Valentines in Beverly

So, yesterday was Valentine's Day. Sir Walter Raleigh calls Valentine's Day a "Hallmark Holiday," meaning it exists more from Hallmark's budget than by long-standing cultural fiat. As he says, "One should love their spouse everyday." Certainly he is correct. Yet, what harm is there in focusing directly on that love occasionally? I for one (not having a romantic bone in my body) probably need such a memorial-to-love to keep that aspect of things in mind, and I'm probably not alone in this. At any rate, Lynn-nore and I went to an atmospheric italian restaurant (Lynn-nore loves italian food), in Beverly called, De Bella Trattoria. We had been there before to celebrate the anniversiary of our engagement and really enjoyed the place. The atmosphere is Old World, and the food is marvelous!

Beverly is a great town. The wide-sidewalks and ubiquitous neon of its downtown begs for window-shopping. There are lots of twenty-somethings everywhere, a sign that several Universities aren't far away. The architecture is nearly as good as Manchester for New England quaint-and-crowded, and there is an old fashioned community theatre. Lynn-nore and I put money down on a place in Beverly in '94, but wound up getting an apartment on campus. The last go-round, we returned to Beverly to view a 2-bedroom above a chicken restaurant (Horrid!) There is a beautiful, open park beside the Atlantic in Beverly. The blue of the ocean from there is forever a cool and regal sapphire. Finally, the belltower of the catholic church in Beverly is European and Medieval. I can't help but be fascinated by it.

Also getting something fun for Valentine's Day was Kara. Lynn-nore found a card with an extensive maze on the back of it (Kara loves mazes!) I, in turn, brought home a helium baloon for her. She loved the balloon, and ran around the apartment with it, laughing and giggling and jumping around.

Today, she took Valentine's Day cards to school, and Lynn-nore thought there may have been a party of some kind. I'm told that Kara's Kindergarten "interview" should be soon. Mrs. Kimmer, Kara's teacher, does not think Kara will have any difficulty being accepted into the program. There is also some scholarship money available, always important.