday, contrary to years of tradition, Megan did NOT stay in Sun Lakes with her siblings for the double overnighter.  Instead, she came home with her father, grandmother, and me, bringing her viola.  Although she was of course torn about missing out on time with the Grands, she had made a plan with a friend from theater.  Emily is a brand new violin player, much like Megan with her viola, and the two of them cooked up the idea to perform a duet for the minstrel “show within a show” that is part of the upcoming Robin Hood production.  They are equally unfazed by the fact that the audition (playing their piece for Madame Director) is this Wednesday, and neither of them had seen the music before.  I suggested the theme “Concerning Hobbits” from the Fellowship of the Ring.

Megan invited Emily to come over here to practice today at 2pm, and thus the plans were set in motion. Mother and Jeff collaborated on a reduction/arrangement that incorporates the themes nicely in duet, and got it printed off just in time. I did not manage to take any pictures of the young ladies as they went about their practice, since I thought it might be a tad intrusive when they were just learning their parts. But on a subsequent practice day, I just might.

The girls finished their practice and we saw Emily off around 4, and then it was really time to be hustling to our Valentine’s supper – Jeff, Paul, Megan, Mother and I had planned to go to Olive Garden, and we thought getting there early would be the ticket. Well, turns out several hundred other people had the same exact plan. While we waited in the parking lot wondering if “45 minutes” would actually end up being 90 minutes, Paul walked across to the neighboring Red Lobster, and was able to get a table for us immediately, so we drove over there instead. Once again, I did not manage to get any pics of our celebratory time together, due to the simple fact that I was enjoying myself too much to think about the camera.

However, back at home? That was another thing entirely. We waited until Jeff came back to the house after evening mass, and then surprised mom (who was watching the Jayhawks lose, and needed some cheering up!) —

This card….
The front pictures two Wookies,
and the word
“Family–”
and inside it says –
oh shoot, I forget, and it’s in mom’s room and she’s asleep…
anyway it is something about being loud and loveable,
and when you open it you hear this Wookie roaring and some Star Wars muisc.

Anyway,
for some reason it Jeff felt a kinship with this photo…

and Ma thought it was funny,
and I just have to say,
it was a great Valentines day.

(P.S. — I received a lurvly bouquet from my sweetie, but I am waiting to take a picture until some of the closed buds open up a little more.)