Calamitous Botanicus : A Convergence of Holidays

I can't recall a time when the Lunar NewYear, Valentine's Day, President's Day and Mardi Gras all occurred so close together. Granted, they may not get as much attention as Christmas from most of us, but if you work within the global economy or own temperamental appliances, it's very important to know which holidays are happening and where the festivities are going on. Once, I stupidly sent a catalog off to be printed in Hong Kong without realizing they were in the middle of their Lunar New Year celebrations. I had no idea the entire printing operation would be shut down for three weeks. Even worse, it was during a period when workers would often change occupations or move to a different company. The whole process took even longer while the entire workforce learned their new jobs. Then there was the time we needed a part for our stove, the only one in the entire country was located at a supplier in New Orleans. They were closed for two weeks prior to Mardi Gras. I was very happy when Lent began that year. Finally there's President's Day, which always catches me by surprise. It's so easy to forget there's no mail and my sister-in-law and niece usually get their birthday cards late.

Fortunately, Valentine's Day is always on the 14th so there's none of that moveable holiday treachery to confuse the situation! Plus there's usually only one person to be concerned about so any forgetfulness can be quickly fixed.

Last Sunday, candy and flowers made their usual appearances, along with several bottles of liquor. It never hurts to keep your spirits up during a visit from the polar vortex. Spencer kept track of the recipe while I made brunch. He's looking a little shaggy these days from going out in the sub-zero temperatures.

Rummaging around in the freezer produced a layer of chocolate cake that eventually turned into a dessert. All it needed was few strawberries sprinkled with sugar and Cointreau then topped up with Reddi-wip.

It could have been better looking but it was okay for a last minute treat.

As usual, Burt and Ivy were their ridiculously, cheerful selves and became especially energized after discovering Valoween while shopping online. They immediately launched into a frantic search for some appropriate decorations. Not that they found much to work with but combining Valentines Day with Halloween made it more fun!

We're pretty short on Valentine decor, not that there's a lot of variety available. All we have, apart from a few dishes and a string of lights, are empty candy boxes. Discovering this darker concept of the holiday has definitely opened up a much wider range of possibilities though. This is a concept that definitely needs further exploration. Who knows what might follow, maybe a Spooky Spring or Scary Summer? Bwahaha!