QUARANTINE BLOG # 669

February 14, 2022

Happy Valentine’s Day.  Today across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.  But who is this mysterious saint and where did these traditions come from?

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome.  When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men.  Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret.  When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.  

According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl – possibly his jailor’s daughter – who visited him during his confinement.  Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today.

A modern cliché Valentine’s Day poem can be found in Gammer Gurton’s Garland (a collection of nursery rhymes from 1784), published in London by Joseph Johnson (an 18th-century London bookseller and publisher):

    “The rose is red, the violet’s blue,

    The honey’s sweet, and so are you.

    Thou art my love and I am thine;

    I drew thee to my Valentine:

    The lot was cast and then I drew,

    And Fortune said it shou’d be you.”

To close this Valentine’s Day reminiscence, here’s Bobby Vinton singing, “Rose Are Red My Love.”

👉  Let’s return to some of those great Southern phrases.  

For instance, God Willin’ And The Creek Don’t Rise: Translated, this means: “We’ll be there unless something out of our control stops us.”  Unlike the United States Postal Service, whose motto proclaims “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” will keep them from their routes, sometimes a Southern visit is thwarted by a rising creek or other unexpected bump in the road.

Worn Slap Out: When you’re exhausted in an I’m-so-beat-I-can’t-go-on kind of way, you’re definitely worn slap out.  It is a physical and mental state a few degrees past weary and just this side of dog-tired.  It happens often during a Southern summer, when the heat rises and the temperatures shoot past 100.

Well I Do Declare: A multipurpose Southernism. If you use this phrase, you could be declaring any number of things: surprise, dissent, happiness. The only requirement is that you declare it loud and proud.

👉  When the little girl said her bedtime prayers, she would bless every family member, every friend, and every pet (current and past).  For several weeks, after the family had finished the nightly prayer, she would say, “And all girls.”  This soon became part of her nightly routine, to include this closing.  Finally curiosity got the best of her Dad and asked her, “Honey, why do you always add the part about all girls?”  Her response, “Because everybody always finish their prayers by saying “All Men”!” 

👉  I just prepared a stack of books for Jennifer to tote over to 2nd and Charles and for some reason, I started thinking about children’s books.  Here are two of my all-time favorites. 

Pizza is fun to make. Pizza Pat – Rita Golden Gelman (illustrated by Will Terry) wrote this great book based on the rhyme of The House That Jack Built.   Pat stretches the floppy dough, puts on the gloppy tomatoes, adds the sloppy sausages, sprinkles on the cheese, and then pops it in the oven.  But just before Pizza Pat cuts into his delicious pizza pie, he turns his back for one second – and the pizza disappears!  A gang of hungry mice have taken Pat’s irresistible creation away for themselves.  This great book was one that my grandkids always brought to me to read.

Many years ago I was watching TV with the JAMM Kids (this was way back in the before time when all television shows were captured over the air by a metal antenna sticking up off of the roof) and one of our favorites, “Captain Kangaroo” came on.  Now, there’s a rabbit hole that needs chasing: if your age in anyway approaches mine, you will enjoy this clip – get a second cup of coffee and play the entire 5 minutes 10 seconds.  You will thank me.  And if your age in anyway approaches mine, this was the theme song that you remember most.  Ah, the Captain, Mr. Green Jeans, Mr. Moose, Bunny Rabbit, and Grandfather (the clock).

Okay, back to the story.  Frequently the Captain would read a book to us and that particular day he read one called A Special Trade, by Sally Wittman, pictures by Karen Gundersheimer.  No spoilers, but when Nelly is very small, old Bartholomew pushes her in a stroller, but, as they both grow older, their friendship deepens and they agree to a special trade.

I keep saying I want to live to be 105 so I can be a problem to my grandchildren’s grandchildren.  A Special Trade will probably come in handy.  My copy is in the second bookcase, top shelf beside Robert Alter’s Ancient Israel.

👉  Shoe has a great line, and sets up the image which follows:

👉  Michael sent me this one.  If the image is too small, click on it and it will enlarge.  Be sure to read all of the clues (Answers!).

👉  A couple weeks ago I filled the pulpit at St. Mark UMC while our pastor was away, attending his father-in-law’s funeral.  That morning I preached, “Finishing Power” (Luke 14:28-35).

🛐  A simple close today on Valentine’s Day:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 KJV).

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