Celebrating St. Valentine's day -- with differences

Saint Valentine of Rome was a priest and bishop in the Roman Empire who ministered to Christians who were persecuted there. He was martyred on February 14, which has been observed as the Feast of Saint Valentine (Saint Valentine's Day) since 496 AD. So he was a definite good guy.



On 13 February, 2020:

Anne had a surgical procedure booked for 14th so we could not celebrate Valentine's day on the due date.  So we celebrated it a day early.

I normally observe correct ritual for the day, which consists of giving flowers, chocolate, a card and a dinner.  I varied it a bit this time, however.  I gave a card, chocolate and a dinner plus a hand-held Kambrook vacuum cleaner.  I use my own hand-held rather a lot. A bit eccentric as a Valentine present but Anne was very appreciative of it.  She had been having problems with dust on her venetian blinds (Surely an iconic First World problem!) and she thought that the Kambrook would be just the thing to clean them

We dined at an old favorite, the Bollywood.  We both had medium Vindaloo, which was excellent.  They are no longer a Sikh restaurant.  They have been taken over by a Muslim.  But his menu is still as good as ever -- perhaps even better.  They didn't jib when Anne asked for an ice bucket for our Henkel Trocken champagne. So they are not strict Muslims.



On February 14, 2019

I did most of the customary things. I put a vase with a mass of yellow flowers and some pink ones in Anne's room with one added red rose plus one lily. Lilies have bad connotations but Anne likes them. So that was my version of Ikebana. I guess I failed the class but Anne liked it

Anne presented herself with her hair long, blonde and out, wearing a dark blue floral frock which proved she had both a waist and a bosom and she wore shoes with slight heels on them. We are both pretty unsteady on our feet so the heels were a definite concession to the occasion. She looked pretty good.

For presents I gave Anne a big box of Maltesers, a packet of Aspro Clear, a packet of Quickeze, a bottle of Apricot jam, a bottle of Cumquat jam, three shopper dockets for petrol discounts and a bright green bedsheet. Life is different among the oldies. Anne appreciated the offerings anyway. We both gave one-another jocular cards.

For dinner I took us to the Indian Brothers near where I live. It is a bit fancier than most Indian restaurants. I took along my last bottle of Barossa Pearl to drink. We had Onion Pakora, Punjabi chicken (which was very good), cheese & Spinach Naan, eggplant sabji, and some other chicken curry which we didn't finish.

After dinner we listened to Ottorino Respighi on YouTube and at bed time Anne put my pressure sock on my Left leg for me. Isn't that Romantic?



14 February, 2018

Wednesday was Valentine's day. I prepared for it by buying in a bunch of red roses the day before and had said that I would take Anne to a Chinese restaurant for Peking Duck as a special treat.

When the time came, however, Anne could see that I was feeling a bit unfit after surgery only a couple of hours previously so very kindly gave up her treat to cook me a dinner at home.

I had in my freezer some Jamie Oliver chicken fillets marinated and coated so we had that. I made up a cold collation on a big platter with Rotkohl etc to have with it, which seemed to go well.

Because we were not opening wine, Anne requested a Martini. I don't drink them myself but the ones I make seem well-received. I gave Anne a tropical Martini.

As is well known, a Martini is basically just gin and Vermouth poured over ice cubes. The proportions you use and various other factors do come into it however. Everybody has their own recipe. You should, for instance, use fairly small ice cubes so that the liquor and the ice have maximum contact, making the drink cold. Normally the ice is filtered off rather than left in the drink but for a tropical Martini you leave the ice in. In hot weather it helps to keep the drink cold. Whether you can do that may however depend on the size of your cocktail glasses. Mine are a bit on the large size so everything fits in nicely.



On 17 February, 2017

Valentine's day was on Tuesday this week but Anne had choir practice on both Tuesday and Wednesady so observances were postponed until Friday. Flowers, funny card, chocolates and a dinner were all delivered. We went to the Kafe Meze for Greek food. It was a while since we had been there so we were a bit put out to find that the easy parking over the road had been abolished. But we did find a spot round the corner near a supermarket car park. The supermarket used to be Jack the Slasher many moons ago but I am not sure what it is now. Coles, I think.

Below is the docket showing what we had. We could have given the Pastourma a miss but the rest was as good as usual.









On 14 February, 2016:

St Valentine's day is now quite shorn of any thing religious. But the ladies like it so we men do it. I bought Anne roses, chocolates and a card as usual and offered to take her to a restaurant we haven't visited lately.

On the day, however, I also gave her a table! She wanted a table on which to lay out a big jigsaw so I took a 4' (1200 mm) one I had in storage downstairs and, with Anne's help, brought it upstairs and made a place for it in her room. I have had a fair bit of removalist experience over the years and I needed all of it. Getting it through a series of narrow doorways was quite a job. Anyway, getting a table as a Valentine's day gift must be a rarity.

Also on the day, however, Anne was feeling a bit down due to the fact that her eldest sister had died the night before. It was very much an expected death after a long decline but the reality is of course still a blow.

So rather than go out to a restaurant, we just got in fish & chips from a local fish shop that we knew to be good. We had it al fresco on my verandah with some champagne so we both enjoyed it. Both Anne and I regard fish 'n chips as a treat.




15 February, 2014

When Anne arrived at my place yesterday evening she got: Roses, card, chocolates, a dinner and a present. It was a present I knew she would like: A lava lamp. I have one and she often admires it. They were fashionable in the '70s but seem to be coming back. Just two or three years ago I could not buy one but they have popped up in a couple of shops lately.

We dined at a very good Chinese restaurant not far from my place -- the New Sing Sing. Both the food and service is always good there. We had dim sims and chicken satay skewers as starters. I had BBQ roast duck as the main course and Anne had salt and pepper fish. I have long been of the view that only the Chinese know how to do duck. And they did! I ordered Fourex Gold for a drink and greatly enjoyed it. They serve their beer very cold there and it was a hot night.

And when we got home we had clootie dumpling with cold custard for dessert and a cup of tea to wash it down. So we turned to both China and Scotland for our food.

And Anne made porridge for my breakfast this morning -- which is always appreciated.



15 February, 2013

In accordance with proper form I gave Anne flowers, a card and chocolate on St Valentine's day yesterday. Anne decided to cook so I took advantage of that by getting some Merguez out of the freezer. And at Anne's request I also got a Greek Tourte for dessert. The one I get is basically a chocolate trifle.

Anne supplied some Sydney rock oysters for starters and we washed it all down with my usual Seaview champagne.

We had it on the verandah, which is a pleasant venue of a summer's night and afterward I put on music by Schumann, Chopin and Sor.

So it was a high quality night across the board.



14 February, 2012

I did all the right things. Anne got a card, a big bunch of red flowers and an enormous sample box of Whitman's chocolates

And I took her to dinner at a nice Greek restaurant: The Kafe Meze in West End. I think I took her there last year too.



As usual I ordered a series of appetizers rather than any main course: Tarama, Haloumi, Keftedes etc. And all washed down with a stubby each of Fourex Gold, a Brisbane mid-strength beer. Most non-Greeks seem to be unaware of it but cold beer goes very well with Greek food and on a warm Summer night it went down exceptionally well

From what I saw the men of Brisbane seemed to have bombed out big time. The restaurant was very busy but most of the customers were glammed-up groups of women. Sad.

For some reason incomprehensible to both Anne and me, the waitress gave us a 20% discount. I didn't argue, however, but just said: "Thank you very much". It could have been a Senior's discount but I don't think we are quite wrinkly enough for 20% yet.




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