To the back and up the stairs of a 15th century building along St. The hotel clerk recommended a restaurant just down the street called Shanghai 30’s. Hungry from the journey, when we arrived at our hotel we asked where we might order dinner. A few years ago I shared a memorable dinner with my husband and son while we were in Oxford, England. Sometimes fortune offers these tokens in unexpected places. I think of Joseph Fiennes and his ink stained fingers writing words of love to Lady Viola in Shakespeare in Love. Picture rugged hands making flourishes in ink as their script runs across a page. Think of quill pens and parchment paper, of the flickering flame of candles burning low. I also delight in the romantic accessories that suggest the written word. We are not all writers but we can all appreciate a carefully chosen word offered at the appropriate time or in a creative way, especially by someone we love. Though not our own original work, sharing an apt romantic quote can also be a special acknowledgement of love. Romantic AccessoriesĪs Valentine’s Day approaches I begin to think of some of the most famous words of love, lines from Shakespeare, the Romantic Poets, the Song of Solomon and other wonderful sources of quotes that are so worthy of sharing with those we hold dear. A letter written in one’s own hand is personal, perhaps even intimate, revealing a glimpse into the heart of the one who writes. They have the power to heal wounds, to bond affection and to celebrate relationship in indelible terms. Words of love, personally confessed in writing, possess a special charm. The expression of love sent by Valentine bore wonderful healing power. He did this by sending her a note about God’s love which her eyes miraculously opened to read. Valentine, jailed under harsh rule in the Roman empire, cured his jailor’s daughter of blindness. Tradition tells us that Valentine’s Day commemorates the occasion when St. They might also serve as a thoughtful token, a heartfelt expression or simply a sweet surprise. A personalized fortune folded inside a freshly baked circle of sweet dough makes these homemade Fortune Cookies the perfect punctuation to conclude a romantic dinner.

Love fortune cookie