Aaaahh, fresh flowers in December. And not *&^#$@ Poinsettias.

I have a friend in the hospital, and let’s face it, this is an extra sucky time of year to be in the hospital. So I went looking for fresh flowers to bring him. I wanted Freesia, because the smell would’ve livened up his hospital room, but I couldn’t find any, it’s just not in season.

If I wanted fragrance, my only choice was Stargazer Lilies – you know those great big white Lilies with pink on the inside and the super strong smell? I couldn’t bring myself to do it. People either love that smell, or are grossed out by it. And in a small hospital room? No thanks.

So I decided on Tulips. They’re so elegant and beautiful. I gave him the bouquet but I kept one at home so I could see how long they’d last (well over a week!). I hope you get well soon, my friend!

Another friend of mine told me that Tulips were her favorite flowers because she loved how they flopped over out of the vase. I love how Tulips flop over, too, but I learned something a few years ago that cracked me up. It turns out that if you put five or six pennies in the bottom of the vase, the Tulips stand up straight. Apparently, it also works with Vodka. I don’t know what Vodka and pennies have in common, but I do know the pennies work (like I’m going to waste Vodka on a flower experiment – hah!). They look strange to me standing up (I didn’t put pennies in this tulip’s vase, btw) but if the floppiness bothers you, now you know how to fix that.

It’s Christmas week! Even in Albuquerque, it gets cold. This is my car the other morning. Isn’t the frost pretty? No really, I don’t smoke crack, I swear!

It reminded me of flowers. Even in the dark of winter, you can buy Tulips to brighten someone’s day, and your own. How cool is that? Happy Tuesday, everyone, and happy indoor gardening!