Love Is....

It’s been a week of L-O-V-E, and these are the highlights.

Last Friday, I went with my Valentine for some OUTREACH LOVE to a Fundraiser Dinner at my Jesuit priest bro’s school. He is the founder and president of this college-prep school for inner city high school students in the south side of Chicago. What a gracious display of love to see over 500 people gathered together to support these kids! The event coordination was astounding, as this school was transformed into a banquet hall of beauty. Everything was top-notch, from the valet parking to the beautifully decorated gym, transformed into an elegant dining room, complete with gorgeous centerpieces and place settings. The cafeteria became a quaint lounge, with an entertaining jazz band and drinks donated by the Wirtz family, owners of the Black Hawks.

We sat for dinner with my parents, dined on beef medallions, and browsed the items for auction. We met some amazing people, danced, bid, laughed, and had an incredible time. In the end, over $300,000 was raised for the school on this evening. My bro was overwhelmed by the generous support. That’s him in the pic, dancing with his (slightly older) sis.

The next evening was a night of FOOD LOVE. My new cooking club and I gathered together and chopped, sauteed and baked away to some jazzy tunes and lots of laughter. We shared delicious hummus, soups, popovers, caprese, brownies and bread pudding. I made some new friends and look forward to our event next month. There’s nothing finer than Girlfriend Time, when accompanied by good food and wine and uncensored conversation.

But nothing beats FAMILY LOVE. Since we had a full weekend, we stayed in for Valentine’s Day, and shared a “red” meal with the boys. I go a little crazy on the holiday, sprinkling candy hearts and pink confetti on every available table top. My oldest son gave me a pound of my favorite Junior Mints. My youngest proudly presented me with the tiny heart pillow he sewed with the help of my mother. And my husband........I’ll just say that he was overly generous and upstaged my gift-giving by leaps and bounds, as is usual.

Wishing you lots of love in your life, my friends!