Valentine's Day has grown to celebrate more than just romantic love.  It has become a day to celebrate love in general.  But what is its origin?

The feast of St. Valentine was first established in 496 by Pope Gelasius I.  There is more than one Catholic saint that bears the name Valentine so a true identity is unknown but it is believed that February 14 is the date of a martyrdom.  St. Valentine, however, has been associated with love only since the Middle Ages.  It is in English poet Geoffry Chaucer's (1343-1400) poem Parlement of Fowles that we find a reference to love and St. Valentine.

During the Middle Ages it was believed that birds paired in mid-February.  Within the Chaucer poem the narrator dreams of three tercel (male) eagles that wish for the hand (or talon) of a formel (female) eagle. The three tercels make their case before the goddess of Nature.  Birds of the lower estates begin to protest and launch into a parliamentary debate.

(The Goddess) Nature...began to speak in a gentle voice: "Birds, take heed of what I say; and for your welfare and to further your needs I will hasten as fast as I can speak. You well know how on Saint Valentine's day, by my statute and through my ordinance, you come to choose your mates, as I prick you with sweet pain, and then fly on your way. But I may not, to win this entire world, depart from my just order, that he who is most worthy shall begin.

Nature ends the debate by allowing the formel free will in the decision.  None of the tercels win, however, for Nature also grants the formel's request to put off her decision for another year.  (Female birds of prey often become sexually mature at one year of age, males only at two years.)  Nature does allow the other birds to pair off.  

And when this work was all brought to an end, Nature gave every bird his mate by just accord, and they went their way. Ah, Lord! The bliss and joy that they made! For each of them took the other in his wings, and wound their necks about each other, ever thanking the noble goddess of nature.

And then the birds sang.

"Saint Valentine, throned aloft,
Thus little birds sing for your sake:
Welcome, summer, with sunshine soft,
The winter's tempest you will shake!

Good cause have they to glad them oft,
His own true-love each bird will take;
Blithe may they sing when they awake,
Welcome, summer, with sunshine soft,
The winter's tempest you will break,
And drive away the long nights black!"

This is only a portion of a translation of the poem.  If you are interested in reading Parlement of Fowles in its entirety, you can find it here (or the translation here). 

It is fitting that the true origin of St. Valentine, and the enduring holiday, are a mystery.  After all, we can say the same of love itself.

Wishing all, a loving Valentine's Day.  Hugs all around.

 

It's crazy.  February is here already and Valentine's Day is less than two weeks away.  If you are looking for a book with a heart, and a brain, for a wee Valentine, How to Grow Hippo! might fill the bill.  In it Jack, based on author Becky Schantz's son, learns about the power of love.  And there's a hippopotamus involved!  What's not to like?  Check it out on Amazon here.

Did You Know...

• The closest living relative of hippos (hippopotamidae) are whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans).  Not pigs as was thought at one time.
• The earliest hippo fossils date to around 16 million years ago.
• One of the largest reported hippos weighed almost 6,000 lbs. The mean adult weight for a male is 3,300 lbs and 2,900 lbs for females.
• Hippos cannot jump but can run up to 19 mph for short distances.
• The skin of a hippopotamus is 2 inches thick.  It secretes a red colored substance that acts as a natural sunscreen.  It has often been referred to as "blood sweat" but is neither.
• Hippos can sleep under water, rising to the surface to breathe without waking.  Their nostrils close prior to submerging.
• The hippo life span can be 40-50 years.
• Hippopotamuses are a “vulnerable” species, one step down from “endangered” in its ranking of extinction risk.  

Your local library is a good source for more information on hippos and so much more.  Check it out. (Pun intended, of course.)

2015 Holiday Card

2015 Holiday Card Detail

May the new year be a joyous ride!

Some may say the elf on top has talent but those that know their bikes would say that the bottom elf is more skilled.   A jockey shift and open primary require a dexterity most do not possess.  Sometimes a little extra knowledge changes your perspective.

Wishing you and yours a safe journey.

 

When all the world appears to be in a tumult, 

and nature itself is feeling the assault of climate change, the seasons retain their essential rhythm. Yes, fall gives us a premonition of winter, but then, winter, will be forced to relent, once again, to the new beginnings of soft greens, longer light, and the sweet air of spring.

       Madeleine M. Kunin 

Winter is upon us and celebration is in the air.  There will be no white Christmas this year except in the cards sent to young family members scattered across the land.  Eventually flakes will fall but in the meantime, the sunny skies are appreciated. 

In St. Louis it is tradition for trick-or-treaters to tell a joke in exchange for candy.  It is believed that the custom was begun by the Irish immigrants that settled the area.  It is not required, of course, but I always ask my visitors if they have one and almost all are prepared. 

So in keeping with tradition...

Why was the Jack-O-Lantern afraid to cross the road?
Because it had no guts.

Enjoy the fun.

 

It tastes like watermelon.  The ripe fruit of the prickly pear cactus, that is.  Once you navigate past the long nasty spikes on the pads, avoid the insidiously small painful needles on the fruit, then find your way around seemly hundreds of seeds to, finally, the red pulp, it tastes like watermelon.  I imagine one gets better at handling the fruit over time, but I got stuck more than once. Tongs, I am told, are your friend.  If you are interested in watching the process, check out this on-line video.

It was during a recent trek to the desert that this Midwest gal discovered that the fruit of the prickly pear cactus is edible.  With stinging nettle under my belt (previous post), why not cactus?  Well, I made it to the pulp but not without a few choice words. The thought of cleaning enough fruit to actually make anything made my skin hurt, so instead I bought a jar of prickly pear jelly and enjoyed the fruit of another's labor.  

The cactus, Opuntia, is called nopal in the Mexican culture and the fruit is known as the tuna. The paddles, or nopales, are edible and sold in marketplaces with their spines removed. I have enjoyed nopales as a side dish and even a taco filling, but consuming the fruit was a new experience. 

 

This is an illustration blog, so I am including a sketch. I used the juice of the fruit to add a pop of color. The prickly pear cactus depicted was often used as a refuge by the lizard my dog adopted as a playmate. Luckily no dog noses were pierced on this trip. 

 

 

I went to Scotland yesterday.  Earlier in the week I visited Belfast.  
I did both without leaving my chair.  A friend sent me a link, and suddenly I was attending a wedding on the Loch Finlaggan.  The wedding of pattern designer and writer Katie Davies featured her beautiful handmade knitwear, not to mention a clever button bouquet.  Take a visit and scroll through the beautiful photography and don't miss the post about her potato-loving dog.

On Sentimental Stitch, Irish textile artist Gemma Walters showcases her hauntingly beautiful reproductions of the pockets 18th century women wore under their many layered skirts.  Embellished with embroidery and faux stains and wear, she gives us an intimate glimpse back into time.

Paris anyone?  Let transplanted Carol Gillott take you on an exploration of the treasures of the City of Light on Paris Breakfasts. Hint: arrive at Notre Dame early to avoid the crowds.

Are you interested in New Zealand women filmmakers? Then check out the Wellywood Woman blog.  On Instagram you'll find Creative Muslim Women.  It features one of my favorite tag lines,  "May take time to load due to high amounts of awesome."

What is it like to be a Navajo woman in the modern world?  Read what Jaclyn Roessel has to say at Grownup Navaho. Her eloquent post about the recently tainted waters of the Animas River will bring it home for you.

Log onto A Mermaid's Tale and Christine will let you peek into her shop and all around Cornwall. This beautiful blog transports you into picturesque English gardens and arts. Her seashell collages and sedum arrangements will have you smelling the salt air.

And then there is the blog by an Australian artist who fell in love with Iceland and moved there.  She documented her new life and art until the posts stop in late 2014 with no explanation.  I'll go back from time to time to check on her.

Many blogs by woman feature their dogs so why should mine be any different?  The image above is of Mose.  This picky guy would not eat a potato (unless you smothered it in cat food).

Happy exploring!