(Image by mid 20th century illustrator Earl Oliver Hurst)
Valentine’s Day. That one special day of the year that is a boon to some, a bane to many. Whether you awoke today to delight or to dread there is no avoiding it, today is all about amour. For some, this day represents a day of acknowledged affection. For others it is the most hated holiday of the year, especially if one is alone, one’s partner is forgetful, or one has an abnormal fear of pink and red, hearts, flowers, candy or that certain fat naked baby with a bow and arrow.
I enjoy Valentine’s Day as much as any other holiday, but I am not objective. As a happily married man I have a guaranteed receiver for my tokens of affection. I know her well enough to know that there is not a big risk of disappointment and yet she still inspires me to new and creative ways to show my affection. That being said I think Valentine’s Day is more fun as a kid’s holiday. I remember decorating boxes each year to put Valentines in and the fun of going to the store and picking out just the right ones. Is it me or does anyone else remember that there were usually a few no-so-kind cards in the bunch for you to give to people you didn’t like? I also remember the fun of going home and opening up the Valentines and looking at the candy. Yes, it was a real treat. Even at 13 my daughter still likes to have this type of Valentine’s Day party with her friends at school, it will be sad when that time passes.
For those of you who may not have anyone else to say it let me wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day! For those of you whose love burned so passionately that you could not wait for a spring wedding I say Happy Anniversary! And for anyone who likes a bit of bitter, cynical humor I point you to last year’s Anti-Valentine’s Day card site (with added material for this year).
Or you could always express yourself with a little zombie love.
And for the learning inclinded a stop by The History Channels’ site will give you all the information you need concerning this day of love.
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For my darling wife Mary, I love you very much and am grateful for your love as well. Thank you for my favorite gift ever…you!
Happy Valentine’s and Anti-Valentine’s Day everyone!
Woman begins by resisting a man’s advances and ends by blocking his retreat. ~Oscar Wilde
Women are made to be loved, not understood. ~Oscar Wilde
I see when men love women. They give them but a little of their lives. But women when they love give everything. ~Oscar Wilde
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
~William Shakespeare, Sonnet 116
and, just to end this mischeviously:
Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same. ~Oscar Wilde
Happy V-Day to you as well. Being married does have advantages this time of year! We decorated boxes at work for cards, so that should be fun this afternoon…
BTW, the Celtic Women are in concert here in April. I was able to get tickets! Can’t wait to see them live…
Cool Shannin, you’ll love them. They are wonderful performers. That’s a fun idea at work, I may have to remember that for my workers next year.
The greatest kind of love is, of course…..Monkey Love! My darling wife bought me the King Kong Production Diaries for Valentine’s Day!!! The perfect gift for the geek in me! Thank you sweetie!
Happy Valentine’s Day, Carl, Mary and Tori!
I am not into flowers or candy. I asked James for a hand written note. I am really looking forward to receiving it!
Today is Mother’s Day Out and all my kids are healthy! It’s great timing to get to spend some time with James. He’s not too busy for a long lunch. I like Valentine’s because it’s a good excuse to be sure to get some time alone together.
Have a great day!
happy VD. lol
nah, i may be single, but i can still enjoy the day.
maybe i’ll buy myself flowers.. potted ones that will live past a week.
James and Jules, hope you enjoy your long lunch together!
Good for you Angela, getting into the spirit of the thing!
Happy Valentine’s Day, Sweetie! I love you. Thanks for the great books. I can’t wait to read them.
(Tori commented last Christmas that I always ask for and get books for presents. What can I say? Carl understands I love reading!)
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
Can’t wait to hear your review of the KK Production Diaries. My kids were bouncing off the walls this morning. They just couldn’t wait for school and exchanging valentine’s with there friends at the school parties. I used to love that back in school, too.
James and Julie I hope you have a wonderful lunch together.
Plug time: Nothing says I love you like a card from American Greetings! 🙂
I bought my wife’s card from Target yesterday, in case you were interested Jeff!
Happy Valentine’s Day! Hey…do you know if the Boston Les Mis show has the same cast as the DC show? Same Jean Val Jean, or so it looks in the paper…if so, I’m SO going again!
Should be. Let me know if you’re going and I’ll see if I can arrange the backstage thing with Trent again.
Anti-VD. All the way.
But have a good one. 🙂
I find it extremely ironic given the presence of the quotes in this post that my favorite Oscar Wilde play, The Importance of Being Earnest, was performed for the first time on Valentine’s Day in 1895! Wilde was a genious! Isn’t it interesting what you can discover on the internet when you don’t feel like working! 🙂
Is Valentine’s Day more hated in the City of Love, Anne?
i love oscar wilde
happy anti-vd!!
To you as well Mysfit. We have the 1952 version of The Importance of Being Earnest on DVD and I just love it! I enjoy it more than the recent movie version. Wish I didn’t have to work tonight as it would be the perfect time to get it out and watch it again.
Strictly anti-VD (yay Anne & Mysfit!!!)…but not above wishing you and Mary all the best.
Also, just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your Frazetta series. I am now a convert, and I appreciate all the work you put into it. I know its easy when you’re passionate about something, but nevertheless. Well done!!
Thanks Machine! Good to see you back over here. Jeff and I always get a good laugh whenever I do posts about art things etc. and the blog goes quiet and you can hear the crickets chirping. Frazetta is quite an interesting person and artist and that has stirred in me off and on for a year so I just had to go ahead and take advantage of his birthday and post about him.
I’m not a Valentine’s fan. Overly commercialised, I’m thinking of starting a drinking game for next Feb. Any time there is a chocolate or flower ad on the telly you half to take a drink. If the ad mentions Valentine’s outright, you have to drink through it all 🙂
But, if you celebrate it, then Happy Valentine’s.
If you watch much television you’d get alcohol poisoning really quick Fence with all the commercials!!!
Nice, that was longer than my VD post but I was speaking to a smaller audience. I’ll have to check out you links and maybe add them to my follow-up post.
You did a great job on your post and got right to the point! 🙂 Thanks for the visit!
Hey Carl,
Just to let you know, the painter you were curious about is Edgar Ende, who happens to be the father of Michael Ende, who you will recall is the author of The Neverending Story.
Cool, thanks Machine. Love that picture on your site.
Loved this post…Happy wednesday to you, here from micheles!
Thanks Shannon and thanks for the visit!
speaking of musicals, i’m trying to get out to DC to see Shenandoah (because of Scott Bakula) in March or April. a little birthday present to myself!
has anyone seen it?
No, I haven’t even heard of it. I will google it though to take a look. Sounds like a very fun birthday present!
it’s playing at the Ford Theatre
I hope you get to go, that sounds like it would be a very fun, memorable birthday trip.