I've just been blown back from Sainsburys, which is full of Valentine tat. Horrible stuffed toys, cards, chocolates and (to me), worst of all, Those Roses. They are unlike any other roses. They are tall and straight, stiff and scent-free, and very artificial-looking. Oh, and horribly expensive. Anyone who has ever been given this kind of rose will know what happens. You cut the stems, as instructed, add the "feed" (whatever is that stuff?), place out of draughts in a clean vase blah blah blah. And guess what? In exactly two days, those stiff little heads just droop, as though ashamed (as well they might be) and you have to chuck them out.
Yesterday, when I saw someone reaching for a bunch of these things, I was sorely tempted to tell them not to waste their money, and to do what I did. Today (no, he didn't send me any flowers*) two bunches of daffodils for £1 each (I thought of you, GB). They are real, they are spring-like, they have that lovely faint green daffodil smell, and they will last for a week.
So it's not all bad. Happy Valentine's Day! Oh, and if you've received any of those roses, do let me know how you get on.
*I have to confess, we did send each other cards. Tasteful ones, of course. But we could have spent the money on ...daffodils. Sigh.
We do cards: Mine is tasteful and his is always really soppy (but even though I always laugh at it, I would be disappointed if it was anything else now!)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds about right, Wendy!
DeleteFrances, I woke up this morning with an idea for a Valentine's story which involves snowdrops and have just finished the first draft. They weren't arranged in a heart shape on moss though - that sounds really pretty.
ReplyDeletePatsy, aren't you a bit late for Valentine stories? Or very, very early...?
DeleteI like to think of it as early for next time. If I get an idea, I write the story. Better to get it down at the wrong time than to lose it.
DeleteAlthough Valentine's Day has become as big as Halloween over here - and purely for commercial reasons, neither of them having any roots in German tradition -, you see adverts and Valentine-related products here as welll. But none of it for me. RJ and I will spend the weekend together anyway, and we always do romantic stuff on those occasions, such as going dancing and/or on a nice long walk, cooking something nice for dinner, etc. To us, the anniversary of our getting together matters more. The third of its kind will come up in March, not far from my birthday.
ReplyDeleteWell done on your thee years, Meike. I'm sure you'll do something special.
Delete"that lovely faint green daffodil smell" is a perfect way to put it, Frances. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMy usually-forgetful husband gave me a gift this morning. A little box of chocolates (I'm going to eat them all immediately, small box or large, so small is better) wrapped in a T-shirt with a picture of My Main Man on it...Muhammad Ali back when he was still Cassius Clay and the prettiest thing on the planet in the opinion of my young self.
It may not be the most romantic gift, but my husband knows how much I have loved and admired Ali for 50 years.
K
Kay, I always think the best kind of present is what that person really wants, even if you don't like it yourself. Your husband sounds spot-on. (I'm so glad you understood the "green smell". I thought as I wrote it that everyone would think I was mad!)
DeleteYes, Frances, Pat tells me that the daffodils are just starting to flower and soon my Scottish garden will be a mass of them. And I will not see them. C'est la vie. I think your gift of fresh snowdrops on moss was inspired.
ReplyDeleteI thought that Valentine cards were supposed to be anonymous. If I sent one to every lady I loved then there might be some very bemused (or worse) husbands out there.
GB, John always writes his cards in carefully disguised handwriting that is unmistakeably his. I got a total stranger in a stationery shop to write mine. We fooled no-one.
DeleteNo matter where I've lived in my life I always planted daffodils. I grew up in a small southern city ... "The Jonquil Capitol of the South." I've taken them along to homes in Florida, California and New Mexico ... reminders of my childhood among their "lovely green daffodil smell."
ReplyDeleteJill, one of the nice things about daffodils is that they are the only flowers I can afford to buy for myself!
DeleteLady Magnon received a Peach Tree. As she's currently in London, I'm not quite sure of her (true) reaction.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous present, CM!
DeleteI saw some Tete a Tete daffs flowering yesterday here in Herts!
ReplyDeleteOh, those are lovely, Frances!
DeleteOne Valentine card, from a friend. No roses. But I bought myself some flowering plants just recently. And I baked myself a cake! :)
ReplyDeleteCake is much better than those roses, DT. You can't eat roses.
DeleteWe only give each other a card. I was impressed by husband's this year - picture of a typewriter on front and he'd written some lovely words inside (not verse). More meaningful than anything else!
ReplyDeleteRosemary, I got a typwriter one as well. Probably the same one as mine?
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