Love Is . . . by Diane Kelly

Here it is, Valentine’s Day. And I’m all alone. Well, not entirely alone. My mother’s aged Pomeranian is keeping me company. Yep, I’m out of town, dog sitting, while my mom is in Vegas partying with friends. I think it’s her way of paying me back for all the partying I did in my teen years. What goes around comes around, huh?

I miss my guy. But you know what? Being away from the one you love can be a good thing. It’s much easier to love each other when you’re not vying to be the first to get in the shower, fighting over the covers, or racing each other to get the last cup of coffee in the pot. Yeah, I believe in that old adage that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

As a writer of romantic mysteries, I’m always looking for clever and unusual ways to express love in my novels. In my research, I’ve come across some interesting quotes about love, some that I agree with, others not so much. Let’s take a look at some famous love quotes:

"I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.” Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Old Lizzie, got it right. If we’re crazy about someone, and they bring out the best in us, it’s a win-win. Then again, having someone who brings out your worst side can be fun, too. Who hasn’t enjoyed a passionate argument followed by a make-up make-out session?

“Love doesn’t make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” Franklin P. Jones. You nailed it, Frankie boy. This quote is essentially the theme of the movie “Up in the Air,” which to me was so tragic. Life without someone to love would indeed be the equivalent of eating only airline food and never enjoying the happy picnic life can be.

“If you have love, you don’t need to have anything else, and if you don’t have it, it doesn’t matter much what else you have.” Sir James M. Barrie. Yes, sir! But is it too much to ask to be in love while wearing a really cute pair of shoes?

“Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.” Henry Louis Mencken. Hmm. Not sure if this is a veiled insult to those who fall in love or not. What do you think?

“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.” Helen Keller. Helen ought to know, right? Then again, a heart attack is felt with the heart, too. Yikes!

“Tell me whom you love and I will tell you who you are.” Houssaye. Wow. I have no idea who Houssaye is, but who says it better?

“Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Saint Augustine. This pretty much sums up the plot of “The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Not sure how I feel about this one. To experience deep love is also to experience deep pain – the two go hand in hand. Would it be better to just feel “okay” all the time instead?

“Love stinks.” J. Geils Band. Yeah, yeah.

“Love can rock you. Never stop you. Love is like a rock.” Donnie Iris. Anybody else remember this song from the 80’s?

What quotes about love do you find inspiring? What quotes do you think are pure caca?

Curiouser and Curiouser...

By Robin "Red Hot" Kaye

I’m cold, hunkered down in the house, and wondering why they chose a bleak month like February to celebrate Valentine’s Day. I concluded that in the days of old, there was little to do during the short winter days, so why not celebrate love, cuddle up with your Valentine, and enjoy. Imagine my surprise when, after a few minutes of research, I discovered I was wrong. Here’s what I found out about Valentine’s Day…

Valentiene's Day--You've come a long way, Baby!



Valentines Day began as a Pagan fertility festival called Lupercalia (February 15th), which involved nudity and whipping (and no, I’m not talking about whipped cream). During the festival, the boys whipped the girls’ bottoms to stimulate fertility— though I’m not sure whether it was the boy’s fertility or the girl’s they were aiming to stimulate.

In 197 AD a Christian known as Valentine of Terni was martyred and beheaded on February 14th by a Roman Prefect with the oxymoronic name of Placid Furius. This was the first Valentine reference I came across in my research that corresponded to the date of February 14th, but he was not the last. It happened again in 289 AD. This Valentine of Rome was jailed for aiding prisoners. While in jail, he converted his jailer and healed the jailer’s blind daughter’s sight. He supposedly fell in love with the girl and sent her notes signed “From your Valentine” which was, I suppose, the first Valentine’s Day card. Ironically, he is said to have died on February 14th. I believe it was under Pope Claudius that he became a Saint. However, it wasn’t until.496 AD, that Pope Gelasius made a bid for peace with the still popular pagans and their festival of Lupercalia, by declaring February 14th to be St. Valentine’s Day—a Christian feast day.




The first reference of Valentine’s Day that was linked to romantic love wasn’t until 1382 in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Parliament of Fowls. It was written to celebrate the engagement of England’s Richard II to Anne of Bohemia. Chaucer wrote “For this was on St. Valentine’s Day/When every fowl cometh there to choose his mate” but then since he was talking about mating birds, which doesn’t happen in February, this probably took place on May 2nd, the Saint’s Day in the Liturgical calendar. Still, the link between Valentine’s Day and romantic love was formed. Further cementing the correlation, in 1601, St. Valentines Day was mentioned by none other than Shakespeare in Ophelia’s lament in Hamlet “Tomorrow is St. Valentine’s Day,/All in the morning betime,/And I a maid at your window,/To be your Valentine.”




So, you might ask where and when the tradition of Valentine’s Cards came into play. That one, as well as the whole romantic love connection can be blamed or attributed (depending on your point of view) to the English. In the mid 18th century, passing love-notes became popular in England. They were made of lace and paper and The Young Man’s Valentine Writer was published. By the early 19th century, love-notes became so popular, factories began to mass produce them.


In 1913, Hallmark Cards produced their first Valentine in the US. Since then, commercialization of the holiday continued and grew to include chocolate, flowers, cards, and diamonds. A few of my favorite things. Obviously, most men don’t take my husband’s view on the holiday. Last year, it’s estimated that Valentine’s Day sales generated $14.7 billion dollars in retail sales in the US alone—none of which was from my Domestic God. He’s not one for cards or gifts, but he’s the most giving man I know every other day of the year. Still, a little chocolate and a diamond or two would be appreciated. {grin}

May your Valentine’s Day be a memorable one. I’m looking forward to cuddling up with my husband and kids and enjoying some quality time together. I’ve decided that I’m glad Valentine’s Day is in February. Can you think of a better way to brighten up an otherwise bleak and depressing month?