Valentine's fun

It's raining a cold, thin rain outside tonight. In Minnesota this is a joyous sign of spring! Here's some of the highlights of what we've been up to in recent weeks:

--Derek has planted his tomato and sunflower seeds in the basement under UV lights, hoping they will get a head start towards our too-short summer. There is a lot of dirt down there, nestled in old sour cream containers.

--We have enjoyed the karoake machine that I got for Christmas! Mer's standby is "Daydream Believer" by the Monkees.

--We had a 612-neighbors progressive Valentine's Day dinner, and the men cooked: Derek did a wonderful tomato-basil soup and assortment of gourmet cheeses; Tim made a mushroom risotto and sea bass with pine nuts and raisins; and Frank did cheesecake with choice of toppings (freshly reduced blueberry sauce, freshly reduced strawberry sauce, or chocolate sauce). We had five couples (Derek's folks and John and Ericka joined), and the six kids rampaged through each house in turn. It was really lovely! Some pics are below. The unofficial 612-neighbors motto: su casa mi casa.



--I am deep in my busy season at work (10-K and proxy season), but am really enjoying being a securities lawyer and the people I work with. And in these tough economic times, I am also glad to have a job. Hopefully that will continue.

--For Martin Luther King Day, Mer and I both had the day off, so we spent all day at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Mer is still fascinated by dinosaurs, but even more by the human body, and she has a quick and deliberative mind for the medical problems posed by one exhibit, in particular. She also enjoyed learning to weave, and after we got home she picked up a beginner sewing project and did a nice job.



--Elly's speech is really taking off, though she still says quite a lot that we don't quite understand. She enjoys pointing out dinosaurs, butterflies, stars and hearts whenever they are present (today's tour of an elementary school was an exciting one for Elly). She is also particular about her food and the arrangement of her blankets at night, which makes us very tired. But, she often says 'tank you!' in such a sweet little voice that it is worth it.

-JRR