"Livin' the dream..."

That's what my mailman told me this morning when I asked him how he was feeling today... "Livin' the dream.... sometimes it's a dang nightmare, but I'm still livin' the dream!"

I went out there to give Charlie an Italian pastry for Valentine's Day.  My sister-in-law had sent a box of cannoli from Carlo's Bakery and they were indeed delicious, even with the freezing and the shipping and the re-freezing. The secret was that the bakery packed the cannoli shells separately, with the pastry cream in a piping bag... so they could be filled upon arrival rather than being shipped with the sweet cream already inside the flaky shells.

For all of the holidays, and whatever else inbetween, I tend to save some baked goods for Charlie. He's always been careful with our mail and packages, bringing them up on the porch so they're not out in the rain. So the cakes and cupcakes and cookies all during the year is my way of thanking him. When he sees me walking down our driveway with a little package or a wrapped-up paper plate, he sits in his mail truck and just smiles and says "Whatcha got there, Mrs. B?"

When I told him this morning that I had a Valentine's Day cannoli for him from an Italian bakery up north, he said that he'd never heard of 'canwhatoli' before but he'd be willing to try it just because it was "Eye-talian."  The cannoli was wrapped up in waxed paper, and Charlie unwrapped it, whistled, and said it was 'mighty pretty.'  Then he proceeded to re-wrap the cannoli like a taco, with one end sticking up from the waxed paper. He took a bite... and said.... "Living' the dream... and this part is no nightmare...."

Today is Valentine's Day.... no party tonight.... not many people here are too interested in this day, so I've given up on Valentine parties.  I had a little Valentine celebration during the week for our group of Waldorf Wednesday tea ladies... everyone left with a small box of chocolates wrapped up in Valentine paper.  My husband and I don't go out for lunch or dinner on Valentine's Day... every good place is too crowded on this day, so we tend to celebrate with a dinner out after everyone else has had their Valentine treat.  We'll have dinner in the dining room tonight, and enjoy the Valentine decorations that have been in there and in the living room since the end of January.

Valentine's Day comes and goes, whether or not there's a party.  I have to wonder what Buddy, The Cake Boss, would think if he knew that one of his delicious cannolis had been wrapped up like a taco and eaten in a Hill Country mail truck..... Livin' the dream....