Presentation is Everything!!!

                                                             

So in between the freezing cold and tolerable coolness this is what I do: I buy bulbs, on-line, through the Holland Bulb Company, and with visions of Amaryllis in my head, I began to plan the expansion of my Amaryllis flower bed.

Although I only ordered ten bulbs, they came in two huge boxes which of course set off major alarms for my husband the day they were delivered to the house. He of course, saw the labels on the top of each box, and I admit, I thought to myself when I saw them, (because I really couldn’t remember, as it had been months since I ordered them) just how many bulbs DID I actually buy?

As I entered the back door that afternoon and saw the boxes sitting on the kitchen counter, I began to mentally back-track so that I was ready with an explanation as it always best to not let on that even YOU can’t remember what you did, especially where spending money is concerned.

So, I casually announced “Oh! My bulbs finally came in!” like it was the most natural thing in the world to see two huge boxes marked “bulbs” sitting on my counter, and then proceeded to cut them open with a pair of scissors from the kitchen drawer; all of the above happening in one smooth motion. And let me tell you folks, the relief on my insides, (which I tried to hide from my facial expression), to only see five (WHEW!) smaller boxes inside each big box.

At any rate, my next battle, as I had not prior discussed this bulb order, was to explain to my sweet, sweet husband this whole “vision” of mine. I flowered it up with the same colorful imagination in which it was originally created in my mind, but somehow, the look on his face didn’t quite equal the joy of the story I was telling.

Matter of fact, I’ll just tell the truth here and say his “face” showed absolutely no joy at all. Even when I told him there would only have to be ten holes dug – nothing. I got nothing. Zero joy.

However, a week or so later, we had the perfect Sunday morning to set about our planting. Granted, he had worked a six-day work week prior to; so that he was holding a pair of hole diggers and they were entering the ground instead of the side of my head – well you can understand the irony there, and very possibly the miracle of it all!

But together, without any fuss, muss or injury, we planted the ten additional Amaryllis in the bed by my mailbox, that will accompany the other eight bulbs or so that have been there for years. They should all bloom come early Spring, a mixture of solid red and red/white striped.

I would tell you all about the other HUGE box of Gladioli bulbs that I have stored in my shed right now – that can’t be planted until after the last frost, and all my plans for those; but obviously, that’s still a secret…ssshhhhhh.

♫ If you Love Somebody, Clap Your Hands ♫

When I was a little girl, the best Valentine experience was in direct proportion to how many “secret” valentines I got in my decorated bag at school. And if was a really special valentine, there would be some kind of candy attached to it as well.

I had absolutely no experience with Valentine’s in Jr High School. I guess I’m going to have to say it was because I had no boyfriends from the 7^th to the 9^th grade. None that were willing to spend any money on me anyway. What can I say, I was a late bloomer.

But then there was high school and the ever dreaded/popular carnation purchase and swap deal on Valentine’s Day. All the different colors of the carnations meant silly things, but I can remember getting my fair share of them, mostly from my girlfriends.

Because that’s the silent agreement that goes on between females at that age. Girlfriends swap and exchange among one another, that way, no one really knows who did or didn’t get anything from a boy.

And of course there were always the lucky girls who got the huge stuffed teddy bear or a dozen roses that the florist delivers to the front office at school. Although, the boys that were brave enough to drag those stuffed animals to school were the real hero’s.

These days, the gifts have changed and more money is involved with these young kids – but hearts hurt and break just the same whenever anyone is left out or ignored.

It’s so funny how it seemed like life and death back then, depending on whatever happened when Valentine’s Day would roll around each year; that your fate was made and decided that day.

But now I’m a grown-up and it’s even crazier how much my idea of what would make a good Valentine’s Day for ANY day is to me now; like:

1.           When my oldest child comes home for Christmas, and always tries to plan a movie day just for me and him, because he truly likes to do things with me.  

2.            When my husband has worked a six day work week for two months straight, but helps me plant flower bulbs on his only day off.

3.            When my youngest child calls me on a Saturday night, invites me over to eat and play pool with the rest of his friends, even though I’m his 54 year old mother.

4.          When friends send me just-because-cards and surprises in the mail for absolutely no real reason at all.  

5.          When no matter my age, and my parents know I have been sick, they call every day, without fail, to check on me.

6.            When the ever-continuing string text between me and my children sits stagnate for days, then erupts one night in totally inappropriate humor that lasts for hours, because that’s how we roll.

Those are my favorite kinds of expressions of love. Just show me that you love me, show me that you care, listen to me when I talk, and I will listen to you. Valentine’s Day is about love – find a way to show it.  

Diary of an Amateur

Several years ago now, I was at the hairdresser and we were discussing my hair. The how’s and why’s of its unruliness.

Back story: when I was about 35 years old, my hair just went berserk. Curly berserk. Before that it had a lot of body, but it was straight as a board. I have an old set of hot rollers and my previous hairstylist from home who can attest to that; as well as all the perms she gave me over the years prior to that.

Now when I went curly, it didn't just get a little curly, it got that tight, knotted-at-your-scalp, needs five different kinds of hair products, curly. My hairdresser at the time said there was a chance it could possibly one day revert back because of hormones etc. Regardless, this is not the hair I would have picked to have for all time – as it’s just too much work.

However, the reason for the whole visit, was that I was having my hair professionally colored.  As the processing part of my color was happening, I was looking at my phone, and I saw some Snap Chats from my kids.

I don’t do Snap Chats.  I would look at theirs and laugh, but I had never reciprocated. But for some insane reason, all of a sudden I thought, why not?! So I took a picture of myself, all "colored-up" and sent it to both of my children.

Finally my hair was done, and I was driving home and song that I loved at the time begins to play on the radio in my truck called ‘Shake It Off’ by artist Taylor Swift.

All of a sudden, my hair is young, I am young, and I am remembering how on my previous two hair appointments; my oldest child J was home and how he went with me to those appointments, also getting his hair cut.

As the memories began to flow, I started to get a little weepy; it's strange without him, and I am remembering him "car-dancing" to that song when he was home. So what to do but do the same; I am dancing all over the place inside my truck, in the dark, with my young hair, all the way home, with that song on repeat.

Finally I am home, I'm feeling good about myself and my young hair, I walk into the house and my youngest son Zach is already home.

He’s standing there laughing at me and starts talking about my prior snap chat. I was like "so you saw it?" Still laughing he says "Oh yeah, you sent it as a story, so everybody saw it".

I went nuts! Shouting for him to delete it for me, he’s laughing, practically crying, as he is trying to tell me who all had already seen it.

Technology has not always been kind to me. All these new-fangled apps on these phones, mostly just leave me befuddled. I have since become somewhat educated, enough to not send them to the world anymore, but I still pretty much stick to being a viewer and not a film-maker.