February 2017

Valentines Day Ideas For Couple

Is it more important to love … or to be loved?

Most of us would agree with George Eliot’s words, “I like not only to be loved, but also to be told I am loved.”

Valentine’s Day is the occasion when you can experience both.

With a little help from our friends, here are 25 creative ways to tell your spouse, “I love you.”

On small pieces of paper, write down every kind of kiss that you can think of (examples: passionate, on the cheek, etc.). Then fill an inexpensive red felt bag with your “kisses” and give it to your spouse. Ask your spouse to pull several pieces of paper from the felt bag, and then give your sweetheart whatever kind of kiss is described.

Make a book about why you love your spouse and why you are thankful for him/her. The woman who sent this idea wrote, “He loved it! Said it was the best gift he has ever gotten. And it helped me to focus on the things I love about my husband and not his shortcomings.”

After enjoying a candlelight dinner for two at home, give your spouse a massage and watch a romantic movie. The woman who suggested this wrote, “Last Valentine’s Day when I got home from work, my husband … had our bedroom set up with a candlelit table for two. He is NOT a cook but he made an awesome meal … grilled steak, sautéed shrimp in lemon, garlic, and butter, a vegetable, and [he] bought a chocolate fountain that was flowing—surrounded by fresh fruit for dipping. After dinner he led me over to his homemade massage table. … We ended our special night with a romantic movie.”

Surprise your spouse with a special getaway together. The man who suggested this made reservations at a bed and breakfast, arranged for childcare, asked for time off from work for himself and his wife, and packed his and her bags. When he asked his wife to go to lunch on Valentine’s Day she was in for a wonderful surprise. “The little bit of effort I put into that weekend paid off huge for weeks to come.” It’s one of the best investments you could make in your marriage.Find an event near you.

If possible, go on a date with your spouse to a restaurant that you enjoyed when you first met. After you order your meal, take some time to write down favorite memories from the past year. Then share your lists.

Have 11 roses delivered to your wife, and then give her a 12th yourself while reading her a love poem.

Create an intimate Valentine’s Day evening at home, without the children. The woman who suggested this idea said that she and her husband “enjoyed planning the menu, shopping for the meal, and ultimately preparing the meal together. Cooking to soft, romantic music can really be a turn on! While dining, the same soft, romantic music is a wonderful mood-setter. Dinner was followed by just the two of us having the whole dance floor, our den, to ourselves. I won’t say what all this led to, but it was a truly romantic night that would not have happened at the local restaurant!”

Order food from a take-out restaurant and have a picnic for all the Valentines in your family on your living room floor. The person who suggested this said, “The kids look forward to this every year. When we tried to change it, they wouldn’t allow it … it has become a tradition. The kids see the value of family and a loving marriage.”

Privacy and weather permitting, watch a romantic movie on your balcony.
10. If you are separated across the miles, send a care package filled with things that are red.

Hide little heart candies in your spouse’s shoes, coat, car, etc. The woman who suggested this said that she’s been doing this for decades. “Now a couple of the grandkids help me with delight.”

Wives, show up at your husband’s office before lunch. Call him from the parking lot and tell him you are going to take him for a lunch rendezvous and that you will be waiting for him whenever he can take a break. Wear a nice outfit and tell him you have something sexy on underneath for when he gets home. Take him to a nice place for lunch and back to the office. Give him some great kisses telling him how glad you are to be married to him, and tell him you will be waiting for him when he gets home.

Fill a jar with Valentine candy and notes for your spouse. Examples of notes are: Good for a backrub, 10 kisses, etc. Notes could also express your love and respect: “I am so glad that God blessed my life with such a great husband like you.” Individually roll each note and tie it with a ribbon.

Surprise your spouse by taking a vacation day from work and enjoy Valentine’s Day at home. Have a relaxing morning together on the porch, deck, or patio. Then go to a favorite restaurant for lunch. The man who suggested this idea had also reserved a spa treatment and tanning session for his wife. “While she was doing that,” he says, “I went home and made her a special dinner.”

Write a poem for your spouse and frame it.
Make a special “14 Reasons I Love You” Valentine’s Day breakfast for your sweetheart. On his/her plate, leave a letter or card listing 14 reasons that you love your spouse.

After your spouse goes to bed, tape notes to his car’s steering wheel with reasons that you love him, or decorate the bathroom mirror with lipstick kisses or Valentine’s window clings.

Have fun on February 14, and remember: Love is not meant to be given and received just on Valentine’s Day. Instead, it’s to be practiced every single day of the entire year.

Kingfisher Diaries 2: Spectacular Lake Kivu

Lake Kivu lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. It is one of Great Lakes in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift. There are about 200 small rivers that flow into it from a relatively small catchment whilst the outflow is to the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika and ultimately into the mighty Congo.

Lying at 1463 m above sea level, its surface area is 2,370 km2, the average depth is 240m whilst the maximum depth is 485m and its total volume is an impressive 560 km3. Lake Kivu has a very irregular shape with a large island, Île Idjwi, the tenth largest in the world, in the southern DRC part of the lake. The maximum distance from one end of the lake to the other is 103km whilst it’s about 48km across.

Lake Kivu is unique with many features setting it apart from all others in the world.

For example, it used to flow to the north and drain into the Nile. However, around 12,000 years ago, lavas flows from the Virunga volcanoes dammed this outflow, reversing the direction of its waters and also causing the depth to increase. Then around 5,000 years ago when local volcanism and hydrothermal activities began to affect the lake and it became very stratified with different layers that hardly interact with each other.

This stable stratification is the secret to the lake’s huge resource; more than any other lake in the world, it has vast quantities of trapped methane at depths of over 200m. So there are projects near to Gisenyi and Kibuye that are beginning to extract this reserve.

The surface water temperature is 24°C. At depth, almost every other (non-frozen) lake in the world is cooler than at the surface with the usual bottom temperature being about 4 °C. However, in Lake Kivu, geothermal activity keeps the temperature in the lower layers at 26 °C – higher than at the surface.

With very steep sides, river run offs (and most pollutants from the towns around the lake) descend quickly to the depths. The surface layer therefore comprises very clean, fresh water, in which some 31 species of fish live, many of which are caught by local fishing cooperatives using their unique fishing boats. However, there are no large animals such as hippopotamus or crocodiles.

If an industrial extraction process does not remove it, the dissolved methane and carbon dioxide in the deep layers, will eventually – and very catastrophically – erupt. However, this event is still many decades away, so for now it is totally safe to enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of Lake Kivu.

In Rwanda, there are several large towns on the shores of Lake Kivu: Rubavu also known as Gisenyi) is in the north, in the shadow of the Nyiragongo Volcano (with the world’s largest lava lake in its crater) just over the border in DRC. Karongi (or Kibuye) is set in a beautiful location near numerous uninhabited islands and long peninsulas that extend deep into the lake. At the far southern end is Kamembe – where nearby protected forests still reach the lakeshore. In many of the numerous smaller communities that dot the coast, there are fascinating coffee washing stations and many colourful markets that are worth lingering for a visit.

With many lodges to be found on Lake Kivu, it’s easy to find accommodation with some of the best views in Rwanda. However, did you know that you could also stay on a Houseboat called Iliza that cruises around the lake? Or for something a little more active, try the Number 1 on Trip Advisor: Go kayaking with Kingfisher Journeys. With short trips from Gisenyi and Kibuye or up to or a 4-day adventure – With professional guides and modern equipment, this is the best way to experience Lake Kivu, see its wildlife and birds and meet the communities that make Lake Kivu their home.

You can learn much more information about Lake Kivu itself from the Lake Kivu Monitoring Programme. Or for kayaking trips contact Kingfisher Journeys or ask your tour operator to include one of their trips in your itinerary.