This is how we got Hallmark cards, a box of chocolates and a dozen roses as declarations of love.
Not that I wish to disparage traditional approaches to romantic love but here are some takes on the language of love:
The Seattle-area may not be Switzerland, Belgium or Italy but we do have our chocolates. These are not the giant heart-shaped boxes you can buy at the local drug store. But if you are trying to get the most bang for your buck, consider taking your sweetheart on a tour of a local chocolate factory rather than handing over a factory-selected variety pack.
Theo Chocolates
3400 Phinney Avenue North, Seattle WA 98103
Tours are Monday-Sunday, 10 am to 6pm
To book a tour : (206) 632-5100
http://www.theochocolate.com/
Or you and your sweetheart could take a chocolate class at the Boehm Factory in Issaquah where you’ll discover how chocolate is made and then create your own masterpieces.
Boehm’s Candies Candy Kitchen, 255 NE Gilman Blvd., Issaquah, WA 98027
Reservations required (425) 392-6652
http://www.boehmscandies.com/
Combine chocolate with a favorite drink and you have the Red Wine and Chocolate Winery Tour on the Olympic Peninsula
http://www.olympicpeninsulawineries.org/redwinechocolate.php
Give her (or him) flowers with a difference. Ninety percent of the flowers sold for Valentine’s Day (or any other holiday) are grown overseas. If you’ve heard about sustainable living, you may have heard of sustainable flowers. Terra Bella Flowers & Mercantile sources local, sustainable and organically grown flowers. 7321 Greenwood Ave N., Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 783-0205
http://www.terrabellaflowers.com/
Write some romantic verse. Here are some suggestions for getting your words to ring a bell with someone special.
Here are some more suggestions for true romance from the staff at the Law Office of Johnson and Nagaich.
Time: Give the person you love the time for a bubble bath or other alone time. If they are a caregiver, give them the time to just being able to breathe without worrying about the next crisis for even a short time can help to recharge them and feel ready to take on the world again.
Tender moments: Sometimes it’s the moments that are the most special. One mother in the office said just having her husband and their daughter all decked out in their best clothes and headed off to a father-daughter dance made the day special for her. She’ll be able to pull up that memory long after her daughter has grown.
Significant mementos: It’s not about the cost; it’s about being aware of the other person enough to recognize what really matters to them and then trying to find a way to give it to them. Here’s a story about a couple and hundreds of letters they sent to each other over the years. Note: letters cost a stamp and even in this day and age a stamp is still a good deal.
So, what’s your romantic notion?
