Enjoying the Season Day 14 - Romancing the Season

Week 2 Autumn Traditions

Day 14 Make Time for Romance

"But there is still a better bed, full of divine odours. It is comforting when one has a sorrow abandoning all effort and all resistance, to lie in the warmth of one's bed

and there, to bury even one's head under the cover,

giving one's self up to it completely,

It is our sweet, our profound, our impenetrable friendship,

moaning like branches in the autumn wind.

Marcel Proust

I blogged about this love story earlier today. 2 posts in one day - a first for me. I was inspired...

and now, on to the planned topic for today... creating some romance.

Not only for people in relationships, romance can also be just about your approach to life in general.

Romance is the pleasurable feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.

This post is meant for those in relationships, especially perhaps those that are "seasoned" which may need a bit of encouragement to stir it up. But if you are not in a "relationship" right now, you can certainly stir up your pleasurable feelings of excitement and mystery in your love of anything or anyone - be it the season, your family, friends, job, poetry, music, hobby, etc. Fall in love with the life you have, be grateful and walk in the light you have.

Back to the Couples... Turning "on" the light of Romance at home is pretty easy if your heart and mind are committed to it. Here are a few easy tips I found here. Check it out for more ideas.

1. Do something your partner wants to do, with your own "touch". If it's a football game and tailgating you want to do -

Be sure to bring a warm blanket for the two of you to snuggle under, and maybe a thermos-full of hot chocolate laced with coffee liqueur for half-time.

2. Regular old "games night" no way! make it a * High Stakes Board Game.* Take a traditional board game and make up your own rules. Yahtzee can become “Strip tease Yahtzee,” by simply adding that for every three of a kind you roll your partner loses a piece of clothing. For every four of a kind you roll, you get a “wish”: a kiss, a foot massage, etc. And for every Yahtzee, set the timer for 5 minutes (and only 5 minutes!) of “high scorer dominance.” You can do something similar with Scrabble – earning extra points for sexy words, or Monopoly – paying for properties with “favors” rather than cash.

3. Add Some * Firelight. There’s nothing more inviting than the glow of a fireplace on a crisp Fall evening. Spread a blanket out in front of the fire, toss around a few fluffy pillows, and serve up some warm apple cider with cinnamon sticks. Relax and enjoy each other’s company. Soon you’ll be toasting more than your tootsies!

4. * Dancing in the dark. Set up an impromptu dance floor in your bedroom. Light some candles, turn on the Harry Connick Jr CD and hold each other close. Dance the old-fashioned way, cheek-to-cheek, and whisper sweet nothings in his ear. Let the music move you, and melt into each others arms.

5. Want to make it interesting? When the weather’s crummy and he wants to spend the day watching sports on TV, make it interesting for both of you! Place bets on how many car commercials are shown in the next station break, which team’s cheerleaders get on camera next, how long it takes five minutes to REALLY play. Bet kisses, massages, sweet treats, etc.

6. Starry, starry nights. Get a pack of glow-in-the-dark stars to stick on the ceiling over your bed. Have them spell out a love note to your honey. When the lights go out, you can lie under the stars and cuddle.

7. Wash your cares away. How about a soothing bath for two? Make bath sachets by wrapping cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange peel in pieces of fabric and tying with a ribbon. Drop into a hot bath, add a few capfuls of almond oil. Indulge!

8. Tea for two. Take a little time-out with an afternoon tea party. De-stress over chamomile and banana bread, and take turns with the shoulder rubs.

9. Recipe for Romance. Cool Autumn breezes call for simmering stews. Spend time in the kitchen together chopping up herbs and veggies and create your own cold-weather feast! Serve with corn bread and your favorite wine.

10. Read Me a Story. Grimm’s Fairy Tales take on a whole new meaning when read aloud by the one you love. Curl up on the couch and revisit some of your favorites, and love happily ever after.

The season for enjoying the fullness of life -- partaking of the harvest, sharing the harvest with others, and reinvesting and saving portions of the harvest for yet another season of growth.

Denis Waitley