Single on Valentine's Day?

 

Now her eyeroll was absolutely sincere. “Cal, no woman wants to tag along 

with a couple to a dance on Valentine’s Day. It paints a big L for loser 

in the middle of her forehead, and they’re so damn hard to wash off.”

Blood Brothers

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By Banej - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20114709

 

30 fun, positive things to do if you're single on Valentine's Day

—either alone or with your Galentines—

all of which are better than an overpriced dinner.

The Oprah Magazine

The secret to staying safe while hiking is preparation

“You set?”

Noah took another bite of his tractor wheel. “Yeah.”

“Let’s see.” She stood back, skimmed her measuring glance up, then down, then up

again. “How long have those boots been out of the box, ace?”

Less than an hour, Noah thought, as he’d bought them in San Francisco. “So I

haven’t been hiking in a few years. Unless we’re planning on climbing the

Matterhorn, I’m up for it. I’m in shape.”

“Health-club shape.” She pressed a finger against his flat belly. “Fancy health club,

too. This won’t be like your Stair-Master. Where’s your water bottle?”

Already irritated with her, he held out a hand, cupped it and let rain pool in his palm.

Olivia only shook her head. “Hold on a minute.” She turned on her heel and headed

back into the lodge.

“Is it just me,” Noah asked Shirley, “or does she browbeat everyone?” When the

dog merely sat, shot the doughnut a hopeful look, Noah broke what was left in half,

tossed it. Shirley caught it on the fly, gulped it whole, then belched cheerfully.

Noah was still grinning when Olivia jogged back out with a plastic water bottle and

belt loop. “You always take your own water,” Olivia began and to Noah’s surprise

began to nimbly hook the bottle to his belt.

River's End

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Whenever you head outdoors for an adventure, preparation is the key. Make sure you pack more than a water bottle and a snack. Whether you're planning a short nature walk or a major overnight camping trip, it's important to pack properly for outdoor excursions of any length.

Mother Nature Network

________________

Cal was waiting for her when she drove up.

He stepped out, started down the steps, the dog

wandering behind him, as she got out of the car. 

He took a scan, starting with her feet.

Good, sturdy hiking boots that showed some scars and wear, f

aded jeans, tough jacket in I’m-Not-a-Deer red, and a multistriped scarf 

that matched the cloche-style cap on her

head. Silly hat, he mused, that was unaccountably appealing on her.

In any case, he decided she knew what to wear on a hike through the winter woods.

“Do I pass muster, Sergeant?”

Blood Brothers

♡ Happy Valentine's Day... On Your Own ♡

“She can come, too—to the dance.”

Now her eyeroll was absolutely sincere. “Cal, no woman wants to tag along with a

couple to a dance on Valentine’s Day. It paints a big L for loser in the middle of her

forehead, and they’re so damn hard to wash off.”

Blood Brothers

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Brooke Cagle brookecagle [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Being alone on Valentine's Day may leave you feeling like the only person without a partner. It's easy to let the media, advertising, and shopping malls make you feel like something is missing if you are not in a relationship on this particular day.

There are many reasons why you may find yourself alone on Valentine's day, both of your own choice and due to circumstances outside your control.

Very Well Mind

Touches to Feel Connected and Loved

She went to Cal first. Her long blond hair swung forward as she leaned over his chair to kiss him. “Hi.”

When she straightened, her hands stayed on his shoulders. 
Fox wasn’t sure the gesture was purely out of affection or to soothe. But he knew
 when Cal’s hand came up to cover one of hers, it meant they were united.

The Hollow

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CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=103428

A touch can convey a lot more love and affection than words. 

Use these 16 non-sexual touches to feel more connected 

and loved in your relationship.

Love Panky

Doggy Sleeping

They both glanced over to where Snickers lay, snoring on his back, feet in the air.

The Liar 

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By BrokenSphere (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or 

GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Sleeping Positions That Will Tell You A Lot About Your Beloved Pup

Because our pets can’t directly tell us things about them, sometimes we as pet owners have to take it upon ourselves to do some digging, while paying attention to key clues. And those clues can sometimes come from some pretty unlikely places.

Take, for instance, the position that your dog sleeps in. 

LITTLE THINGS

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She glanced back to the dog who’d snored lightly the entire time they’d talked.

“See you later, Lump. Don’t work so hard.”

Blood Brothers

Psychology of Color and Emotion

Alan glanced around. The interest he'd felt for the woman was only increased now by her living quarters. 

It was a hodgepodge of colors that should have clashed but didn't. 

Bold greens, vivid blues, and the occasional slash of scarlet. 

Bohemian. 

Perhaps flamboyant was a better description. 

Either adjective fit, just as either fit the woman who lived there. 



All the Possibilities

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By Serge Melki from Indianapolis, USA (This time she was snatched) 
[CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Goethe on the Psychology of Color and Emotion

His most fascinating theories explore the psychological impact of different colors on mood and emotion — ideas derived by the poet’s intuition, which are part entertaining accounts bordering on superstition, part prescient insights corroborated by hard science some two centuries later, and part purely delightful manifestations of the beauty of language.

BRAIN PICKINGS

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She had on those high, sharp-heeled boots, faded jeans, and a watch cap, bright as a cardinal, pulled over her hair.

She’d wound on a scarf that made him think of Joseph’s coat of many colors, which added a
jauntiness with her coat opened. 

Under it was a sweater the color of ripe blueberries.

There was something about her, he mused, that would have been bright and eye-catching even in mud brown.



Blood Brothers

How Seeing affects Eating

By sunny mama - cauliflower crust pizza slices, CC BY-SA 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39964349

How much food people consume can be influenced by subtle cues about weight 

that aren't consciously perceived, according to a novel 

chocolate-tasting study in the journal Appetite.

WSJ 

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“"This is because you think if you eat half my slice of pizza it doesn’t count.”"

"“Well, it doesn’t, technically."”

Blood Brothers

Break a Bad Habit

By Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23722293

This Is How You Break a Bad Habit, According to an Addiction Expert

We start out each year with the best of intentions—to eat better, quit smoking, exercise more, or drink less—but for some reason, many of us eventually give in to temptation, and our focus wanes. The simple truth is that being disciplined takes effort, and that can be challenging when we’re all so easily distracted all the time. But that’s not entirely our fault.

MY DOMAINE

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Quinn Black eased her Mini Cooper off the exit ramp and hit the usual barrage at the interchange. Pancake House, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, KFC.

With great affection, she thought of a Quarter Pounder, with a side of really salty fries, and -

natch - a Diet Coke to ease the guilt. But since that would be breaking her vow to eat fast food no more than once a month, she wasn’t going to indulge.

“There now, don’t you feel righteous?” she asked herself with only one wistful glance in the

rearview at the lovely Golden Arches.

Her love of the quick and the greasy had sent her on an odyssey of fad diets, unsatisfying supplements, and miracle workout tapes through her late teens and early twenties. Until she’d finally slapped herself silly, tossed out all her diet books, her diet articles, her I LOST TWENTY POUNDS IN TWO WEEKS AND YOU CAN, TOO! ads, and put herself on the path to sensible eating and exercising.

Lifestyle change, she reminded herself. She’d made a lifestyle change.

But boy, she missed those Quarter Pounders more than she missed her ex-fiancé.

Blood Brothers

Happy Valentine's

 Cal sent a dozen Pink Roses to his Mother.

She liked the traditional flower for Valentine’s Day, and he knew his father always went for the red. 

If he hadn’t known, Amy Yost in the flower shop would have reminded him, as she did every blessed year.

 “Your dad ordered a dozen red last week, for delivery today, potted geranium to his grandma,and he sent the Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Special to your sisters.”

 “That suck-up,” Cal said, knowing it would make Amy gasp and giggle. “How about a dozen yellow for my gran. In a vase, Amy. I don’t want her to have to fool with them.”

 “Aw, that’s sweet. I’ve got Essie’s address on file, you just fill out the card.”

 He picked one out of the slot, gave it a minute’s thought before writing:Hearts are red, these roses are yellow. Happy Valentine’s Day from your best fellow.

 Corny, sure, he decided, but Gran would love it.

Blood Brothers

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Romance That Doesn't Break the Bank: How to Save on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and Cupid has his bow pointed right at you— or rather, right at your wallet.

According to a recent study by the National Retail Federation, 54.8 percent of consumers are expected to celebrate the lovers' holiday, and spend a total of $19.7 billion.

Here are some tips on getting the biggest bang for your V-day buck. 

NBC

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“You sent me flowers on Valentine’s Day.”

 “I hear my mother calling,” Layla announced. “Coming, Mom!” She made a fast exit.

 “You sent me tulips that look like blooming candy canes on Valentine’s Day.”

 “They looked like fun.”

 “That’s what you wrote on the card. ‘These look like fun.’ Wow.” She scooped a hand through her hair. “I have to say that I’m a sensible woman, who knows very well Valentine’s Day is a commercially generated holiday designed to sell greeting cards, flowers, and candy.”

 “Yeah, well.” He slid his hands into his pockets. “Works.”

 “And I’m not the type of woman who goes all mushy and gooey over flowers, or sees them as an apology for an argument, a prelude to sex, or any of the other oft-perceived uses.”

 “I just saw them, thought you’d get a kick out of them. Period. I’ve got to get to work.”

 “But,” she continued and moved toward him, “strangely, I find none of that applies in the least in this particular case. They are fun.” She rose up on her toes, kissed his cheek. “And they’re beautiful.” Then his other cheek. “And thoughtful.” Now his lips. “Thank you.”

 “You’re welcome.”

Blood Brothers