A Very Good Valentines, Not To Mention Chinese New Year

It's been a good, good day. Mr. Moon gave me sweet gifts of candy and a red pen. I made him French toast from the bread I made and the eggs our hens give us. We worked in the garden together some and then he went hunting and then to a basketball game. I went to rehearsal and then to Kathleen's to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Kathleen celebrates everything. That's the way she is. We celebrated at her house with Chinese food. She had ordered charts of the Chinese astrological calender for us to color but they hadn't arrived. We were sad but not too sad to eat a bunch of Buddha's delight and chocolate cake. She apologized for not sugaring pansies to put on the cake. Between the lack of the coloring activities and the sugared pansies, we all decided that we should just go home.
After we were full of yummy Chinese food and cake.

Funny. It's been the best Valentines in forever. And there was nothing that special about it at all. Just sweetness. Sweetness. And a heart open to that sweetness.

But I'll tell you something that made it really special- watching Jan and Jack be able to hold hands in public. They never seem to let each other go, as if after all this time they can't afford to, don't want to and don't intend to.
And that makes me so damn happy.

The play opens Friday. Am I nervous? You bet but I think I'm pretty much there on the lines. We had a bit of a problem tonight. I wore the dress I'm thinking of wearing for the play and I'm wearing it for several reasons, not least of which is that I need to wear a dress I can wear a red slip under that in three seconds I can turn into a negligee with a black lace thing over it because three seconds is about all the time I have for a change. I don't even have time to go back to the dressing room.
Anyway, I've always rehearsed in pants and when Colin did his nose dive tonight, he ended up, ahem- a bit under the dress and slip. Oh my! We were both disconcerted. Look- this is the first physical pratfall bit of the play and it has to be good. We both have to be comfortable with it to make it work. And we are PROFESSIONALS! Yes! We are. Not as professional as Professional Woman, but we are professional...adults. Very much adults. Even though Colin acts like a seven-year old half the time instead of the seventy-year old he is.
We discussed the situation. Kathleen insists that it's so much funnier if I'm wearing a dress that I must wear a dress. Plus- there's that quick costume change which has to occur later on.
So we're going to make it work. Tomorrow I have to go out and find some red tights. Thick ones. Modesty must be preserved, even if dignity is sacrificed.
I told Colin he had better have his eye closed. He only has the one, you know.

And really- what more can I say?

We shall persevere. We shall put on Sex Please, We're Sixty, even if half the town is still reeling that life has imitated art and that the lovers have come together. Even if Jan's last day as Opera House director is tomorrow. Even if I have anxiety out the wazoo. Even if my kids are embarrassed. Even if our Hilary is getting home from a cruise on Thursday and has to drive all the way back from Ft. Lauderdale for our last rehearsal on Thursday night. Even if Colin makes us all laugh so hard we forget our lines, our entrance cues and our blocking. We shall overcome, dammit!

And Jan and Jack will kiss until the lights go down.

And then they'll probably kiss a little more.

Yeah. It's been a good Valentine's Day. And a good Chinese New Year's. Year of the Tiger. Growl! (Hands up in claw position, y'all....HISS!)

And the best part? The very best part? Mr. Moon will be home soon and when I sleep tonight, he'll be there beside me in the bed and I'll just be so happy he is.

Night- night. Sleep tight. Sweet dreams, baby-cakes. Sweet dreams.