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Did you know that Valentines Day is a holiday observed on February 14 honoring one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentinus. The first recorded association of Valentine’s Day with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer[21] Chaucer wrote:
For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.
["For this was Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."]

This poem was written to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia.[22] A treaty providing for a marriage was signed on May 2, 1381. (When they were married eight months later, they were each only 15 years old).

We have since celebrated this day as a time to show our love.
We always have an infinite supply of love within our hearts and all around us… in fact,
I believe that love is really our true essence. And in being LOVING, that’s how we really
unlock the treasure chest of love within us and invite more of it into our lives.

The more love we give, the more love we experience!
And although fancy gifts, chocolates, and dinner dates are fun… love is really all that
matters. I truly feel that one of the best gifts of love we can give another is the gift of our
PRESENCE…

That means being quiet inside and not allowing the monkey mind to be jumping
around from thought to thought, thinking about what you’re going to say next or how
the conversation relates back to you…
It means truly paying attention, listening…intently and deeply.
When we’re present and we’re truly listening, we start to feel an expanded sense of
understanding and compassion… We “unite” with that person in such a way where love is allowed to flow through both people, freely and powerfully.
In presence, we’re able to touch, taste, and experience the love that is always there.

The man walks into his den, setting down his hot black cup of Joe he just poured,
sits down at his desk, and stares blankly into the screen;
not having a clue what to write, just as it has been for so many days before.
He takes a big swig of that hot black nectar, hoping for the energy and inspiration that it brings,
only to be let down once again by a promise and allure. Then comes the inevitable crash,
and off to the kitchen for more, never thinking there has to be a better way. He…

I ran across this and had to share:)

Do you know where the Christmas tree originated? Well, you may be surprised to know, in 7th century Germany, a monk named St. Boniface used the triangular shape of the Fir tree to illustrate the Holy Trinity in his teachings. Since then, and more prominently in 16th century Germany, families began to bring Spruce, Pine, and Fir trees into their homes and decorated them with nuts, candles, fruit, and paper flowers.
Over the years Christmas tree ideas have not only gained great popularity, but also evolved into many different variations with only one thing in common, the original triangle shape.
Now Christmas trees can be seen everywhere during the holiday season. So much, so that having the most expensive tree has become a sort of competition for some of the world’s wealthiest people. Decorated trees are used to show off just how incredibly wealthy their owners are. So, just how valuable can a tree get?
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