the Grinch that stole Valentine’s Day

 

I’m just not sure about Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day seems to be less about love and more about over-processed confectionery, lousy chocolate,  commercial cards, tacky lingerie, and roses imported from half-way around the world. A long way from love.

Commercialization might just be the grinch that stole Valentine’s Day.

So instead of all the hype – I’m reading poetry and making sugar cookies for Valentine’s Day. This is the recipe (below) that I’ve been using since my daughters, now grown-up and moved out were toddlers. We made these cookies for every special occasion – even the no-name special occasions – like when we needed a batch of summer butterflies or mid-winter dinosaurs – and we have the best collection of dinosaur cookie cutters going.

This week I’m thinking about some of the people I’ve loved, who for whatever reason, aren’t here with me. I’m carrying them in my heart. Thank you, edward estlin cummings…

I carry your heart with me ~ e.e. cummings

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate (for you are my fate,my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)…………

Best Ever Sugar Cookies 

recipe from Grandma Mechefske

2/3 cup butter or margarine

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 tbsp milk

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

dash salt

Beat together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla, egg, and milk and continue beating for one minute. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Chill if you have time and inclination. Otherwise turn onto a lightly floured surface and roll out (not too thin). Cut into shapes and bake at 350 °F for about ten minutes or until just starting to brown. Cool and ice with your favourite icing. (The icing in the hearts above is just icing sugar and a little cream.)

Makes a couple of dozen.

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