Hate or love it, Valentine’s Day is here again. For some, it is a time that reminds us that we are thought of.

The stores are filled with the color red, and I can recall when I was young, my dad would buy a box of chocolates for my mother and a smaller one for me.

He would say, "Daddy loves this is for daddy’s little girl." Yes, I was a daddy’s girl.

Back in my elementary school days, Valentine’s Day was a funny time. Most little children really didn’t understand the meaning; we just knew it was a day when chocolates came in a heart-shaped box. We made cards to give to other children, the teachers and our parents. The teachers would allow us to have parties with cookies and punch.

Then came high school. Oh, boy, this was a time when young boys and girls thought they were in love! Some were.

Girls couldn’t wait to see if they were going to get a box of candy and a card.

Recently, I found an old Valentine’s Day card from a boy who liked me, and I showed it to my husband.

The card had the old saying, "Roses are red, violets are blue. ...It was sweet and lovely.

I know you can recall those simple high school days when Valentine’s Day came around. I hope you have pleasant memories of this lovely day.

Many celebrations of today have their roots in pagan festivals. Most involve fanciful legends.

We celebrate Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14, but it was not until the 14th century that the day became associated with love. It was Chaucer who first linked to St. Valentine’s Day, a day of romance.

That is where I find my enjoyment in the day. I delight in reading old Valentine’s Day cards.

Some were made with lace. Some were handmade Some featured birds attached with a ribbon. All featured words of love, an attempt to convey true feelings to the person receiving the card.

Valentine’s Day became part of American history in the 1850s. That’s when Valentine’s Day cards were first produced for the mass market, by Esther A. Howland, a Mount Holyoke graduate.

Today, Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate romance and love, a time for a having a lovely dinner with the person you love.

Flowers and candy are sold by the millions in preparation for Feb. 14, all in the name of love. But, oh, how things have changed since the 1850s!

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately 1 billion valentines are sent each year worldwide.

And the gift giving goes far beyond candy and flowers. Perhaps the gift will be be a red designer handbag or a beautiful red dress from a boutique.

But in the 21st century, any gift can be had by a click on a smartphone or computer. We can even sent cards via email.

But none of that e-mail stuff for me!

I like to get my valentines through the U.S. mail. I get joy from opening an envelope and reading a card that was selected only for me.

I sure hope I will get a Valentine’s Day card this year. I got my present last Thursday.

Guess what it was? A pair of Chooka \"chu-’k-ah\ fashion rain boots. How romantic is that?

I had been talking to my husband about my old rain boots, pointing out that they were so old that the rubber had holes, in both boots.

The new ones are lovely.

If by chance, you see me in Covington, and it’s raining, look for me to be wearing those Chookas.

I know I will be having a lovely dinner, and if it is raining, my feet will be dry.

Dorothy Frazier Piedrahita welcomes reader comments. She can be reached at ufrazier2001@yahoo.com.