Happy Valentine's Day!

This is a small wooden heart from Nancy Thomas a terrific folk artist from the Yorktown, Virginia area that I gave to The Herbal Husband a number of years ago.  I regive it to him every so often to remind him how much I love him.  I have collected several pieces from her over the years.  Here is the inside.

As I have been working on my post of The Herb Companion about Shakespeare's herbs.  I will leave you with some origins of Valentine's Day from a booklet by Adelma Simmons called The Book of Valentine Remembrances.

St. Valentines is past.  Begin these woodbirds but to couple now?

Act IV, Scene 1 of A Midsummer Night's Dream where Theseus comes across the four lovers who have been put under a spell by the fairies.

"From early Roman days, it was thought that the birds began to pair on February 14th thus the emphasis on love and its messages.

A custom of medieval times that persisted into the 15th and 16th centuries -- A person of the opposite sex was chosen by lot on St. Valentine's Day to be the friend or lover for the coming year.

A folded paper which contained the name of the year's partner was given the name Valentine, and became the forerunner of our elaborate Victorian fancies.

The first person of the opposite sex that one met was to be wooed with the word 'Good Morrow 'tis Valentine's Day.'  The first to chant these words was to receive a token of love.

Samuel Pepys is credited with recording the first account of sending the modern paper Valentine.  This went to his wife whom he addressed as "Most courteous and most fair."

Well, I hope you got a Valentine from your favorite today.  If you didn't, this is my Valentine to you for reading this blog and sharing my wacky life with me and The Herbal Husband.  Has started to snow, but it is going to turn to rain later.  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be. Talk to you later.