The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

He looked at me as if I were the only thing he could see and said, "When the moon hits your eyes like a big pizza pie, that's amore."

It wasn't very romantic.

Taking advice from music usually isn't a very good idea, but there is one thing I always seem to take away - food and ro- mance go hand-in-hand. Even the rapper 50 Cent made the connection in the early 2000s singing "I love you like a fat kid loves cake." Clearly, the man can't help being a hopeless romantic.

But when we mix food and love, things are not always "La Vie En Rose" (that's "rosy" or "life in pink" for those of you without a working knowledge of French or access to Google at this particular moment).

Don't get me wrong, I love a nice dinner and chocolate as much as the next person with a sweet tooth, but it's easy to go over- board and overeat all of the fantastic treats lining the shelves at every store. The day after Valentine's Day should probably be its own holiday. Flowers and chocolates are on sale and for a few dollars you can pick up a sugar coma that will last you the entire weekend.

But that isn't the point of the pinkest day of the year. Sure, we know we should appre- ciate the ones we love all year long - even if your Valentine's Day is a party of one this year. But as a hopeless romantic writer with a penchant for chocolate, I have to offer some other advice.

Of course, I do encourage everyone to check out all of the great local sales and events - see Dena Wood's entertainment column on page 10.

My advice every year is a letter or poem; or if you're feeling really compelled, a bal- lad. Outside Shakespearean sonnets and the old "Roses are red, violets are bluehellip;" classics, a nice letter or free form poem can be really meaningful and sweet.

Not all of us can put it all on the line with a poem. And writing letters can be pretty challenging for a generation so focused on e-mail we contributed to the United States Postal Service cutting a day of service to save money.

To get your letter of affection and ap- preciation started, here's a fill-in-the-blank form letter for inspiration. Don't be afraid to get cheesy, this is the time of year when it's perfectly acceptable.

**********************

Dear _________ (affectionate term or petname),

You are the ______ (adjective) ______(noun) of my life.

Your _____ (verb) chases my ______(plural noun) away and your ______ (verb)keeps me ______ (adjective) when times aredifficult.

I appreciate your ________ (noun) and

ability to ________ (verb) when I _____(verb).

__________ (affectionate closing or ad-

mission of attachment),

___________ (Your Name)

**********************

That wasn't so hard now, was it? In the in- terest of romance, here's my filled out letter: Dear Honey Bear,

You are the brightest light of my life. Your laughter chases my tears away and your support keeps me strong when times are difficult.

I appreciate your patience and ability to pick me up when I fall.

I love you,

Mo

Happy writing, happy loving and happy Valentine's Day.