A Heart-shaped Medley

Hello, my friends.

I can hardly believe that Valentine's Day is nearly upon us.

It seems that since the beginning of January, time has escaped me...

...but at least the weather is acting appropriately once again.

Remember those 70 and 80 degree temps I mentioned last week?

Well, this is what happened...too much too soon.

But beautiful, to say the least.

It has been cold and rainy ever since.

Oh well...it is February, after all.

That's the way it behaves sometimes around these parts.

~

So I finally received the results of the second biopsy last Friday 

and it looks like I'm in for more of hurry up and wait.

The results came back as INCONCLUSIVE.

I want to pull my hair out.

Of course I'm very thankful that it wasn't positive.

I still want to pull my hair out.

I have an appointment on Valentine's Day with the 

Chief of Oncology Surgery at Duke University Medical Center 

to see what the next step towards a diagnosis will be.

If his skills are as good as his credentials, 

I am in the best hands possible...well, except for God's.

As soon as my appointment is over, 

we are heading for the hills of Tennessee for a long weekend.

Again, your love and prayers mean the world to me!

~

Okay, so let's get to the...

...to see what questions Terri is asking us this week.

Of course you know they're all about Valentine's Day, right? 😉

~

VALENTINE'S DAY

Valentine’s Day began as St. Valentine’s Day, a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus.  February 14th, Valentine’s, Day first became associated with romantic love during the High Middle Ages as the tradition of courtly love was then flourishing.  During 18th century England, this day evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery and sending Valentine cards.    

HOW TO OBSERVE

Get something special for your Valentine and use #ValentinesDay to post on social media.

HISTORY

Credit is traditionally given to Pope Gelasius for declaring February 14 as Saint Valentine’s Day around the year 496 to separate the church from the Roman celebration of Lupercalia, an ancient pagan fertility festival which occurred on February 15th.

1.  I think St. Valentine's Day is for everyone, whether you have a romantic love interest or not.  I received a Valentine card from my sister (thank you Patti!) - case in point.  It is all about LOVE, not just romantic love.  What are your traditions for celebrating Valentine's Day?

I've always believed that Valentine's Day was a day to celebrate love, in general, not just the romantic kind. The hubby is always the best at giving me flowers...in fact, I already received red roses yesterday since he knew the 14th was already taken up with a doctor appointment and travel plans.



They are usually accompanied by some candy but I already warned him not to get me any or he'd be the one eating it...that's a no-no for me right now. I usually make Jim his favorite cherry cheese cake...but this year he will have to "settle" for the black raspberry pie that I will make for him and Adam when we get to Tennessee. Our boys, be they little or big, always get a special bag of goodies (and the wives too)...of course, the grand kids too. Since we will be visiting the youngest grands this year, I will be able to give them theirs in person. This brings back memories of last year...we had our plan in place to do the same thing. Parker's birthday is on the 17th so we were going to combine the celebrations. Well, Jim got sick and they all did too so we had to cancel our visit. Needless to say, the Valentine chocolate was not quite up to par by the time we were able to get together several months later.

2.  When you were in elementary school, did you decorate a shoe box and deliver those little valentines to all your classmates?   Perhaps in Sunday School?

I have sweet memories of making Valentine bags in elementary school by decorating brown paper lunch sacks with red, pink and white construction paper and those sweet heart-shaped paper doilies. We would parade around the room with our Valentine cards until all of them were distributed and then dig into them as we ate cupcakes, cookies and candy. Do kids still do that these days? I always loved getting the candy conversation hearts. Many of you may have heard on the news that they didn't make or sell them this year due to the company being bought out. They say they'll be back next year. Can you imagine Valentine's Day without those darling little hearts??

3.  Do you enjoy playing Cupid?  Have you ever introduced a couple who really clicked?

Yes...years ago when we lived in Kentucky, we introduced a friend that Jim worked with who was a widower with a young son to a friend of mine that I worked with. She was divorced and had twin boys near the same age as his son. We went on a family camping trip...girls in one tent, guys in one and all the boys were together (including our two). They started dating regularly and not too long after that, wedding bells were chiming. They are still together today. WE DONE GOOD!

4.  Which traditional Valentine's Day gift would you rather receive:  Chocolate, flowers, or a card with a personal message?

As I've already said, I get my fair share of flowers (more than I deserve) and I always enjoy having fresh bouquets on my table. Candy is something I'd rather do without...but a card with a personal message always goes straight to the heart.

5.  What is the best movie to watch on Valentine's Day?

I really am not much a movie watcher but occasionally there is one that comes out and we make a special effort to go to the movie theater. I never have actually associated Valentine's Day with watching a movie at all. 

6.  Tell us something random about your week!

Not getting any definitive answers to what's going on inside me has kind of taken the wind out of may sails this week. The not knowing has got to be worse than the knowing...well, kinda...but I'm trying real hard to remember this....

In the meantime, I plan to leave my worries behind me, enjoy my precious family, breathe in some fresh mountain air and bask in the glory of God's magnificent creation! 

♥♥♥ Have a very Happy Valentine's Day!♥♥♥