Over and over we hear all around us how important it is to “keep moving” as we age.  We have taken this to heart and as a result, try to exercise every day, each day of the week scheduling something different so we don’t get bored.  We attend Pilates classes at the Y, we walk the hills of Montecito and the track at City College, we hit the treadmill at the gym (and talk above the noise to make the time go faster)!  We go to the Friday farmers market and then walk down to the beach, keeping our pace up while we talk about what’s on our minds: our families, our work, our travels, the craziness in the news, and how we’re doing with this whole aging thing!  It’s so great to have a girlfriend to share all this with, particularly that last thing …. As we’ve all heard, growing old is not for sissies… but growing old with a good friend to talk to, well, that’s a different story.    We take comfort in each other, we offer advice without judgment, and we inspire each other to stay engaged and vital, both with our friends and families and within ourselves.  There are so many women walking in pairs, as we are, or in groups, and we see them talking, sharing, venting sometimes, and just enjoying each other’s company.  Girlfriends.  How lucky we are if we have even one.

Today on our walk, we’re talking about Valentine’s Day… a sort of Hallmark holiday, we call it, but still, it seems, a time we take to tell the ones we love how special they are to us.   We think about all those handmade cards our children made when they were younger, about the playful cards we bought for our spouses, and when we could manage it, the candlelight dinners of roasts or lobster and champagne.  And, of course, the chocolate!

Our friend, Jeannie, a local caterer and foodie extraordinaire, has shared her recipe for triple divine chocolate tarts with us, a delectable confection for anyone’s Valentine, or just for a friend who is so special that she knows the gift of chocolate comes from the heart and will disappear from the hips next week as we get back on that treadmill!  Happy Valentine’s Day!