Monday, February 14, 2011

Valentine's Day Indeed


Last year, I was all up in Valentine's grill.
Flour was flying, chocolate was drizzling and romance was in the air.

This Valentine's Day?
Eh.
I'm mopping floors and making Stuffed Cabbage.
Does Stuffed Cabbage sound romantic?
I didn't think so either.

I'm dark and twisty - or trying to be.


I used to try so hard to be 'angsty' as a young girl.
I wore thick black eyeliner.
My hair was pink and green at times.
(yes, I even had hair issues then!)
I walked alone with my Sony Walkman near the frozen lakeshore in Chicago with 'Love Reign O'er Me' by The Who on the highest volume.
Probably why I'm hard of hearing today.
I tried to be moody and sad.
It seemed romantic to me.
I read sad poems, and listened to sad music and bought small bottles of rum at a liquor store that wouldn't card a toddler.
I drank alone.
I played the guitar.

Oh...I tried.

I needed a yin to my yang.
A bitter to my sweet.


Truth be told - I just couldn't do it.
I just couldn't conjure consistent angst.
I saw too much beauty about.
I loved daisies.
And sunshine.
And being happy felt much better.
But I was a teenager.
And being angsty was cooler.
I was doomed to be a nerd.

This past week, I've been revisiting my 'angstwannabe'.
I want to sip wine and look out the window and listen to songs that make me cry.
I want to feel loss and pain and heartache.
Why in the world?
I haven't a clue.
I've been much too happy lately, and it's annoying.
I see hope everywhere and it's getting on my nerves.


So this Valentine's Day - I'm boycotting love.
Oh yes.
I am.
It only seems fitting.
Like wearing jeans to church on Easter.
I'm a rebel.
With a cause.

Glen's getting Stuffed Cabbage.
There shall be no chocolate going on around here today.
I'm wearing blue.
There's nothing heartshaped in the house.
I shant allow it.

And yet, all the while as I type this - I'm smiling.
Ding dang it.


38 comments:

  1. Stuffed cabbage sounds great to me, and would to my mister, who LOVES IT...as do I.

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  2. oh my word!! we are gettng chinese and there was no cutsie crap goin on over here. but i will send you a hug. ((hug))

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  3. LOL- You are my kinda gal-through and through...However, I NEVER did pink hair..but then I am older than you...but I DID dye my hair almost black...lol Hugs-Diana

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  4. Give it up, Jamie.....make Glenco a sappy card with words cut out of a magazine....draw a heart on his napkin....and enjoy Valentine's Day...you big sap! You are just not the angsty type...and we all know it!!!

    Hugs and Hugs and more hugs!!!

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  5. chocolate goes with stuffed cabbage. I'd choose a good Godiva or See's and a bottle of Andre to go with! We did angst already, I sure don't want to relive that part of my youth!

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  6. I don't know whether to laugh or cry! ;) I love stuffed cabbage...but we aren't having it tonight. It's baked chicken breasts for the hubbs tonight. Normally, our Valentine's Day dessert always comes in the shape of a heart...but not this year...it's BLUEberry fried pies! AHAHA! See what I mean? I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

    Oh well...while I'm trying to decide which to do, I'll just go ahead and wish you a Happy Valentine's Day! :-)

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  7. I'm with you Jayme. I don't like Days.

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  8. Well the romantics we are, we are having corn beef and CABBAGE for dinner!
    Great minds think alike?
    Patti

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  9. Yikes Coop ....I didnt know. Never would have suspected the tiny booze bottles.....lol
    The dead (maybe) baby Cupid had a dark twist as well
    Whats the twist this Valentines?

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  10. WHINING ALERT!!!

    I usually give Valentine's Day gifts to everyone in the immediate world. This year, I made a quadruple batch of frosted Valentine's cookies to share with my mom, and we then passed on plates of them to family and friends. It was an obligation, a chore. Not one iota of love at all. Because I hate Valentine's Day. And of course you can guess why !

    I have had ONE Valentine's gift from a man in my 60 years. My EXXXX husband gave me, are you ready? A CLEARANCE tagged female GI Joe Doll. He was a collector. I wasn't. He pulled it out of his closet moments after I reminded him it was Valentine's Day, and threw it to me across the room.

    Worst part? It was the third time he had given me the exact same doll (he had bought a dozen on clearance).

    Love the dead cupid.

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  11. Coop I've been worried. I thought you'd been kidnapped an was being held against your will when you didn't blog for 6 days. Then I read this and I think ALIENS? Have they gotten to our Coop Keeper! hehe.

    But seriously, I'm sorry your feeling the blues or wanting to feel the blues? Either way the blues STINK!! I hope your Happy again soon.. Happy really is not a bad thing!!

    Happy Valentines Day!!

    Patra

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  12. No romance at my house either...just chicken and dumplings, black eye peas and some choc. chip cookies. I laughed so hard about being a rebel and wearing jeans to church on Easter...LOL! That was too funny! I'm gonna have to check back at Easter and see if you're in the rebel mood or not...LOL

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  13. This is why your loved by so many.....you are just you! Take me as I am.... or not!

    You crack me up and make me laugh at every post!

    Happy Valentine's Day!

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  14. I'm with Dianna in the part of I don't know whether to laugh or cry with you.

    No romance here sad to say. We worked on our tax return all afternoon yesterday. Today, my man is working at the house while I'm here all alone.

    Tonight's dinner is shrimp and a vegetable or salad. Then some strawberries and chocolate cool whip. Yes, no hearts, no candy, but hopefully I will steal a few kisses before the evening is over. Ha.

    Have a great evening my dear one, and Happy Valentine's Day!!

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  15. Pot roast over here...

    and, you're hearing impaired too? I mean, I'm REALLY hearing impaired.. as in, can't watch the TV without closed caption and if you try to talk to me in a noisy restaurant, yeah... forget it.

    What do you think of using sand in a chicken coop? I mean.. IN the coop. I'm reading that it's all the rage and easier than shavings and cleaner, because you can cat pooper scooper the chicken poop right out, much easier. Is this true? What say you, Ms. Blue?

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  16. Well, I don't think I'm raising my boys to be good boyfriends/husbands one day. Husband and I aren't into the card giving, flower giving, chocolate giving much. And so today, when I asked my 9 year old if there was anyone he wanted to bring flowers to at school, he responded with, "What - and spend MY money?"

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  17. Happy Valentine's Day from one nerd to another! Walking alone with your sony walkman roflmao!!! And I had stuffed cabbage for dinner too.

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  18. No chocolate? Really nary a chocolate morsel in the house? You are seriously in unchartered waters here. Glad you got your smile on! Happy UnValentines Day!

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  19. Well, whadyaknow? Jayme's boycotting. Go ahead. I made homemade bread. I had 1 piece of it WITH butter. I made him an individual Chocolate Cream pie. I tasted the filling to make sure it was "fit". It was, but I'm not eating one piece of it...I'm NOT! But there WILL be romance...b/c it burns calories! Talk to ya soon! :)
    And btw...I LOVE YOU! ; )

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  20. Boycotting LOL you are such a hoot! You rebel! I would love to see photos of the pink and green hair? Happy not Valentines Day! Traci

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  21. Ooooh, Keepster - I want a front row seat when the Farmgirl gets wind of this! It won't be pretty, that I know for sure.
    I just got back from a trip to the store with my youngest. He has his first official girlfriend this Valentine's Day, and he bought her the biggest, pinkest stuffed animal he could find. The boy is over the moon and it's so hilarious to watch!
    Oh, btw, I love you no matter what mood you're in, and you're my Valentine whether you like it or not!

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  22. I think there's a bible verse about mourning with those who mourn, and maybe you're just wanting to remind yourself that life isn't chocolate, sometimes it's cabbage. Maybe today for you, is about those who have been dealt some cabbage in their life.

    I don't like cabbage.

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  23. Sending you the prettiest Valentine in my box, you deserve it for being bff's to all of us even when you are having a bad day. Always smiling and making us smile, you're made of strong stuff dear Jayme and for that we admire you and love you sweetie!

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  24. Oh dear you are ah hoot. I think you have the Jeckle/Hyde syndrome. I hope you have a nice evening my friend.

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  25. hope the pep and joy returns full fledged very soon. and, whatever you do, don't read any emily dickinson or might put you right over that angsty cliff!

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  26. We Yuma girls went to a chick flick without the husbands this valentine's day. They stayed back and played poker. How's that for romance.....

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  27. You know what this sounds like to me? mmmmhmmmmm.....and i don't even feel good!

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  28. Glad you were smiling at the end of the post...I'm not sold on Valentine's Day, either. Rebel away!

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  29. mmm..have never eaten stuffed cabbage.
    and a happy Valentine's day to you!

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  30. Same here. I bought a pair of black tights and wore them around for a while. But I just couldn't get into the negativity of it all.

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  31. "i see hope everywhere and its getting on my nerves". gotta love it!!

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  32. Well, after about 20 years of NOT, I did for a change. It was great, but it made Bob feel all guilty! Why? Because we had no centerpiece for the table last night. LOL! Poor guy, he wanted to get me some potted hyacinths I had seen and remarked on, but by the time he got there after work they were all sold out, well at least he was able to find a card.

    Substitute centerpiece? My planned candles and then I added a ceramic rooster "Chanticleer." Oddly different, not entirely in keeping with the theme of things, but it was OK.
    ":<>

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  33. Wearing a beret, puffing a cigarette in a cigarette holder, and pouting works wonders. Pay no mind that it's a JR Girl Scout Beret and that the cigarette is chocolate (It was Valentines Day after all)

    Your Friend,
    Deborah

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  34. Nothing says love like stuffed cabbage, I say. My, you just get funnier by the minute. Have you considered stand-up?

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  35. This is the post? THIS? Girl, I'm thinking we all "got" it. I'm thinking we done did! We love you, love your faux-angst. Love your cabbage. Love your rants.

    I'm a little mad that you chose to dispense with this on THE day, you know the one...but other than that? I LOVE. this. Not everyday is fittin' for rainbows and shooting starts. Sho nuff.

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  36. Valentines Day...I can't decide if I like it or not, so many expectations over the years that weren't met, but then many surprises that were sweet. This year there were no flowers, but my Tom fixed me ham and beans(which is one of my comfort foods)... so I guess V-day is really like any other day bittersweet! Oh, he gave me a nice card too, but I got him nothing... guess that makes him sweet and me bitter. Maybe cupid isn't dead, he just forgot to visit some of us!

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  37. Hi Jayme! The hubby and I don't really "do" V-Day or most any other Day, for that matter, and we're going on 39 years. For two days prior, I helped my friend make dozens of brownies and heart-shaped decorated cookies for her baking business, so I was pretty wiped out.

    Great minds must think alike. We had black beans and rice and plain old stewed cabbage. But we had vanilla ice cream with Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce from Trader Joe's, which was extremely yummy, while we watched Hardball. Then we went our separate ways, TV-wise, which is our norm. All in all it was a good evening. :)

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  38. LOL. I heart you. You always make me smile...even when I don't want to. ;)

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