I've always complained that Valentine's Day was a commercial creation to help spur post-Christmas sales, and I'm sure other cheap ne'er-do-well husbands share the sentiment.
But now the holiday is gaining in significance, even though Feb. 14 usually means a tripling of rose prices and only a 25 percent markdown on already overpriced jewelry. While mindless men like me search for heart-shaped waffle irons, others are looking and actually finding true meaning in Valentine's Day.
Consider "The Heart Gallery Of Tampa Bay." The Children's Home Inc. will have a grand opening Saturday for a professional portrait exhibit which features children available for foster care or adoption in Hillsborough County.
The kickoff event starts at 1 p.m. at Artists Unlimited, 223 N 12th St., and the photos will be on display for two weeks. From there, the portraits will become part of a traveling exhibit.
The gallery will focus on boys and girls for whom finding "forever" families is more difficult: sibling groups, African-Americans and older children.
Yes, it's sad and touching, but is there a better day to pull on heartstrings?
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Gov. Jeb Bush has declared Saturday Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day. One in every 100 children is born with a heart defect, but few people understand the condition because it can go undetected.
Several Tampa Bay area schools are participating in the "Change A Heart" fundraising effort for the Children's Heart Foundation, including Seaborn Day School/Beach Park, where preschool teacher Kelly Mann has a personal attachment to the effort. She underwent open heart surgery as a 6-year-old.
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Of course, I have nothing but love for people who marry on Valentine's Day, and I'm mad I didn't think of it myself. After all, one all-encompassing Valentine's/anniversary gift means a lifetime of savings.
Tampa's Susan Everingham and Terry Posner are making their Valentine's wedding day extra memorable by getting married on motorcycles. Everingham, 49, and Posner, 51, won a drawing to gain entry into the ceremony along with four other couples at Harley Davidson of Brandon.
Everingham not only owns a Harley, she also specializes in painting cycles. Her show bike will be outfitted with a big bow, roses and other flowers, and her wedding ensemble will be a mixture of leather and lace.
But don't look for her to don a long train. It just wouldn't be safe with a 20-minute police-escorted drive scheduled to take off after the wedding.
Vroom, vroom, vroom-vroom.
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Far be it for me to recommend a frugal approach to Valentine's Day, but the Martini Max at the Museum Of Science and Industry is being hailed as the area's best cheap, semi-sophisticated date. Artist and writer Sterling Powell plays host to the first event in the series on Friday, and it will include art, music, hors d'oeuvres and an IMAX film.
All that and a featured martini (the ValenTini, naturally) for just $20 makes it interesting, but most enticing is a chance to take in the sights of the city from atop the IMAX Dome.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
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Meals on Wheels Tampa supporters got an early start on the feel-good fervor of Valentine's Day on Tuesday. At the second Nourish the Homebound breakfast, attendees both contributed to the charity and got to know a few of its clients.
Milton Bowes, 74, said before Meals On Wheels, he depended on neighbors to feed him and some days he went without eating. Barbara Blitz, a youthful 69, told the audience at Maestro's that the volunteers give her "warmth and love every time they come to the door."
The charity delivers both food and fellowship. As Bowes says, you can't rate one over the other.
