Yes, Let's!

This week, I am more than a little baffled by the narrow-mindedness of this country in reference to St. Valentine's Day (mayhap this bafflement has occurred before, but like Dory the Fish...). It has taken me a couple of days to recover from my shock enough to go on a rant (that, and needing to interview other British folk surreptitiously to determine if it was simply that some boys don't pay attention to things around them, esp. if those things have to do with pink and flowers).

It appears (and perhaps people might notice this if they ignored the circus music soundtrack in their heads) that it is just not kept (the holiday, I mean) here except in the following circumstances:
a) a bloke is dating a bird*
b) a bloke wants to date a bird
c) a bloke is married to a bird
d) a bloke wants to be married to a bird
*[bloke=male; bird=female]
Note: This woefully brief explanation no doubt extends to other-constructed couples.

After the horrified look that I got in reference to my suggestion on Sunday that we needed to prepare Valentines for the family (including three adorable children), it did dawn upon my easily distracted mind that there were not rows upon rows of Valentine cards surrounding me in the stores; nor were there multi-packs of Valentine cards for schoolroom distribution. Or the quintessential 2.5lb bags of conversation candy hearts; no ginormous heart-shaped creations of chocolate delectability filled with pink marshmallow fluff; or feathery balloons. No Valentine pencils with heart erasers to give to friends at school. No containers of grocery store bakery crap Valentine cookies with painfully hard sprinkles on top (yet, they are so good!).

And I don't believe the British know what a cookie bouquet is. [They are also not acquainted with Christmas popcorn buckets.]

Eamonn's explanation is that they are prudish here. I retorted with, 'Hellooooo! We were the Puritans... and we refused to pay tax on your bloody tea!' And this Puritan is horrified to be visiting people and NOT taking any Valentine greetings -- these are the best cookies, no? (from gensler97 photostream on flickr)

There are no doubt good things about this (like, such as the South Africa and... ummmm, not being left out of getting Valentines because children can be such cruel little beasts. But then there is always the kickball team, where you might be last, too. You just learn to kick harder, run faster, and have someone help you make the most delicious Valentine cupcakes and you will be fine.). But a negative thing is not learning how to be nice to people you might not like; or missing out on a reason to show your friends you care -- whereas they might think you were alarmingly odd if you gave them a bunch of pink heart iced cookies on sticks on a random day in November, especially if it were close to Hallow E'en. Surprisingly, there is no real religious reason for St. Valentine's Day (unless you need to go into some Catholic heathen cover-up, and then there will be NO cookies for you!). But I think it is just nice to encourage the practicing of random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.

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A living example of this philosophy is Clemmy-poo! (Not that I am insinuating that she is giving Valentines as this would apparently be dodgy) She has brought us a wee gifty this evening. And we are thrilled! After the omelettes and fresh buttered soda bread settles in the tummy there shall be a knees-up with The Alexander Brothers :)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Further adding to my righteous hysteria over this Valentines dearth and the prudishness it represents (and I have been forwarding the Martha Stewart Valentine's Day Workshop Craft-of-the-Day to a certain bloke for several days now), this album cover has 3 ladies (or birds) dancing in a circle while two men (no doubt with really heart-melting brogues -- swoon) with a reputed lack of undergarments sit and grin inanely over their keyboard instruments.

Attentive readers may notice the playlist includes such perrenial favourites as: The Auld Paisley $hawl, The Hill O'Kinnoull, The Rose O'Aberfeldy, and The Quiet Men O'Lanarkshire. And should folk be interested in more o' the collected works o' the Alexander Brothers, we have several listings to the right -- such as The Lass O'Leven Vale, The Barnyards O'Delgaty, Bonnie Wee Jeanie McCall, and The Cock O'The North (and this popularised by a prudish society...!).

Negating everything just ranted, I must apologise in advance to my family members who are not getting Valentines on time ... but I will make some, dangit! Martha Stewart Community 'My Collections', here we go!



LET'S HAVE A CEILIDH! (Indeed, let's! 'Tis scheduled for the 18th April...)

Oh, AYE!

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(and now I must go and find some pink marshmallow fluff)