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GET THE SPIRITS Riverside Cemetery's popular spirit stroll will make another ghostly appearance, this time in March. From March 15-24 you can enjoy a one-hour guided tour featuring actors dressed in period costumes who will bring to life the stories of individuals who are buried in the cemetery. e tours cost $10. For more information, go to riversidecemeteryconservancy.org or call 478-742-5328. 20 l MACON MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013 bits & pieces Valentine's Day is a lovely holiday. Or better still, it is THE lovey holiday: a time to celebrate that most important other person in your life. For many of us, that means flowers, a box of chocolates and, perhaps, a nice dinner. But there are people who have Valentine's traditions they repeat every year. For example: Betsy Jones' family gets their Valentine's Day off to an early start. "Our family exchanges Valentine's Day cards in the morning," she said. "Mom has always made a wonderful Valentine's morning feast with pink grits, strawberry slices and heart shaped toast. Last year, instead of heart-shaped toast she did cinnamon sugar toast. This meal is served on her Pink Willow china that depicts a love story. The pink plates are accompanied with personalized placemats, large tea cups filled with coffee and little cupids sitting around." BJ and Gene Dunwody have certainly made it a day to remember. Eight years ago they were engaged on Valentine's Day. A year later, they were married on the special day, and one year after that BJ found out she was pregnant on Valentine's Day. While that all sounds very romantic, BJ had a logical reason for choosing Valentine's as her wedding day. "The reason we got married on Valentine's Day is so Gene wouldn't forget our anniversary," she said, "and it wouldn't conflict with the ACC (basketball) tournament!" Some traditions are simple: "We simply love laughing together," Steve Bell said of him and his wife, Laura. "Whether we stay in with our two children or go out with friends, we require laughter on Valentine's Day." AND SOME ARE SIMPLY SWEET: Susannah Maddux makes a chocolate chess pie for her husband, Tripp, each Valentine's Day. "In our early dating days, he said he was nervous. He didn't have much of an appetite for sweets, but I knew that if we were going to last that wasn't going to work for my sweets-loving nature," she said. "So, when he had my stepdad's chocolate chess pie, it was the first time I had seen him eat dessert. And he seemed to quite enjoy it (as I sighed with relief )! On our first Valentine's Day, I made him that pie. And I will make it for the ninth time this year. how SWEET it is! Want to start a sweet tradition of your own? Here's Maddux's pie recipe. Chuck's Chocolate Chess Pie 1 3/4 cups sugar 1/3 cup cocoa 1 1/4 cups melted butter 4 eggs, beaten 1/4 cup evaporated milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 9-inch unbaked pie shells Combine sugar, cocoa and melted butter. Mix well. Add eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla. Mix well. Pour mixture into 2 pie shells. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 min or until middle is set. m Do you have a Valentine's tradition? Will you start a new one this year? Share with us on social media with #VDayMaconMag. BJ and Gene Dunwody with all their children at their Valentine's Day wedding.