Valentine's Day is the day I first became a mother way back in 1969. I find that hard to beat for romance! Even the name of the hospital sounded romantic -- Flower & Fifth Avenue. It was a few days after a blizzard of almost legendary proportions and I had a room with a view of Central Park that seemed to be straight out of Currier and Ives.

As you might guess, for many years my Valentine's Days consisted of ice cream and cake, pinatas, pin-the-tail-on- the-donkey and other accoutrements of birthday parties. (The most memorable of the parties was the year that we took her and a few friends to afternoon tea at the Algonquin.)

More recent Valentine's Days have seen me in places such as San Francisco, the Mohave Desert, London and Barcelona. However, I think I'd have to pick Venice as my "if I could be anywhere" place. My husband and I were there two years ago -- in March -- to celebrate his 65th and my 60th and it was one of the most magical experiences of our life together. Nearly up there with the birth of our Valentine baby all those years ago.

Alas, this year it shall be celebrated by a full day of meetings at work and then a school board meeting in the evening. I hope someone at least remembers to bring chocolate.

Landra in Columbia County, NY