She loves me, she loves me not...

I hope you had a great Valentine's Day. I had a lazy lie in which is really unusual but I rolled out of bed around 10.30 this morning having slept really well - as my mother says, "You must have needed it."

I don't celebrate Valentine's Day, I can't remember ever getting a card in my entire life although in my teen youth I can remember sending a couple f speculative cards out and being devastated they weren't returned in kind. It's not something that means anything to me at all but people get enjoyment out of it and that's great. My colleague at work just has a girly day in with her partner with wine, chocolates and girly films - sounds fun.

Instead my day was spent in the garden dodging the showers starting my tidy up with the leaves that roll in from everyone elses trees. Then there was the dead Montana Clematis tendrils that needed thinning out and the pyracantha that I cut back so it doesn't rip my arms to pieces as I pass it when I'm cutting the grass. I picked up loads of twigs from the grass which is looking really tatty and my council 'green' bin is now full. The snowdrops are almost out with the white flowers clearly in view waiting for longer daylight hours to help them dazzle in the dark grey days.

The small pond I have out the back of the house has a leak somewhere, so a few days ago I switched the pumps off which had kept it ice free during the winter. The pond level didn't drop at all during these few days. I switched it back on today and found the leak - a connection to the filter which was merrily dripping away, so with icy blue painful fingers, that was mended and the levels have stayed up - so here's keeping my (cold) fingers crossed.

Mum and dad have been round for tea and the family are watching the animation film 'Up' on DVD. I can't say it's my thing so I am writing this while tea settles and then I'm going for a walk on the treadmill.

Back to this romantic day. There were lots of Saint Valentines and the one who gives his name to this special day is not known at all save for the fact that he's buried north of Rome on the 14th February. He was however a Christian Martyr and the day was given up for celebration by Pope Gelasius in 496 AD. It became a celebration of love in Geoffrey Chaucer's time with the first reference to the day being special for lovers around 1382.

Valentine's Day has been banned in some countries like Saudi Arabi; India and Pakistan actively discourage it because of its Christian significance.

The British Retail Consortium reckons that Valentine's Day is worth about £1.3Bn to the UK economy which is a staggering sum of dosh.

Today's story sort of hits the button on the theme of love.

A very shy guy goes into a pub on Valentine's Day night and sees a beautiful woman at the bar. After a long struggle with his shyness, he finally managed to walk over to her and asked her politely, "Um, would you mind if I give you some company?"

She made a furious face and yelled at the top of her lungs, "How dare you asked me to sleep with you tonight?"

Everyone in the pub started staring at the man who was completely embarrassed. After a few minutes, woman walked over to him and apologised. "You see I am a student of psychology and studying how people respond to embarrassing situations. I am sorry but I was just doing my experiment!"

The young man suddenly gave a loud yell, "What do you mean £200?"

Have a great week.

Chat soon

ta-ra
thanks to here for the joke and the picture