Enjoying the Romance!

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ROMANCE - To court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness; a strong fascination or enthusiasm for something. [Romance week starts here. Click for this week's Bliss Initiatives.] 

In a comment this week my bloggy friend Theresa said "But really - isn't every day a love letter? Some little thing you might say or do could be a love letter, right?" and she is absolutely right! I'm not giving up on my Love Letter, I have actually started one but I'm done with feeling bad about it not going as I wanted. Expectations about how we want things to turn out really can get in the way of enjoying what we have. Last night my Sweetie came home and grilled a terrific meal for us, our girl went to sleep early (probably because she stayed up so late yesterday!) and we had a nice evening snuggling on the couch. We didn't do anything overtly romantic. We just enjoyed each other's company.

My hubby and I always enjoy each other's company. I need to remind myself what a gift that is. The days he works late or even worse has to travel my days feel very very long. He always says things, like "I wish I could just stay home with you everyday" and when I know he is on his way home I look out the window in happy anticipation at least a dozen times. I don't want to miss greeting him at the door with a kiss and our girl likes to run and jump into his arms with a big hello and a "How was your day Daddy? Busy or fun?" 

Our everyday life isn't flowing with roses, poetry and candlelight but romance can be found in the little things. Bringing coffee to each other in bed. We take turns being first to do this and I am not sure which makes me happier. Having a cup waiting when I open my eyes or knowing that I beat him to the offering and he doesn't have to get up. We take turns in the kitchen too, each trying to create a new and exciting culinary treat. We think of each other first and go out of our way to make things easy, fun or surprising for each other. Our love language is demonstration and this we do well.

All in all I will give myself a 6 out of 10 for my romantic effort this week. My love letter is unfinished and I didn't follow through on doing something romantic everyday this week as I had planned. In terms of increasing everyday bliss, I give myself two bliss boosts. Getting smart about seeing romance in everyday actions will definitely increase my over all feeling of Bliss. We are ending the week with an actual date night tomorrow, The Girl will be at a friend's house, which means our plans do not require her cooperation.

It is easy to get inspired by the thought of a gesture not normally our style and when it happens the added treat can certainly be a delight but not having it doesn't diminish what we do have. We say often to each other "We have a great life don't we? and until that answer isn't anything but the resounding YES we always speak I don't think the fact that I swing and miss with a big gesture from time to time is anything I need to be sad about. It is fun to try.

Are you doing anything romantic this week?

Next post: Gratitude week kick off!

P.S. I am not done reviewing all of the Love Songs forwarded to me during this week so I will be updating next romance week with my top 5 romantic song list. Feel fre to keep those songs coming until then!

My 13 bliss virtues are joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry, community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, and surprise.



This week we are studying Romance. Next up is Gratitude Week

Romance Thwarted...

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ROMANCE - To court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness; a strong fascination or enthusiasm for something. [Romance week starts here. Click for this week's Bliss Initiatives.]


Well, some of you may have noticed that I haven't been quick to the posting today. Of course I could blame my silence on the fact that I just launched the new Everyday Mommy blog. 


Wait, I haven't really told you this yet have I? Well that is pretty darn exciting news and I'm pretty excited about the new blog, where I intend on sharing all my parenting foibles and pretty much share all the stuff I haven't been talking about over here. I put in this cool scroll which has all the cute stuff my girl has said the past year or so. She is hilarious so even if the rest of the blog is a snoozer for you that scroll might be worth a visit from time to time... 

Image Credit

But honestly, exciting and fun news aside, I am feeling a little thwarted by this Love Letter thing. Yes, the Sweetie did work late last night but the girl decided this was the night to stay up late netting me no bonus time as expected. When the hubby got home he wanted us to watch the series finale of 24, we have been saving it and even though not the most romantic show of all time it was touching to see a tear in the Sweetie's eye when the final credits were rolling. We don't watch many shows, HGTV and Food Network aside as family activities... no wait that is a parenting issue... I'll save it for the other blog. so it will be missed. A single bastion of adult world away from our otherwise G rated home.


Anyway, I digress. The Love Letter just isn't happening. My bloggy friend Nancy, aka BLissed-Out Grandma, just wrote about her difficulties writing cards and in doing so worked out exactly what she wanted to say. So here I am doing the same thing. I've distracted Little J with a bubble bath and a tub full of duckies so I might get exactly the time I need...  I've expressed my thwarted intentions... they are out of the way... so now I just need to begin...


What does it take for you to begin something?


Next post: My Romantic Conclusions.

My 13 bliss virtues are joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry, community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, and surprise.



This week we are studying Romance. Next up is Gratitude Week

The Art of a Love letter

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ROMANCE - To court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness; a strong fascination or enthusiasm for something. [Romance week starts here. Click for this week's Bliss Initiatives.]

From Google Images

You know how sometimes the universe just keeps telling you the same thing over and over?


Well ever since I started my Everyday Bliss Experiment I have been casually considering the idea of a Love Letter.  My Sweetie and I have never been love letter sort of folks. We both have a penchant for surprises so that is where we generally go when we are thinking of something romantic to do for each other. Nevertheless, I keep thinking about it.


When I came up with those 101 things I love about my Sweetie and posted them in the blog for all to see  he was totally blown away. I caught him checking back to re-read the list a couple of times which made me totally happy too! A love letter is different from our regular surprises because once it is written it can be looked at again and again. Which has caused some of its own concern because I would want it to be "Worthy" of reading over and over... see how I build up personal expectations such that I become paralyzed into inaction. Quite a strategy huh?


Anyway, so yesterday I happened over to a new Blog (for me), Yellow Kisses by the charming Kami and Peter, to find Kami's delightful poem, to be the first in a whole "Love Book", entitled He Makes Me Sing About Rainbows. The poem is fabulous and the whole blog is a romantic love letter! Hanging out over there really gave me pause to think about my Romantic efforts.


I keep going for the easy sure fire hits. Favorite meals, midnight snuggles (read whatever romantic interlude you desire), warm towels delivered after a shower, and candle light. Writing a decent love letter would actually take a little time (at least this is my current perception... I may be surprised) and when could I actually do such a thing justice?


I cleverly get myself to forget all about my new found revelations and upon waking begin thinking about what cool surprise I might be able to spring on my sweetie today. I pull an old tried and true resource off the shelf, Gregory Godek's 1001 Ways to be Romantic, (which I understand has been completely revised lately) and I opened it randomly to the page about writing love letters!  1001 ideas in that darn book and look where I land!!!


Then to cement the entire deal, that part about "when the heck would I have time to write a love letter" part, my Sweetie tells me he is going to have to work late tonight so I will actually have a full couple of hours to do it! So that is it. I give up my futile resistance!! 


Tonight I write a love letter. I'll let you know how it goes!


Have you ever written a Love Letter? 


Next Post: Love Letter update


P.S. Some exciting stuff is available here, if you care to stop by! 

My 13 bliss virtues are joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry, community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, and surprise.



This week we are studying Romance. Next up is Gratitude Week

I'm a guest story over at LifeUnity! (A small interruption in romance week)

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ROMANCE - To court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness; a strong fascination or enthusiasm for something. [Romance week starts here. Click for this week's Bliss Initiatives.]

(Inspiration Art from Free to Be Me site)

I interrupt this week's Romance discussion for this brief announcement:


My dear bloggy friend, Lisa over at Life Unity, has deemed "my story" worth sharing! 


For those of you who don't know Lisa, she is an immensely creative and passionate woman who has taken an idea, The Strength to Be Me and is on a mission to inspire all of us to be our best me. Over on her fascinating site she shares her own journey in her LifeUnity blog, offers physical strength training tips and tools in Move Me area of her site and creativity boosters in Create Me area. It is like getting three great blogs in one! Whatever your current focus is Lisa is endeavoring to provide you with the tools to take you/us to the next level to be our best me.


Another part of her site she is devoting to guest stories, where she says:

There are universal truths, however fluid they may be. People across the ages have real-ized them and expressed them in different ways - through science, different religions, poetry, or simply a way of living. These different ways are truth stories told in different languages...each just as important as the next to be shared and heard.

And it is there dear readers, she has interviewed me and offered up my life's "strength training" lessons to be shared! More about me then you may ever have cared to know but possibly interesting too. Stop on by to hear my thoughts on the divine as well as very human aspects of living and playing here on planet earth and even if my story doesn't interest you, do check out Lisa's site which in many ways, is already all about YOU!

My Interview Story

A Bonus Tale

Lisa's Wonderful Site

Next post: Back to Romance Week

My 13 bliss virtues are joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry, community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, and surprise.



This week we are studying Romance. Next up is Gratitude Week

Song in my heart - What are the top 5 romantic songs of all time?

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ROMANCE - To court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness; a strong fascination or enthusiasm for something. [Romance week starts here. Click for this week's Bliss Initiatives.]

"Romantic Songs" by Lunzen

Alrighty then. I had planned to make a list of some really great romance resources today but I was a little disappointed in my finds. In previous Romance weeks I had already found a bunch of interesting stuff.


       Everyday Romance and Tips
       Romantic Tips and other Fun Stuff


And my goal was to find something NEW.  It isn't as if I have actually already tried all of the old ideas. Really the resources in those two posts are pretty extensive but somehow I am looking for something new to get those romance fires a burning. Then it hit me. What would be NEW for me would be to hunt down some good old fashioned love songs.


I have already confessed my musical ineptitude and several of you were kind enough to provide some musical choices for my initial education when I requested you share "5 must hear" songs. A few of you even sent emails filled with artists and songs for me to check out. I have enjoyed it very much!!  What I did with the songs you sent, in addition to just listening to most of them, is I created a Pandora station based on each person's selections.  Now I can think of music in terms of specific bloggy friends. Oh I'm in the mood for Jingle music or M. songs will make little J laugh or something else depending on who provided the list. It has been a lot of fun.

In the instant that you love someone, 

in the second that the hammer hits, 

reality runs up your spine and the pieces finally fit. 

From "The One" by Elton John

So now here we are in the middle of romance week and I think a musical component is sorely lacking! You see your education is bearing fruit! A few of the "must hear" songs you guys have already shared were romantic but I was wondering if you were going to pick the TOP 5 Romantic Songs of all time what would they be?

Bill Lamb over at About.com puts Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" at the top of his Top 10 Love Songs list.

LoveToKnow says "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys tops on their Best Love Songs of all Time.

AOL Radio Blog picked Billy Joel "Just the Way You Are" as number one in their Top 10 Romantic Songs List.

So, how about you? What would be on your list. I asked for 5 but any number you would like to share is a gift so please don't let my number restrain or pressure you in any way! If you are willing, I'd also like to know why those songs make the cut for you. At the end of the week I will give you MY top 5 list based on everything I am introduced to this week!


What are your favorite romantic songs? Why?


Next Post: The second installment of the Sweetie Escapades

My 13 bliss virtues are joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry, community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, and surprise.



This week we are studying Romance. Next up is Gratitude Week

Romance week kick off!

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ROMANCE - To court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness; a strong fascination or enthusiasm for something. 

From Art.com

I am really glad it is Romance week! Actually that isn't entirely true. When I woke up this morning, I thought, "Oh my, romance week is here. What the heck am I going to do to kick it off?" You see, I want something grand and extravagant and that usually requires some advance planning. Truth be told, I've barely even thought about it! So little in fact, I ENTIRELY forgot about getting a guest blogger for this week. I really like to offer another perspective on the weekly topics but I'm leaving you high and dry this week.


Unless...  Anyone out there interested in writing something about Romance to be shared over here on Everyday Bliss???  Really! YOU can be a guest blogger, just let me know you are interested!


What I really love about it being romance week is that it gives me an excuse to unabashedly romantic with my sweetie. We are probably a typical couple in that we don't behave in an overtly romantic way except on Valentines Day or other celebratory moments. By having "Romance Week" on my calendar I have created a celebratory moment. It may not seem all that romantic to plan for romance, somehow spontaneity has the distinction of being "more" romantic then planned events but just the idea of a romance week already has me thinking more romantically.


I'd also like to say this week is not just for those of you who are already in a romantic relationship. One of the best ways to pave the way for finding a romantic partner is to get clear about what it is you are looking for in that type of relationship. This is EXACTLY what I did prior to meeting my sweetie and as a result I became VERY clear about what was most important to me in a potential partner. My guy is nothing like the guys I used date but it wasn't until I got really clear about what is important could I see that he was the right guy for me!


This week's "Bliss Initiatives" are color coded in purple for quick identification. They are specific things that you too can try, if you want to play along with me. However, because as Earl Nightingale says, "you become what you think about," even if you only follow along, and never take on any of the bliss initiatives, I expect some positive results. I will be exploring and encouraging ROMANCE this way:

• Put Romance on the Calendar - I have already done this with my Romance Week, but why not more?! Take a look at your own calendar and pick some random days to surprise your lover with romance. He/she doesn't need to know it wasn't entirely spontaneous! Just planning something romantic has the added benefit of making you feel more romantic!

• Make or review your 100 reasons you love your sweetie - A few romance weeks's ago I shared 100 reasons why I love my guy. Now that I've done this I have a "go to" list for getting the romance fires burning. When dirty socks are on the floor and regular daily life is right in front of your nose it is easy forget why you love them. If you don't have a romantic partner, write up 100 things you would want in a future one. This exercise alone has been known to open a floodgate of opportunity!

• Study - This week I am back to making study one of my Bliss Initiatives. There are a ton of interesting romance ideas out there and just thinking about romance will help put me in the mood for a romantic day! If you are playing along do consider your own romance search on the internet. Top 10 romantic ideas searched in google netted a list that could keep someone busy for an entire year, let alone one week!

• Field Work - Back, this week by my popular demand! This works wonders EVERY time! This week I pledge to do at least one romantic thing each day and report back here about it. I will also create one big romantic surprise to be executed sometime this coming weekend. Want to play along? 

Are you playing along this week? What fun surprising thing can you do for your loved one this week?

Next post: Romance resources

My 13 bliss virtues are joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry, community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, and surprise.


This week we are studying Romance. Next up is Gratitude Week

Romantic conclusions

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ROMANCE - To court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness; a strong fascination or enthusiasm for something.  [Romance week starts here. Click for this week's Bliss Initiatives.]

Image from Funky6Stringer's interesting post

My idea of Love. With little sugar.

Sunday is the day I tally up how I did for the week.  Generally I take a sort of gut check and decide on my ten point scale where I landed. Doing that this week, I will give myself a 5. I didn't complete my initiatives and distinguished more about what what wasn't working, rather then injecting more romance into our lives. Recently I began calculating how much BLISS was actually added to my daily life and I did this with "Bliss Boosts."  Once again this is very subjective and for this week I would give myself 1 Bliss Boost.  I definitely felt some added bliss but I certainly did not have the same experience as last time out.  I wasn't counting bliss boosts back then but with an 8 out of 10 romance was certainly on the rise!


When I started this project I assumed that it would change over time. Part of the fun is seeing where things are going. When I first began, when I was focusing on each week's bliss virtue and while I found it interesting and enjoyable I realized that I wasn't actually increasing my experience of everyday bliss. Now I can see that the first cycle through each of the virtues was much like the prerequisites for a college course, the information provided a good base but soon the requirements were more intensive. This is when I decided I didn't just want my experiment to be about studying the virtues and it was important to consider how much overall bliss I was experiencing. This is when I added the Bliss Boost measurement.


Now I am noticing yet another change! For the past two weeks it has shown up as missing for me that while I increase the particular virtue's bliss quotient during a given week there has been absolutely no carry over into the subsequent weeks. Yesterday I declared it Day One for not having that happen for romance but what I'd really like to see is each virtue getting regular play in EVERY week!  Which means I finally understand Ben Franklin's method of looking at every virtue each day.  Hmmm I think it is time to look at new kind of scoring system... I'm not up to doing that today (read my Family would like to spend some time with me!) so I'll look at doing that by the time my next cycle begins.


On a just because I find it fun note I thought I would introduce you to something another new blogging friend Lemony Renee' posted on her blog today. It is called Saturday 9 and each saturday "Crazy Sam" comes up with 9 questions and she invites other people to play along. If you are playing you provide a link to your blog and you can click on the links to see how other's answer. It is totally random and totally fun. Hopefully I will have time to play along sometime. Stop on by Renee's post to see a very fun example of the whole thing.


Thank you friends, fans and followers (None of the groups are mutually exclusive!) for a fun Romance week!


Next post: Gratitude week gets underway

My 13 bliss virtues: joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry, community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, surprise

A hint of Romance or my DAY ONE project!

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ROMANCE - To court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness; a strong fascination or enthusiasm for something.  [Romance week starts here. Click for this week's Bliss Initiatives.]

"A Hint of Romance" by Christine Zalewski

Yesterday I attributed some of my romantic failings to child hood brainwashing but likely the biggest reason has to do with time. We all know that we need to make time and focus on the things that are important to us. My new blogging friend, Kathy over at Kathy's Funny Farm just declared today Day One in her personal quest to become more fit.  Declarations are great ways to support a new focus. The design of this Everyday Bliss game is an ongoing declaration to add more bliss to my life. At least four times a year it also gives me the impetus to make time for romance. I would love to say that romance is innately a part of my life but is just isn't the case.  I often daydream about fun romantic activities for Rob and I to share but in between his work schedule, keeping the house livable and all of Jessie's activities both in and out of the house romance doesn't seem to find much breathable space. 


Perhaps I've been thinking about it all wrong. Rather then grand time consuming gestures what I need are quick and easy, potentially high impact hints of romance that can keep the spirit alive as Rob and I navigate our daily lives! 


The ezine article 101 Romantic Gestures offers some simple ideas easily integrated into daily life.  These romantic gestures are quick and easy ways to show your love. Often times the most romantic gestures are the small acts we choose to do every day. This extensive list of 101 romantic gestures will help you be more creative in how you show your love... You may be really good at doing some of these romantic gestures. Use this list to pick up a few more romantic gestures and apply them to your relationship. Put your own twist on some of the ideas for a personal and unique romantic gesture!


Here is one from GetRomantic.com on how to write a Mini Love Letter. This is a good one for some one like me who likes to muse about things and the final product can be as elaborate or simple as time permits!


And here's a Reader's Digest sample from  from Greg Godek's 1001 Ways to be Romantic -- aptly titled 50 Ways to WOO your lover! I particularly like "hold hands" as a suggestion. Simple quick and easy. 


Not to mention holding hands also reminds me of that old standby The 30 Second Kiss which I have brought up multiple times (in these posts ) since starting my Everyday Bliss project.  In my first mention I said,


I read somewhere once that if we just took thirty seconds longer with each hello and goodbye kiss it could transform a relationship. Thirty seconds! Why the heck haven't I been taking that time for that? Are our lives that busy that I can't spend thirty seconds more kissing the man I love? Ridiculous! I'm starting today! How about you? What ritual could you add to amp up the passion in your relationship?

and then I shared this photo to give us all some inspiration:

Image from eHow post on How to Kiss Passionately

And here I am today STILL unable to maintain a hint of romance on a daily basis! Just like my friend Kathy, I am declaring today my DAY ONE! Romance is going to be present even when it isn't Romance week! 


How about you? Any DAY ONE you would like to declare? Consider this a challenge to play along!  Do let me know, playing together is a lot more fun. If it is fitness related stop on by Kathy's Funny Farm and let her know you are playing. I'm sure she would love the company!

Please excuse me now,  I have some kissing to do!

Next post: Romance week comes to a close.

My 13 bliss virtues: joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry, community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, surprise

A reason for ridiculous mutation or possibly why romance is so abstruse

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ROMANCE - To court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness; a strong fascination or enthusiasm for something.  [Romance week starts here. Click for this week's Bliss Initiatives.]

Image from Disney's Sleeping Beauty

My romance enculturation began, like most American girls, with fairy tales, Barbie dolls, and magazines. I was taught that the boy has the answers AND he always saves the girl. Disney and Pixar have done their best to inject a different aphorism today, girls are as capable as boys and can save the day, but when I was growing up Prince Charming was always coming to save me. I dreamt about the day when I would be whisked off my feet and transported to a new and wondrous realm that only the perfect man could provide.  I even remember placing a pillow under my knees while I slept to give myself the feeling that someone was sweeping me up in their arms. It was powerful and very consuming. 

Thinking back to my early dating I can see how difficult it was for my mere mortal suitors to have a chance. I was trained to believe that true love was all knowing and could conquer and provide everything. So when a high school crush didn't instantly know exactly how I liked to be kissed or what love token should be sent (school colored maroon and white carnations for homecoming!) or when my first lover knew less about sex then I did, it was all very frustrating and disappointing. Of course, like many girls, I figured this meant something was wrong with me because a man could never be that inept, could he?

In time I was willing to take responsibility for my own happiness but the indoctrination ran deep. I voraciously dated but was still expecting "the one" to somehow reveal themselves in some magical way. I dated people much longer then I ever should have just because I met them in some fabulous way.  


Example: While participating in Tony Robbins' Date with Destiny Seminar in my early thirties, I found Colin "cute English guy's" name tag on the ground. The name tags were the entry ticket to the very expensive seminar so I went looking for Colin because I knew he would be looking for it. As I was conducting my search some other participant said, "Oh I know Colin, I'll give it to him." and she took the tag. For the rest of the event I scanned the name tags of everyone hoping to say hello, but we never met. After Date with Destiny was over, a bunch of participants went to a club to celebrate. At some point in the evening this cute guy and I saw each other and suddenly it was as if the 200 other people in the room just melted away. He walked over and said, " Hi, I am Colin!" The same Colin who's name tag I had found! What are the chances??!


I dated that guy for more then a year because of that meeting. He lived in another country, his fundamental Christian beliefs were at odds with what I believe in my heart, I spent thousands trying to help him get his multilevel marketing business off the ground (it never happened) and let him stay in my home for months after he told me he was no longer interested in me. I was convinced that people who met so dramatically MUST be able to find their way to each other. 

I am an extremely happy person. I make lemonade from lemons and bounce back from adversity very well.  I really didn't NEED a man to sweep me off my feet to love my life but I still continued to hope one would. Yes I could, and did, take responsibility for my own happiness but my childhood brainwashing was still afoot. No matter how much I took charge of my destiny I would allow the men I dated to bend me. I won't write because YOU are the writer. YOU hate Disney, I don't need to go again. I won't take that new job because YOU want us to be free to travel. 


It never felt like a sacrifice to make these concessions. For "true love" I was willing and because I could make lemon aid from the lemons, if it didn't work out I was off to the next adventure. When I placed an ad on Craig's list saying that I was looking to be "wooed and wowed forever," I said I did it as a conversation starter but in reality I wanted it to be true. I no longer expected or needed saving but my conditioning still cried out for magic.


Rob answered that Craig's list ad and in time even signed up to woo and wow, for life! Fast forward to today and it is clear to me why my romantic endeavors, no matter how pure of heart, are so routinely farcical. I keep hoping fantasy maneuvers will elicit the perfect response. Rob, however, is not a puppet. He is not a one note prince come to save me. He is a real man. He has thoughts, desires and whims that change, just as mine do. We are uniquely compatible and quirky and the standard fairy tale play book will never be enough.


However, when he holds me in his arms as we go to sleep I will let myself feel swept away!

Next post: More romantic musings

My 13 bliss virtues: joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry, community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, surprise

Romantic escapades? Not really, more like romantic thoughts...

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ROMANCE - To court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness; a strong fascination or enthusiasm for something.  [Romance week starts here. Click for this week's Bliss Initiatives.]

Lovelorn comic image found at 

The Golden Age Romance Comics Archive

As soon as I wrote "romantic escapades"  I knew I was going to have a problem. You see, my Rob is a shy guy. Not afraid to meet people kind of shy but an "I don't want all of my business broadcasted to the world" kind of shy. Compounded by the fact that he is an engineer at G*o-o*g*l*e (have I said too much??--- I typed it that way to make it less searchable by all the web crawlers that circulate through the internet) and understands, make that knows firsthand all the foibles and dangers of cyberspace, and you can see I walk a fine line when I post. Most probably, if I were a better writer I would be able to ease my way around this land mine with nary a care. As it is, I find I am drawn to the simple path of talking about the most private of matters and not quite sure what to do about it.


Actually, I know EXACTLY what to do about it. It is EXACTLY what I have been doing. Spilling all my thoughts out on my page and then evaluating whether or not Rob would be embarrassed or otherwise concerned. If so, then I just omit it. I bring this up because the whole thing, this injecting romance into our relationship, is an incredibly comical thing. (perhaps you got a glimpse in yesterday's post.) I have been reduced to laughing fits on multiple occasions. Sadly most of the things that make me laugh so hard fall into my "must be omitted" category. So sorry loyal fans. Many of the chuckles I am enjoying will have to remain my own!


For some reason, the romantic visions culturally inculcated in my psyche just fall flat or land as goofy and/or are über sappy. My intention is always to have Rob feel love and be delighted with my demonstration of it. How is it that my intention can mutate so ridiculously? Take tonight. Once again my day seemed to get away from me and planning my promised romantic gesture came down to working with what ever I already have in the house. 

Image from American Pain Clinic website.

Suddenly I am inspired. I haven't given Rob a good foot massage since we moved into our house. Which means it has been more then six months and much too long for a guy who enjoys them so much. So with minutes to spare before he arrives home, I start dashing around the house looking for massage oil, epsom salts, the perfect foot sized basin that has to be here somewhere... The massage oil is found leaking in a box of other miscellaneous items which need to be saved before I can move on to the epson salt search... in the old house it was under the sink. Didn't I see a box of under the sink stuff in the garage? Much digging ensues, epsom salt is no where to be found... but I did find those damn ducky bath beads I promised NOT TO MOVE to the new house. Boxes piling, Jessie compounding the mess as toddlers will... 


Tick tock. I almost burn dinner. 


Rob arrives home to a disastrous mess. Always super romantic don't you think?


Jessie cooperates with my plan and actually falls asleep early. Romance is not yet lost! Another thirty minutes of rummaging through the mayhem and the foot basin is discovered! 


I enter the family room wearing my cheshire grin to announce the surprise I have planned! Hooray! I did it! ....   Not so fast...


"Oh sweetie, that sounds so wonderful but could I take a rain check?" Turns out Rob had to get up early in the morning and wanted to spend our limited time together in other ways...


(Oh, yeah, and that sound you hear is me chuckling loudly!)


Next post: A possible reason for ridiculous mutation

My 13 bliss virtues: joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry, community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, surprise