Ok, I am betting that every man listening to this show tonight knows already, or has been reminded by thousands of radio, television and newspaper ads that today is Valentine’s Day. If, by now, you have not already gifted your sweetheart with a card, candy, flowers, or other gifts, or combination of gifts, it is a pretty good bet Fido is going to be in the house tonight and YOU and going to be outside in Fido’s little house. That is NOT a sexist statement, it is just what you are led to believe if you pay attention to the advertisements. I love the ones where you are being enticed, in fact, almost threatened with disaster if you don’t buy your sweetheart a new Lexus, Infiniti, or a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of diamonds. I am very fortunate that Ms. Ann is content with our home and the fact that we have each other and it is not necessary to spend so much money. A dozen roses where $18.00 last week and this week those same dozen roses are $70.00 WITHOUT a vase. And you think florist are not crooks!!!!! And to any florist listening, I am NOT going to apologize for that.
So, most of you, I’m guessing already know from where the St. Valentine’s Day tradition arose. For those who don’t a brief summary from Wickipedia says that St. Valentine was a Christian matyr whom Pope Gelasuis I canonized in 496 A.D. Pope Paul the SIXTH deleted him from the General Roman Calendar in 1969. Obviously Hallmark Greeting Cards didn’t make a large enough contribution to the Catholic Church in 1968. But it didn’t matter. The Day is still around every February 14th.