The Dragonflies'Lair ~Thread XVIII~ Valentine's Day 2008

Poets of The Dragonflies' Lair | February 13, 2008 | Soaring Feather

[Soaring Feather]

Origin of Valentine's Day

Find out how this special day originated way back in the 3rd century


Valentine's Day originated way back in the 3rd century. Saint Valentine was a priest in Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. It seems the Emperor was having trouble recruiting members for his army because the men didn't want to leave their wives and children for the long military expeditions which would last for months and even years. Claudius then decided that banning marriages in Rome would solve this problem. The Emperor had Valentine condemned to death for defying his order and marrying couples in secret.


As Valentine awaited execution, his admirers would come to the jail bearing notes of support and flowers. As luck would have it, his most ardent admirer turned out to be the daughter of the prison guard. She would visit him for hours. The day of his execution, February 14 in the year 269 AD, Valentine wrote her a note expressing his gratitude for her love, support, and friendship and signed it "Love from our Valentine".


As it turned, out, the festival of Lupercalia (an ode to the god of fertility and a celebratoin of sensual pleasure) followed close after Valentine was executed.



During the festival, boys would draw the names of girls and they would pair up for the festivities. The name Valentine was linked to this romantic festival.

In 496, Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor Valentine as a saint.

I gave my love a cherry
That has no stone,

I gave my love a chicken
That has no bone,

I gave my love a baby
That's no cryin'.

How can there be a cherry
That has no stone?

How can there be a chicken
That has no bone?

How can there be a baby
That's no cryin'?

A cherry when it's buddin',
It has no stone.

A chicken in the eggshell
It has no bone.

A baby when it's sleepin'
Is no cryin'.


Old Appalachian song

The Apple Dumplings and a King

"Very astonishing indeed! strange thing!"

(Turning the Dumpling round, rejoined the King)

"'Tis most extraordinary, then, all this is;

It beats Penetti's conjuring all to pieces;

Strange I should never of a Dumpling dream!

But, Goody, tell me where, where, where's the Seam?"

"Sire, there's no Seam," quoth she; "I never knew

That folks did Apple-Dumplings sew."

"No!" cried the staring Monarch with a grin;

"How, how the devil got the Apple in?"

Dr. John Wolcot


The Cow

The friendly cow all red and white,

I love with all my heart:

She gives me cream with all her might,

To eat with apple-tart.

She wanders lowing here and there,

And yet she cannot stray,

All in the pleasant open air,

The pleasant light of day;

And blown by all the winds that pass

And wet with all the showers,

She walks among the meadow grass

And eats the meadow flowers.

Robert Louis Stevenson

[Soaring Feather]

Yup, it was red dye. Wasn’t there a big hullabaloo over red dye some years back?

[Soaring Feather]

LOL, you rat fink!

[NY Attitude]

Yes, red dye, yellow dye and blue dye were all mentioned as causing cancer. But, they have allowed these same dyes back into the food that we eat.

[Lady Jag]

A very dark yellow that looked red.

Hmm...wonder what they used . . . wonder if it was bad stuff.

[Soaring Feather]

Sheesh, is it true we are what we eat??

[NY Attitude]

Rat fink? Who Me? LOL.

[Soaring Feather]

A very dark yellow that looked red.
Hmm...wonder what they used . . . wonder if it was bad stuff.

Well, I am a little twisted from it. A slight yellow cast to my lily white complexion. Just kidding. ;0) Forgive me, I am a little warped today.

[Lady Jag]

That’s what it’s still used for! Thanks for the reminder of lard for pie crusts. Not being a baker, I needed your help.

You had a cow, Feather?

[Soaring Feather]

Well, if it ain’t you it’s Tomkow!

[Soaring Feather]

LOL, I did not have the cow, mom owned the cow~! OMG, too funny.

[MEG33]

Thank you!Last night it was the male who came..my favorite came the night before..I did see a fox feeding several days ago..I have no robins yet this year..but the usual visitors are here. It is really not very busy at the feeder lately.

I saw red everblooming roses in bloom yesterday when I got my car from the shop..(It was a brake problem.)

There are beautiful pansies in bloom in some yards. Spring is in the air.

Today it’s cloudy and a cooler 50.

[NY Attitude]

It was a time of war when margerine came out. Another wartime food invention was Scrapple. Now talk about something that was thrown together from left over meat products. As a youngster I wasn’t sure about it but Mom said to eat it and meat, sugar, shoes, gasoline and other things were rationed.

[Soaring Feather]

That’s what it’s still used for! Thanks for the reminder of lard for pie crusts.
My number one pie baking daughter always uses lard, she always reaps in the praise.

[Lady Jag]

Red dye (#10?) might have been the most recent nasty dye, but there have been many.

If you have a collection of paints like an artist might, a look at the labels will show how many colors are toxic and the base chemicals are or were, depending on findings, used in dyes.

Well, look at China. Lead brightens colors and they’re still using it. China exports most of the toys they make because even Chinese won’t buy them.

[NY Attitude]

I am a little warped today.

Too funny.

[Soaring Feather]

Oh glad to hear favorite raccoon is still around. I know how much love and care you have invested in here recovery.

I am so jealous, you have Pansies blooming.

We may have Snow Drops blooming, I’ve not been in the back yard, the painters have stuff all over the place. Hope they have not killed my Clematis Vine. I will have a cow for sure.

[Allegra]

One more year, hey girl?

I haven't decided yet. I feel a strong pull to go home and stay home, but three companies have asked me to come back over here.

Just when I've decided I'll go home for good in the spring, something exciting happens here and I feel like I don't want to go away just yet.

So my stance now is, I want to come home, but I haven't ruled out coming back. Does that sound like a politician, or what? LOL

But I will be home in April and for an extended amount of time, even if I do decide to come back here.

I need a break.

[Soaring Feather]

[MEG33]

We had a cow,too..all during the WW2 years...We had a large Victory garden and chickens on land about two blocks from our house..We ate well..A lot of canning took place..including peaches and pears from our trees.

We moved to a larger town then and had no more chickens nor a cow after the war..My dad always had a garden going..

[Soaring Feather]

I remember the Victory Gardens, we always had a garden but never called it that.

Mother, canned everything and for root veggies, we put them in sand in the cellar-well not potatoes. She canned beef, pork, venison, everything to have food for us. She was a woman alone with four kids to feed. Daddy dear took a powder, I have a hard time with Father’s Day, never knew him.