Tuesday 4-Valentines Day

Valentine's Day

Welcome to Tuesday 4. I am sure  Toni would be so pleased you are here. Let's talk about St. Valentine's Day.

1. St Valentine paid for the weddings of poor girls. Today weddings can cost a fortune. What do you think about wedding expenses? 

I never heard that about St. Valentine. I think wedding costs are outrageous. I’ve been married twice. I paid for the first wedding...florist, professional photographer, we used a store that specialized in wedding cakes, rented a wishing well for cards. I cut costs where I could and we had the reception at a bowling alley banquet room in my hometown. I will never live that one down. I was razzed for years about the venue. My 2nd wedding I paid for everything but the dinner. My father-in-law surprised us and paid the bill. Having learned from my previous mistake, I found other ways to cut costs. No real flowers, silk. My wife’s cousin made beautiful bouquets, boutonnières, table arrangements, and flower arrangements for the gazebo. She worked at a craft store and used her discount. She also gave us a DJ referral who gave us a discount. The bagpiper, that was my surprise for my wife, wedding party, and guests wasn’t as expensive as you would think. I had my sister-in-law (professional photographer, who didn’t do weddings but did ours as a favor) and my ex-partner were our photographers. My sister-in-law’s son was videographer. The ceremony was outdoors at a Park Conservatory with beautiful grounds and a gazebo. The reception was in the banquet hall of a local restaurant. I made a very retro secure card holder from a vintage suitcase. Our wedding cake was made by the mother of my wife’s friend who retired from making wedding cakes. The 2nd wedding was better than the 1st where I basically hired all professionals. People don’t need to spend over $20,000 for a wedding. It doesn’t make you any more or less married because of the amount of money you spend on a wedding.

2. Do you or did you send Valentines to people?

Send...no. I usually make a Valentines card for my wife and sometimes for my kids.

3. Do you find Valentine's day to be romantic?

Usually. One year on Valentines Day I had a date from hell. My date brought her girlfriend (friend) and my date talked about her ex and cried through the entire dinner. I don’t need a specific day to be romantic, I don’t think anyone does.

4. Do you do anything special for Valentine's Day with partners or family?

Of course. Every year it’s something a little different. In the past we have had an early dinner at a nice restaurant, or I’ve cooked something delicious that we don’t usually have the rest of the year. This year, due to the pandemic, we will be cooking something delicious at home. Not sure yet what the menu will be. I usually make my son dinner and have him eat first so my wife and I can dine alone while he goes upstairs and watches tv or plays video games. With the pandemic now, that’s the only way to safely have a romantic dinner for two. Hopefully I won’t have a horrible pain day like I did Saturday. I was getting out of bed and moved my injured leg wrong. (Torn meniscus, sprained LCL.) I tweaked something in my back and flared my sciatica, which went all the way to my ankle. Pain like the most intense charley horse you could ever have, that is constant and only relieved by a muscle relaxant and ice and time.

Happy Valentine's Day folks.