[funnyvalentine]

My family really cut down on the amount of exchanges that we do; none of us need anything, so we do a nice holiday dinner, and buy presents for the battered women's shelter near us. I give my employees restaurant certificates that we get from a barter club that we belong to.


I am a chef too, and as a company we usually pick some kind of decadent sauce or dessert thing to bring to our best clients. I make cookies and chocolate truffles for some of my colleagues.

The big one is my significant other, but we know each other so well, and usually find such great, (not necessarily luxurious) gifts that it's a gift to each of us to give as well!. One yearl I got him a membership to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which he goes to at least twice a month. (And of course, he renewed it himself, so there went a great idea....) He bought me a propane torch for lampworking and a pair of safety glasses.

The real gift of all this is the re-enforcement that we are both listening to each other, and connected enough to know some wonderful thing that will enhance the others' life, whether it's really great socks, four pounds of fresh mozzarella, or that pair of pliers they haven't gotten around to buying.

c