Happy Valentine’s Day.

For a fun way to celebrate with the one you love, why not write a Mad Lib love letter?  Scroll to the “love letter” option.  Click and fill in the blanks.

If you care to share your love letter with the blog, cut and paste the result and post it in the comment section.  Ignore the madglibs site directions that instruct you to copy and paste the text code.  Simply cutting and pasting the letter itself should work.

Here’s my Love Letter:

Dear Tom,

You are extremely ticklish and I sing you! I want to kiss your elbow 72 times. You make my bird bath burn with desire. When I first saw you, I eerily stared at you and fell in love. Will you hammer out with me? Don`t let your parents discourage you, they are just jealous.

Yours forever, Maureen

Valentine’s Day is four days away, which is plenty of time to think of something heartfelt and free.

Speaking for most women, I assure you that roses and chocolate are always appreciated.  But allow me to share a most adorable plan I learned from a friend today.

This 24 year old woman is looking beyond Valentine’s Day to her boyfriend’s birthday at the end of the month.  She told me she purchased an electric keyboard and will dedicate the next three weeks after work to learning her boyfriend’s favorite selection, Fur Elise.

Fur Elise holds special meaning for me too because my aunt used to play it on the piano when she babysat my sisters and me.   Neither of my parents played, so my Aunt Marion was the only one to make that lovely instrument in the living room come alive.  To recall my talented aunt stumbling through the work gives my friend Catherine’s goal particular respect.  Catherine hasn’t played piano since fourth grade.

As if learning the piece were not enough, Catherine said to perform the “gift”, she will don the evening gown her boyfriend purchased for her a little while ago and like a black and white movie, the image is sophisticated and pure; her mile long arms reaching for the keys, her two mile long legs anchoring her tall but tiny frame.  This elegant and educated young woman could not appear anything less than magazine-perfect if she wore a Bluefish jumper.

Catherine has a reputation for being thoughtful.  Out of the blue, for no special occasion, her friends receive a hand-written note asking how they are, what’s new with the love life and job.   That’s about it.  There’s no rundown of a year’s happenings like The Christmas Newsletter, no other purpose than to remind the fortunate recipient Catherine is thinking of us and we are important enough to warrant stationary, good penmanship and a stamp.  I love that Catherine does this, and therefore, I vow to do it too; the 51 year old learning something old-fashioned from the woman half her age.

With unemployment on the rise, home values on the decline and very little certainty in the world today, thoughtfulness needn’t be in short supply and it doesn’t cost a thing.     I doubt there’ll be a run on electic keyboards.  But with a lot of heart and a little imagination, the music can play for all whom we love.