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COUNTRY RAMBLIN'S by Tamara Hillman
FEBRUARY 07

Originally February 14th was a pagan holiday celebrating Juno, the Goddess of Women/Marriage.

But did you know there really was a St Valentine and the holiday we celebrate this month in his name is very much Christian? If not, I’m here to tell you all about it…
It seems, St Valentine was born during the reign of Emperor “Claudius the Cruel” in the mid 200’s AD, and he became a priest as a young man. Claudius had many armies, and demanded victory in war but he found men fought most fearlessly when they had no wife or sweetheart waiting for their return back home after combat. The old King was devious, so he made a new ruling that no soldier could be married or fall in love while in the service of the Emperor, and this law was strictly enforced.
Human nature being what it is tho’, these men DID fall in love, and wished to be married in secret so they could keep their heads from being lopped off at the whim of Claudius. That’s where St. Valentine came to the rescue! He held Catholic wedding ceremonies for these romantics at the great risk of himself and the soldiers. This continued for sometime until someone ratted to Emperor Claudius that Valentine was performing these forbidden rituals.
St. Valentine was immediately arrested and jailed for a long time. While he languished in the dungeon, he made friends with the jailer and his family whose quarters were connected to the prison and who visited with him often.
Eventually, on February 14th, 269 AD, St Valentine was beaten to death and beheaded as punishment for defying Claudius, and refusing to deny Christ or Christianity. (I say, “Good for him!”)
Rumor has it that on the last night before Valentine’s execution, the Saint wrote a quick farewell note to the jailer’s daughter, and signed it—From Your Valentine! (Now, just maybe priests fall in love after all…But it could be only if they are going to lose their heads the very next day!)

By 496 AD, Pope Gelasius had heard about Valentine’s disobedience to Claudius for the sake of romance, so he set aside February 14th to honor this hero of gallant men. The holiday became a day for lovers, and by the early 1800’s, the first Valentine cards were sold. So much for your history lessons…
Now, on a personal note—I sure remember how in grade school, we kids all made huge envelopes out of bright red construction paper, decorated the outside as we saw fit, and stapled the edges to close the bottom and sides. Then the teacher posted them around the room, and on Valentine’s Day, we brought our thirty-five cards, (sold for fifty cents a package) to class, and placed a card (signed especially by us) in each of the oversized envelopes. It was a time to share a kind word or thought with our fellow students. Not a bad practice in my book.  Ok, before I get all mushy and sentimental about this holiday,
I’ll carry on with a couple of scribbles…  Here’s one I wrote with my hubby in mind…Wish he deserved me—ha! ha!





LOVE ETERNAL

Daylight draws to a close
as purple shadows dance along mountaintops.

Arms intertwined, we walk the dusty path home—

yellow porch light beckoning as Bounder chases ahead.

Another day has ended but life goes on—

Our love is eternal.

©2005


This one also was written with my Stephen in mind since he was born and raised in the East, and I was born and raised out west on a farm… To view this poem click below

COWGIRL THE YANKEE

Hang in there, buckaroos! Granny Tam
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