Gary’s February Gems – The Sweetheart Edition

T.S.  Eliot said in The Wasteland that April was the cruellest month. He was depressed when he wrote that. Fact.

April brings more light, more warmth and the first peek at perennials breaking through the last remnants of frozen ground. April is usually the month where Easter falls with all its symbols of renewal (and chocolate!).

In February, we’re in winter’s iron grip. The dream of a white Christmas is now a nightmare as white February snow transforms to a soupy mix of slush and gravel. To go anywhere we need to learn the penguin two-step to avoid slipping and spending a night in the ER.

February is the shortest month and the cruellest month. So, it’s not surprising that this would be the month that would celebrate cuddling and cooing. St. Valentines’s Day was set in February because, in the middles ages in Europe, it was believed that was when birds would choose their mates. Here, in Montreal, the only birds choosing mates are those circling their prey in bars on Crescent and St. Denis streets.

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I find February much easier to endure due to several life-affecting events that I experienced by chance and by choice.

I was born by chance, on Valentine’s Day which could account for me being such a sweetheart. 😉

My mother called me her little Valentine baby. I received, on each birthday, a special Valentines heart-shaped cake that my mother would top with a tooth-chipping confectionary.

The cake was baked in my Grandmother’s special heart-shaped baking tin and though that specific tin had been lost after her death, I made it a point to find another and to continue my tradition of receiving a heart-shaped birthday cake – even if I have to make it myself. (Is that sad?)

My childhood Februaries weren’t all hearts and flowers. In my teens, Valentine’s Day coincided with my parent’s annual migration to Fort Lauderdale to escape winter, kids and work.  I was disappointed of course at having to stay home and spend my birthday without them. It wasn’t until I reached my thirties that I discovered for myself the allure of sun, sand and sea in the middle of winter.  I become a snowbird convert and gifted myself an annual trip to the sun since.

You’d be surprised by how many people I met who share my special birthday starting with my husband, Earl. Coincidence? It gets better.

Given we both share a birthday, 14 years after being together, we decided to get married on Valentine’s Day 2006 – the year after same-sex marriage became legal across Canada.

I know that you may think that I’m making this up, but it gets even better. Earl’s parents, my in-laws also got married on St, Valentine’s day. Earl made his world premiere on their 8th anniversary.

Fast forward many years, Earl and I discovered a little gem of a restaurant called Oxford Café through friends of ours.  The owners are Iranian and we were told of their amazing Iranian pancakes … and amazing they are!  (February is also Mari Gras Pancake Tuesday month.)

As chance would have it, one of the owners, Mohammed, was also born on Valentine’s Day!  We had a good chuckle over the coincidence and the following February when we returned, we were served up heart-shaped Iranian pancakes!

You may be thinking at this point, “This guy must have a memory problem to celebrate everything on the same date.

Nope, no memory problem. Just efficient.

I wish you a wonderful Valentine’s, and if you do indulge on Mardi Gras, have a heart-shaped pancake for me.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”“Without Valentine’s Day, February would be… well, January.” ~ Jim Gaffigan” quote=”“Without Valentine’s Day, February would be… well, January.” ~ Jim Gaffigan” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”“In the coldest February, as in every other month in every other year, the best thing to hold on to in this world is each other.” ~Linda Ellerbee, ” quote=”“In the coldest February, as in every other month in every other year, the best thing to hold on to in this world is each other.” ~Linda Ellerbee, ” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”Cold and snowy February does seem slow and trying, very. Still, a month made gay by Cupid Never could be wholly stupid. ~Louise Bennett Weaver ” quote=”Cold and snowy February Does seem slow and trying, very. Still, a month made gay by Cupid Never could be wholly stupid. ~Louise Bennett Weaver ” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”‘I think I love you, and eh, I-I just wondered by any chance you wouldn’t like to… Eh… Eh… No, no, no of course not… I’m an idiot.’ — Hugh Grant, Four Weddings and a Funeral.” quote=”‘I think I love you, and eh, I-I just wondered by any chance you wouldn’t like to… Eh… Eh… No, no, no of course not… I’m an idiot.’ — Hugh Grant, Four Weddings and a Funeral.” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”Real love amounts to withholding the truth, even when you’re offered the perfect opportunity to hurt someone’s feelings.’ — David Sedaris ” quote=”‘Real love amounts to withholding the truth, even when you’re offered the perfect opportunity to hurt someone’s feelings.’ — David Sedaris ” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”‘Love thy neighbour — and if he happens to be tall, debonair and devastating, it will be that much easier.’ – Mae West” quote=”‘Love thy neighbour — and if he happens to be tall, debonair and devastating, it will be that much easier.’ – Mae West” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”‘Just last week I wrote: ‘I still love you. See last year’s card for full details.” — Michael McIntyre” quote=”‘Just last week I wrote: ‘I still love you. See last year’s card for full details.” — Michael McIntyre” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”‘Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow Internet service to see who they really are.’ — Will Ferrell” quote=”‘Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow Internet service to see who they really are.’ — Will Ferrell” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”‘I thought I was promiscuous, but it turns out I was just thorough.’ — Russell Brand” quote=”‘I thought I was promiscuous, but it turns out I was just thorough.’ — Russell Brand” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz” quote=”“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”“Drama is very important in life: You have to come on with a bang. You never want to go out with a whimper. Everything can have drama if it’s done right. Even a pancake” – Julia Child” quote=”“Drama is very important in life: You have to come on with a bang. You never want to go out with a whimper. Everything can have drama if it’s done right. Even a pancake” – Julia Child” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”“There are two sides to a pancake. One is brown and fluffy; the other is burnt”. – Bill Parcells” quote=”“There are two sides to a pancake. One is brown and fluffy; the other is burnt”. – Bill Parcells” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”“The groundhog is like most other prophets; it delivers its prediction and then disappears.” ~Bill Vaughn” quote=”“The groundhog is like most other prophets; it delivers its prediction and then disappears.” ~Bill Vaughn” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”“To shorten winter, borrow some money due in spring.” ~W.J. Vogel” quote=”“To shorten winter, borrow some money due in spring.” ~W.J. Vogel” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”Don’t knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation if it didn’t change once in a while. ~Kin Hubbard” quote=”Don’t knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation if it didn’t change once in a while. ~Kin Hubbard” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is to love and be loved in return.”- eden ahbez” quote=”“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is to love and be loved in return.”- eden ahbez” theme=”style2″]

[click_to_tweet tweet=”“There are all kinds of love in this world but never the same love twice.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald. ” quote=”“There are all kinds of love in this world but never the same love twice.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald. ” theme=”style2″]