Week in Review. It was a pretty quiet week. Yes, Ashley, you are lucky to have a birthday in February because that spices up the month for you, but the rest of us are really hurting here. I guess we do have the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show to look forward to this week. I always try to get Maddie, the Amazing Barking Dog, interested in the herding dog competition. She's not one to watch much TV. Speaking of Maddie, I noticed a hint of skunk aroma this week and was told that February is a big mating month for skunks. That figures, Valentine's Day and all. In October of '06, The Amazing Barking One was sprayed twice in less than a week. I'll have to go outside with her when she potties at night.

Famous quotes from Pepe le Pew

"I am your peanut. You are my brittle."

"Zee cabbage does not run away from zee corned beef!"

I think Pepe associates love with food. (Hey! I think I do that too)

"You know, eet may be possible to be too attractive."

Lindsey will be working this week in Rome, New York, separated from her Valentine on February 14th and not able to eat at St. Elmo Steakhouse, as they planned. I'm going to suggest that she rent a romantic movie to watch that evening. I checked the American Film Institute's 100 most romantic movies and here are their top picks:

1. Casablanca - (We agree - great dialogue, World War II, and a tormented Bogart)

2. Gone with the Wind
(A great story, but not really a great LOVE story)

3. West Side Story
4. Roman Holiday
5. An Affair to Remember

6. The Way We Were -"Your girl is lovely Hubbell."

How about a movie that isn't even on the list, like 1956's Friendly Persuasion with Gary Cooper as one pretty hot Quaker? Or, how about

25. When Harry Met Sally

Harry: There are two kinds of women; high maintenance and low maintenance.

Sally: Which one am I?

Harry: You're the worst kind. You're high maintenance but you think you're low maintenance.

Stormy is flying from Lisbon to New York on Tuesday and then she and Nick will see Carmen at the Met on Valentine's Day. That Stormy is one lucky duck. Bob will be in Wisconsin and then Memphis. I'll be here, on Hickory Hill Drive trying to keep the Brad Miller Snowman out of the hands of invading marauders, and Maddie, the Amazing Barking Dog out of the range of lovesick skunks.

Recipe of the Week: This is a great way to cook a standing rib roast. The secret is to keep the oven closed at all times. This recipe came from the Vera Bradley Cookbook. It just doesn't get any easier than this.

Forgotten Roast

1 standing rib roast (any size)

seasoned salt

pepper

Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan. Sprinkle generously with seasonings. Place in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and let the roast remain in there all day. Turn the oven back onto 400 degrees for 30 minutes for medium-rare or 45 minutes for medium. At this time, you can add some par-boiled potatoes, if you want. So good, so easy, and so juicy!

Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn down your house, you can never tell. Joan Crawford