Valentine Flowers

Gregg likes house plants.

I do not (I have what is called a "brown thumb").

Gregg does not like to buy cut flowers.

I like to receive them.

We are still happily married, in spite of this important difference of opinion.

Dear friends and neighbors lovingly gave us two house plants in wonderful pots after Katie passed away. I appreciate the thoughtfulness, generosity and love that they represent, very much. Gregg has been taking care of them for about a year and a half.

I recently started to think that the plants were getting overgrown. The one in our master bath contained an ivy plant that made me nervous; at nearly 3 feet long, I thought that vine wanted to take over the room, and maybe strangle me, when I wasn't looking. The one in our living room was looking sort of like...Rip Van Winkle's beard. It was growing down the side of the antique dresser upon which it sat. It was raining many tiny leaves, daily.

Gregg & I discussed possible solutions. I thought that perhaps the pots needed to be filled with outdoor plants that didn't create the need to sweep and vacuum so often. To be outside, where we could admire them through the window. Gregg disagreed. He suggested that I take the pots to the florist and have them "refreshed." I said, "Okay, but you are still taking care of them. And I want an orchid." Gregg agreed, just as long as I bought indoor plants.

We picked them up yesterday, and as we were pulling up to the store, I realized that I forgot to give them a budget. That is, when I dropped the pots off, and was describing the colors I wanted, the environment each one would live in, trading the brown pot for a fabulous cobalt blue one, & selecting the plants, I completely forgot to say, "Could you keep it under $xx.00, please?" But I remembered as we were parking the car, and about to have to pay for them. Whoops!

Let's just say that Gregg and I told each other, "This is your Valentine's Day gift." These are my flowers that won't wilt in a week; these are Gregg's houseplants to love and to tend. These are going to last; Gregg is going to see to it. They bring fuschia and cobalt accents to the house, and I now have an orchid!

Thanks for the flowers, Sweetie, and thank you for not being mad that I forgot to ask an important question.

Whether you are in love, or not, here is a gift of love for you...

flowers!



















Happy Valentine's Day!