What do you think of my Valentine Card?

[Lorrie]

What a surprise!
You have opened my eyes!

I can't imagine anymore
My life alone, as it was before.

Finding you, the odds were slim
But here we are going out on a limb.

Excitement, happiness, and smiles released
The enjoyment you bring is ever increased.

You are my heart, my pleasure, and exhilaration
I hope I am always your destination.

Many a wish is said under my breath
to be in your arms, and content until death.

When you say you love me, I believe its true
What a wonderful thing I have found in you!

[NudeTea]

Well I suppose whomever you are giving it to will feel pretty special

[Lorrie]

THE HISTORY OF VALENTINE'S DAY ........ Each February, in the name of Valentine, a lot of flowers, gifts and sweeties are given between lovers. But who was this mysterious saint? A legend tells that Valentine was a priest in service in the ancient Rome; when Claudius the Emperor decided that a "single" man was a better soldier than a married one, he put out of law the marriage for the youngest men, his potential soldiers.

Valentine, realized the injustice of this law, went on secretly celebrating marriages between young lovers. When this fact has been discovered, the Emperor condemned him to death. Although the truth in those legends is very unclear, Valentine remain one of the most popular Saint of all times!

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial — which probably occurred around 270 A.D — others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.