matters of the heart
Congratulations!!!
I spent most of last week in Louisiana celebrating the marriage of my brother and his Bride.
My brother is hitched. It’s hard to find words to describe how happy I am for the both of them. That’s part of the reason I slipped past doing my best man speech (which I now feel totally guilty about). I’d written it on the plane ride down there, I had the angle I was going to take outlined in my mind for months, I had it all written down and in my pocket ready to go. But when it came down to it, my nerves got the best of me and I failed to deliver. I handed the hand written speech to them after the wedding and told them to open it on the first night of their honeymoon. That made me feel a little better. Anyway, I wish everyone could have as much happiness and fun as they do together.
All of it was gorgeous. It was a great afternoon/evening/night of friends, family, and celebration. So much happened that it’s hard to remember it all. My brother and Pandy are two of the most important people in my life and I wish them the best of everything life has to offer.
Congratulations!!!
…
For Lovers
In the traditional sense, I’m not very romantic. Much to my girlfriends chagrin, I’m sure. I don’t see romance in the conventional means of chocolate, flowers, large glasses of red wine (though the wine can definitely help things along), and Marvin Gaye songs. This is not to say that I find romance silly, or “the hard way to get what I want”. It is just that the objects that are commonly found romantic, I find quite horrid. And maybe it’s because they are just that – common (and horrible). I find most of my romance in humor, and music, and nostalgia, and words, and sometimes in tragedy. For instance, L.A. Hunter would drive me absolutely nuts, but the story of Abelard and Heloise (the dude gets his balls chopped off) is romantic in my eyes. Despite my somewhat uncharacteristic beliefs in where romance is found, this has to be one of the most sentimental, adoring, affectionate and… lets face it… romantic, ideas I have heard in a while.
One of the Eternal City’s oldest bridges has this summer become the focus a grand romantic ritual that has seized the imagination of hundreds of couples from Rome and abroad. Lovers testify to their everlasting love by attaching a chain and a small padlock to a lamp-post on the northern end of the Ponte Milvio Bridge. They write their names on the lock in felt-tip pen and then throw the keys into the River Tiber.
I found out about this in Italy Magazine and can’t wait to do this with my true love. Have you ever carved your lovers initials in a tree?
…
Let Them Go
When you love someone, let them go.
If they come back, they’re yours forever.
If they don’t, call them up drunk the next night.
The Twelve Chief Rules In Love
This list was taken from “The Art of Courtly Love” by Andreas Capellanus, a book that has been recently added to my wishlist.
The Twelve Chief Rules in Love:
1. Thou shalt avoid avarice like the deadly pestilence and shalt embrace its opposite.
2. Thou shalt keep thyself chaste for the sake of her whom thou lovest.
3. Thou shalt not knowingly strive to break up a correct love affair that someone else is engaged in.
4. Thou shalt not chose for thy love anyone whom a natural sense of shame forbids thee to marry.
5. Be mindful completely to avoid falsehood.
6. Thou shalt not have many who know of thy love affair.
7. Being obedient in all things to the commands of ladies, thou shalt ever strive to ally thyself to the service of Love.
8. In giving and receiving love’s solaces let modesty be ever-present.
9. Thou shalt speak no evil.
10. Thou shalt not be a revealer of love affairs.
11. Thou shalt be in all things polite and courteous.
12. In practising the solaces of love thou shalt not exceed the desires of thy lover.
…
My Bitter Valentine II
Happy overdone, unimaginative, consumer-oriented and entirely arbitrary, manipulative & shallow, interpretation of romance day.
Love, another infinitely important concept lost to a holiday wrapped around commercialism, consumerism, and (gasp!) cynicism.
…
My Bitter Valentine
Every year The Onion prints a wonderful children’s valentine day special. It includes adorable, cuddly little valentines to cut out give to your special little someone. Here is my favourite:
Update: Sorry lovers, the pictures have since been removed.
How To Crack An Egg
I caught Sabrina on AMC last night. It seemed fitting for the times so I stayed up late and watched it all. I miss you Sabrina, wherever you are. This quote from the movie seemed especially appropriate:
Bonjour, mesdames et monsiuers. Yesterday we have learned the correct way how to boil water. Today we will learn the correct way how to crack an egg. Voila! An egg. Now, an egg is not a stone; it is not made of wood, it is a living thing. It has a heart. So when we crack it, we must not torment it. We must be merciful and execute it quickly, like with the guillotine.
…