It's been ten years since I moved from California to live with John. Now we usually celebrate the first time we met (in 1995, two years before I moved), but I thought it'd be nice to have just a little bling for Valentine's Day. There's a great gay jeweler who started a website called Love and Pride. I had been eying one of the designs for a year or so, and I finally sprung for two sets of diamond-studded military tags with a stainless steel linked chain. John's tough to buy jewelery for. Because he's in the shop all the time he can't wear a ring; it's too dangerous with the power tools he uses. I think he was tickled - and he bought me tons of chocolate from our favorite local chocolatier, Bochner Chocolates. We headed out to our favorite local fusion restaurant, Blend, for a special prix fixe Valentine's Day menu. (We're boring: we wound up with the same incredible entree - seared rare Ahi tuna with porcini mushroom risotto, warm baby spinach and Manchego salad, fresh oregano grape tomatoes, and a roasted mushroom puree.)
My birthday's the 16th. I took the day off - which gave me a four day long weekend. John got me incredibly cool books and art. This is a fabulous edition of Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking-glass illustrated by the amazing artist, Anne Bachelier. Sumptuously bound with gilt edges, it is now one of my most prized books. He also got me an overview of Japanese printmakers during the 1700s and 1800s. One of these printmakers, Utamaro, was the inspiration for my favorite photographer, Imogen Cunningham. She never studied other photographers for inspiration; she turned to this Japanese master for clues on posing people together.
It was another heavy food day! We headed out for sushi - yes, Virginia, there's (very good!) sushi in Iowa, and then home for a deep dish apple pie that John made for me.
Tom - I so enjoy reading your site - you are amazing - what a neat gift for John -and his books to you. (Tom and I should be soinsightful/sensitve after all these years!)Also I am now going to have your birth date on my calendar - a belated Happy Day!!
We love sushi and sashimi, and it's fun to hear that there are good places in Iowa now. Who'd have thought that some of us from farms in IA,a small town in Ky, as well as many other sites, would enjoy RAW fish!!!
You two have to come and visit the CA cousins!
Would also love to have a John and/or Tom creation in our house someday! And eventually we hope to see your wonderful home!
Skip
Posted by: Skip Shaver | 20 February 2007 at 06:45 PM