I thought I had it in for Valentine's Day

Let me just put it out there - I am not a fan of this holiday. I never really got who that saint Valentine was, or why he was the saint for lovers, or why I was supposed to think "be my valentine" was such a romantic request. Bah humbug! (Mind you, I am also the one who listens happily, even eagerly, to Christmas music from Thanksgiving through Boxing Day - I am nothing if not reliably inconsistent.) And I know I'm not alone - there's an anti-Valentine's Day movement out there, a veritable phalanx of protesters armed with slings and arrows, not of love, ready to take down the day. I just know there is.

The following report, however, rather takes the cake (only an excerpt - for the full experience, read on MacDuff):

Last year in Malaysia, a government official, Muhammad Ramli Nuh, declared, according to the Bernama News Agency, that “celebrating the Day could be regarded as recognizing the enemies of Islam because Valentine or Valentinus took part in planning and attacking Cordoba, once a well-known centre of Islam in Spain, causing its downfall.” Actually, St. Valentine was a third-century Christian martyr in the Roman Empire, but give Muhammad Ramli Nuh points for imagination.

Evidently we have Chaucer to thank for this holiday -- speaking of which, if you haven't seen Paul Bettany playing Chaucer in A Knight's Tale (also starring the sadly belated Heath Ledger), I highly recommend it. It was written and directed by Brian Helgeland (who wrote L.A. Confidential and Mystic River, among other things).

Just a little lovin'

Here are my two cents (if you just can't get out of it):

theme song -- Just A Little Lovin' (but only the original by Dusty Springfield)

flowers -- framed postcard of Renoir's "Roses" (longer lasting and surely more original)

champagne -- a rose cava (try Cristallino) or the real thing: Billecart Salmon Brut Rose

chocolate -- it just doesn't get better than Mr. Chocolate himself, Jacques Torres. If I know one thing, it's chocolate - and these, friends are Off. The. Charts.

And if you happen to be in New York - check out the loooove banners in Times Square ("a public art project featuring 15 unique banner designs by 12 top graphic designers and illustrators"). I heart NY, anyone?

Holiday card kudos

Full disclosure: I'm terrible at the holiday routine. I mean, I can light and decorate a mean tree, and my chocolate english toffee is to die for, but the card thing? Waaaay beyond me. Thus, I am beyond grateful to and impressed by my friends, who are probably 14 times as busy as I am since they, every last one of them, has a minimum of 2 kids (hey, come to think of it, my friends may be averaging 2.7 kids and .6 dogs each. Wow. Who knew my friends were so... normal? So far though, they are handily beating that nasty divorce statistic. Keep it up, folks - you give me faith in true love.)

Anyway, back to the grateful and impressed part - each year I get a trove of cards, personally signed (which, I learned from my friend Margi, who knows ALL about these things, is the sign that the recipient is a personal friend - and if there's a handwritten message and signature - well, that's the jackpot of "close, personal friend" - and let me pause right here to thank my close, personal friends for remembering me and including me in their holiday tradition. I love you too.)

But to return to my point - I think I had one. Oh, yes... this post is simply to say thank you and happy holidays to my friends, all my friends - it may not be signed, or even handwritten - but it is distinctly heartfelt. (I even made the little image thing-y all by myself.)

New Rule #3

Thanksgiving wasn’t that long ago – but I started fantasizing about my mother’s mulled wine the very next day, and haven't stopped. For some reason, she only makes it once a year, for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s perfect; it’s winy and sweet and spicy and slightly numbing. Here’s my New Rule #3: mulled wine (or cider – I’m an equal opportunity imbiber) should be simmering on the stove from Thanksgiving through January.

Here’s my mother’s recipe - it's fantastic:

Combine and boil together for 10 minutes:
1 Cup Sugar
3 Sticks Cinnamon
½ Cup Water
24 Cloves
3 Lemon slices

Add and heat
2 Cups Pineapple Juice
2 Cups Orange Juice
Juice of 1 Lemon

Add and heat until hot. Do Not Boil.
2 bottles Red Wine
Thin Orange & Lemon slices

It doesn't get better than this, folks, trust me.

This shouldn't be as funny as it is

Because we all have just so much time on our hands, especially at this time of year, I thought I'd share with you my latest time-filler-upper.
OfficeMax, in their infinite wisdom (okay, really, I have no idea why, how or who at OfficeMax came up with this - but hats off to them - it's addictive), has come up with a little holiday widget that in no way, shape or form should turn out to be as hilarious as it does. But it does.
If you have family, friends, pets, tots, toddlers or teens - and pictures thereof - don't skip this.
Trust me. I wouldn't steer you astray. This is one widget that's worth your time... spare or not.