WHOA! Snow...

Hello everyone!  Wow...what a week this has been for the midwest!  My hometown, Kansas City, Kansas and the surrounding cities, along with Kansas City, Missouri, and it's surrounding cities, have really been pummeled with a lot of white stuff!  Amarillo, Texas and the Texas Panhandle were also visited by this white wonder.  There have been reports of up to 18 and 19 inches, and possibly more in some areas.  And, everyone has had to dig their way out of their homes and driveways.  My mother couldn't get her back door open for a while the other day.  They finally dug their way out of the driveway in hopes to get to the grocery store...don't you know the grocery stores are busy...hopefully, they're not running out of items because the trucks can't get foods to them!

Here is what I-35 in Kansas City, Missouri looked like yesterday~

And, here we are somewhere around the Texas Panhandle~

A Plum tree in Olathe, Kansas~

Borrowed from a Facebook friend,

 hope you don't mind, June, and, thanks!

My great niece, Chloe!

Kearney, Missouri

Borrowed this one too!  Thanks Erica!

Our thoughts and best wishes go out to you folks who are snowed in and under.  Be safe, and stay warm!  

Thank you so much for stopping by...I just drifted in (lol!) to say hello.  It is cold here in the Lone Star state, and very windy (like who?)  Hope all is well with you.  We've still got sick folks here in Texas, my husband, Karo has been suffering with a cold for a couple of weeks now.  I sure hope he gets better soon!

Thanks going out to:

Google

Yahoo

Facebook

What's this?

~photo by Karo * December 25, 2012 * Fort Worth, Texas

I've just been informed that 'Scootie' has made his way to the Midwest, and, is assisting stranded motorists by pulling them out of ditches and towing them to safety!  

A stand-up guy!!!  Hurry back, Scootie!

So, with that, I'll bid you, my dear readers, a good evening!  

Be safe, see you soon!

Cupid...You send me!

Good day my Valentines!  Here is Cupid at the mailbox, sending his Valentine greetings for 2013.  Wow...that time of year again, when we think about our loved ones (our ROMANTIC loved ones, that is!)  I have to confess, when I was just a girl in school, I always seemed to be minus a boyfriend when Valentine's day came around...why?  Beats me!!! If I did have a special boyfriend earlier in the year, he made sure to break up with me before Valentine's day.  Oh well, so I would go to the Valentine dance in my red dress alone, but, I still had fun!  There was always someone to dance with!

 
So, who is this sly looking chap?

Why it's the 'impish', incorrigible, Cupid!  Cupid is the most popular among the love gods...the Roman god of love, and, is said to be the son of Venus, from Mt. Olympus.  He is also known by other names, such as Eros and Amor, depending on your personal preference.  Cupid was in love with love itself, and believed he could spread this emotion on a whim!  He would use his arrows to capture the hearts of those he felt needed love, and, bring two unsuspecting candidates together.  Nah!  Actually, I think he was a predator, who just hunted around for someone to shoot at.   He used gold-tipped arrows for a positive love result, and lead-tipped arrows that would, later, cause the subject to be repulsed by his or her love.  And, sometimes, Cupid's matchmaking backfired on him!  

In fact, it has been said that Cupid's mother,Venus was behind his misbehavings and, would urge him to shoot a beautiful woman with his arrow, thus, eliminating the competition between the goddesses and the human women!  One such incident caused a major event in their lives, and, an impromptu wedding!  I had no idea Cupid was married...did you?  It seems his mother set him off to shoot his arrow into a beautiful human woman, to send her quickly into some monster's arms.  Instead, Cupid fell madly in love with her, himself!  He just couldn't stay away from her, but, the stipulations of their marriage were rather strange.  I guess, being a human, we would never be allowed to set eyes on one of the Roman gods or goddesses, so, Cupid's wife, Psyche, was not to ever gaze upon him.   Well, curiosity got the best of her, she took a look at Cupid and, he left her.  She wandered about for some time, eventually finding her way to the temple of her 'mother-in-law', Venus.  Venus, still has no love for Psyche and, in an attempt to be rid of her, gives her some tasks to perform.  One such task was to deliver a box to the underworld, and to obtain some of the beauty of Pluto's wife...and, NOT to look in the box!  Oh, WELL,  of course, Psyche could not heed the warning and looked into the box.  A deadly spell was cast over her, and she went into a deep, deadly-like sleep!  Meanwhile, poor Cupid is still madly in love with Psyche and proceeds to go looking for her.  He does find her laying under a tree in the woods (did I make that up?), 
and, in a deadly sleep (this part is true)!


Cupid finds his distraught wife, Psyche

Cupid, upon finding Psyche, captures the deadly sleep from her body, and, returns it to the box.  He forgave her for not heeding his warnings, and, Venus also forgave her-Psyche was then made a goddess.  Cupid and Psyche were allowed to spend the rest of their time together.
Happy ending after all!  

Cupid and Psyche in earlier days

This all sounds a little 'off-the-wall' and confusing doesn't it?  I mean, is this chubby, arrow-wielding, winged, naked cherub the real Cupid?  He is depicted as being a bit mischievous, but, spreads good love throughout the universe!
  Give me a break!  Here's what really happened!

Turns out that in England, the early 1800's, Valentine cards were just being designed, with the United States following later on.  Oh, the cards were lacy with flowers, and, then the cherub was added...sometimes little girl and boy angels kissing, sitting on a heart.  Eventually, the bow and arrow were added, since, Cupid was already well known to have experience in matters of the heart! HA!  And, eventually, the chubby cherub just kind of became our loving Cupid!

***
In reality, Cupid, the Roman god of love, was an adult.  Oh...I know I shouldn't pick on him!  It's not his fault, he had a jealous mother, and, had to perform many 'un-lovable' tasks on her whims!  It seems as though the Roman gods weren't interested in love for happiness, as Cupid's main duty was to make sure that the beautiful human women were not available, and be eliminated from the competition of the goddesses.  I guess I'm still stinging from the last time he shot me, lol!     

Nevertheless, heed my warning!  If you spot the 'REAL' Cupid...should he come knocking on YOUR door...'BOOK 'EM'!!!

***
HaHa...I hope you found this to be not only informative, but, a bit of fun too!  I mean, who knew that cupid was married?  They even lived in a castle, until Psyche disobeyed Cupid's wish that she not ever lay eyes upon him...well, I would have succumbed to the mystery, and, I, too, would have looked at him!  

Thank you so much for heading over this way.  February is such a busy month, what with Abe Lincoln, George Washington, and, acknowledging all of our Presidents!  We kicked off the month with Groundhog day...Shady, did you say he came out and  did NOT see his shadow...meaning, early spring?   Then, there's Chinese New Year, February 10th, year of the snake!  A religious day, Ash Wednesday takes us to Valentine's, Day.  And, then the month wraps up with the full Snow Moon on February 25, 2013.
Phew! Quite a lot on February's plate, n'est-ce pas?

My Valentine thanks to:
Google
Yahoo
Wikipedia
'Cupid', of course!
http://voices.yahoo.com
http://valentinesday.fundootimes.com
http://www.theholidayspot.com

I want to wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day...may your love wishes come true!  The KardKorner guru has made a few Valentine cards this year, I have a special one for our grandson Scootie, of course.  And, I hope to find him a fun balloon-'Sponge Bob', you say? And, I do have a card made for Karo...he always finds a wonderful card for me, and a nice dinner out. 

***
So...with that I will leave you, my gracious readers, with this:

"Cupid, draw back your bow,
And let your arrow go-
Straight to my lover's heart for me."

The above verse is taken from a popular song written and recorded by Sam Cooke in 1961.  The Song charted on US Billboard Hits 100 at #17, and, on the UK Singles chart at #7.  Sam Cooke was a popular 1950's and 1960's gospel, R&B, soul & pop singer/songwriter.  
He was known to some as 'the man who invented soul'.

~ Sam Cooke 
January 22, 1931 * December 11, 1964

see you soon!♥