Week 37... Will You Be My Valentine???

Greetings:

Well, Valentine's Day is one week away...  next Thursday.  "Will you be my Valentine?"  How many times in Elementary School did we ask that question of our classmates on card exchange day?  Since we were tee tiny little, we have been "programmed" to exchange cards, maybe candy, and "send" flowers as we got older (if we could afford it) on Valentine's Day.  My question is:  Is everybody "on board" with that???  Do you agree that on Valentine's Day, it is necessary to send flowers, or present a card, or buy a box of chocolates for the one you love to show that person that you "love" them.  Are we at a point where, if you don't, they will feel unloved, or that you were not thinking of them on that one day of the year??? 

After reading a recent Blog, Rum-Punch Drunk, from a Blogging friend, I have been thinking about Valentine's Day, what it truly means, and I am wondering what are your thoughts regarding my post today.  I would love to read your comments, either at the bottom of this Post, or on Facebook, where a lot of you comment.  Don't be shy...  Let me know what you're thinking.

The Blog, Rum-Punch Drunk, for his post last week, and with Valentine's Day around the corner, asked a simple question:  "What would you do for love?"  I would love (no pun intended) for you to click on his link above or below and check it out.  What seems to be a simple question is not really so simple.  And he received boat loads of responses, all of them very interesting and well said. 

To send or not to send...

So, Rum-Punch Drunk got me to thinking about Valentine's Day and what it means to people.  Through the years, I have heard both sides of the "argument" on whether or not to "send" flowers, candy, and/or cards to the one you love.  There are those that, without fail, each Valentine's Day, send their wife, girl-friend, or significant other, one or more of the aforementioned flowers, etc.  Then, there are those that are opposed to the "Commercialization" of Valentine's Day entirely and refuse to "participate."  I probably fall somewhere in the middle, in that on Valentine's Day, I might prepare a nice dinner and serve some wine, along with a card... but then again, that's pretty much every night at our house, without the card.  Ha!!!

In doing just a "tee-tiny" amount of research on Valentine's Day History, I found on infoplease.com that V-Day has Roman roots.  It says that the history of V-Day is "obscure, and further clouded by various fanciful legends."  The holiday's roots are in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration commemorated annually on February 15.  Pope Gelasius I recast this pagan festival as a Christian Feast Day circa 496, declaring February 14 to be St. Valentine's Day."

Further, it states, "Most scholars believe that the St. Valentine of the holiday was a priest who attracted the disfavor of Roman emperor Claudius II around 270. At this stage, the factual ends and the mythic begins.  Probably the most plausible story surrounding St. Valentine is one not focused on Eros (passionate love) but on agape (Christian love): he was martyred for refusing to renounce his religion."

The site goes on to say, "Over the centuries, the holiday evolved, and by the 18th century, gift-giving and exchanging hand-made cards on Valentine's Day had become common in England."  Eventually, the "exchanging" spread to the American Colonies.  It was not until the 1850's, however, that the tradition of Valentine's cards became widespread in the United States, "when Esther A. Howland, a Mount Holyoke graduate and native of Worcester, Mass., began mass-producing them."  Smart lady???  I think so.

And finally, infoplease.com says that, "The holiday has become a booming commercial success.  According to the Greeting Card Association, 25% of all cards sent each year are Valentines."  Yikes!!!  Esther had it figured out way back when!!!

Now, I'll say this (my 2 cents):  True love for your "partner" is 24/7/365...  On July 23rd, as an example, of any given year, I can unequivocally state that I love Donna just as much as I have and will on any February 14th.  So, on Valentine's Day, I, myself, don't feel the need to send her flowers to remind her that I love her.  She knows that I have mad love for her every single day.  Also, as a rule, I don't want her "waiting" all day expecting flowers to arrive wherever she is on that day.  If I am going to send flowers to Donna, and I do, she is going to get them when she absolutely least expects them and can therefore, be truly surprised by them.  Sometimes, I get her a card, sometimes, I don't.  But, I feel like I show my "love" for her in so many different ways each day and I am not bound by the Valentine's Day flowers, candy, and card industry.  But man, when she looks at me and smiles, to this day, I can't fully describe the "feeling" that comes over me...  but I can tell you my insides are screaming: "Wow, I love this woman."  I'm blessed every day of the year to be in love with, and loved by, this very special wife, my Donna.  And I don't need February 14th to remind me of that.  So, what are your thoughts??? 

And Now, Just For Grins...  My "Love" Music

Music #1:  I have always been a Beach Boys fan and this song is one of my all time fave's.  From 1966, God Only Knows, and it contains the lyrics,"God only knows what I'd be without you."  Without Donna, I'd be "up a creek without a paddle."  Give it a listen. 

Music #2:  I have a track from my man, Al Green, who just exudes sexy and love in his songs.  Here, Let's Stay Together, one of his best from 1972, contains the lyrics, "Woman let's, let's stay together, loving you whether, whether times are good or bad, happy or sad."  You can't beat that.  Give it a listen. 

Music #3:  And finally, I have to include a song from The Pretenders from 1994, that is absolutely one of my fave's and I always think of Donna when I hear this song...  I'll Stand By You, and it contains the lyrics, "Take me in, into your darkest hour, and I'll never desert you...  I'll stand by you."  Wow!!!  Pretty powerful.  Give it a listen.

Now, I have to add that just this morning, at 5:30am, while driving to work, I had to laugh when a Dean Martin song started playing on my Pandora (from the Frank Sinatra station, Donna's, not mine)...  "You're Nobody til Somebody Loves You."  How funny is that???

Ok, on to other things...  Like a Puzzle Update:

From before...

...And as of today:  OK, I'm taking it slow (but surely)

Recipe's:  I've been spending a lot of time on Pinterest lately, mainly collecting recipe's for my Food & Drink Board.  I found one recently that I tried this week and it was pretty amazing and I thought I would share it with you here.  From Bev Weidner's site, BevCooks.com, I tried her Shrimp Pasta with Tomatoes, Lemon and Spinach, and Donna and I both thought we could and would serve it to "company."  You will find your smile with this in front of you.

Market Watch:  In the last week, the Market has gone over 14,000, which is amazing.  It has since settled back just below the mark, but it is still "right there."  Facebook dropped back as well, closing yesterday at 28.65, down a couple of points from last week. 

The End:  Another week in the books.  I so appreciate you stopping by and checking in at Slu's World.  Hope to see you back next week.  Thank You.

Be safe, be smart, and always smile...  It's "Happy Friday"

adios...  vaya con dios