I am fond of chocolate; I make no secret of this love affair. With Valentine’s Day two heartbeats around the corner, I am in sweets heaven. Every turn of the grocery store aisle there are pinks and purples, reds and whites on goodies like cupcakes, cookies and, of course, candy. I like my heart day candy to be hot and sticky like the hot pepper-laced chocolate hearts found at gourmet confectionaries.  I once made a chocolate cake that seductively oozed a cinnamon and Cayan pepper fudge sauce; too hot for some, but just the right temperature for me.
With the “lovers” holiday a few weeks away, seeing all of the decorations got me thinking about hearts in nature—including the ones pumping away in our bodies. The shape of the heart means so much when given to those you love—it indicates affection, passion and love without the giver even having to say a word.

The Bleeding Heart flower used to be one of my favorite plants we had around the house when I was growing up.  The flowers themselves looked like hearts with a little pistol/petal dropping out the bottom of the heart shape, actually making it look like a drop of blood coming from the flower.

Recently on a local safari, I was introduced to a grazing species of deer found in Africa that has the sweetest shaped nose—it is a heart.  Although this animal could kick me in my head and do some damage to me physically, from a safe distance it was as sweet as can be because of the little heart on its face. 

Karey Burek Photo A grazing species of deer found in Africa.

There are so many romantic ­offerings for couples on heart day it was nice to see something a little unique being offered with a bloody twist. Okay, maybe not gushing blood and guts, but definitely a sight that will uncover the human body and the heart. Did you know it was once thought that the heart controlled our feelings rather than our brain? The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa is proudly displaying two exhibits:  Body Worlds and The Story of the Heart beginning January 22, running through February. It is an educational display that, according to their website mosi.org will offer insight into disease and will look closely at the human heart.  It offers insights from the fields of anatomy, cardiology, psychology and culture; a truly educational and awe inspiring sight I am sure.

 Some interesting facts about the heart I found at ask.com amazed me and made me more aware of the blood pumping through my veins.  Did you know that the human heart can create enough pressure for it to squirt blood at a distance of 30 feet?  On average, a human heart will beat 35 million times a year—that’s without us even thinking about it!  The human body is an amazing thing when you really pause to think about how your eyes focus, your blood pumps, your throat swallows and your lungs inhale and exhale with nary a thought.  We can go about our daily lives existing and functioning; reading books, driving our car, working our job without constantly telling our heart to pump to keep us alive.  Nature truly is an amazing thing.

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