FRESH FLOWERS

Gerald doesn't understand why I want "fresh flowers". He says, "They just die; why don't you have a plant instead?" He will PLANT anything in the yard but he thinks I should leave everything growing outside instead of cutting them for bouquets. He also doesn't understand why I want annuals as well as perennials in the yard! In our whole life together (1968 to today), he has never given me cut flowers!

I understand pregnant women having "cravings" because I have cravings for flowers, especially in the winter.

I want fresh flowers in the house (I am very much aware that this is "Shanty-Irish" trying to be "Lace Curtain Irish"!). I even want Gerald to plant flowers that color-coordinate with the decor! On Easter I had daffodils in a Fiesta Ware pitcher on the kitchen table; pink, white, and blue hyacinths in the family room; grape hyacinths in the bathroom; paper white narcissus in the laundry room; forsythia in the library--all from the yard--Kroger had roses for $5.99 a dozen; I have yellow roses in the living room and Sonia roses in the dining room. After completing my arrangements, I insist that Gerald and Les walk through the house, however unwillingly, to tell me which arrangement looks the best. On Easter, before I could EVEN ask, Les said, "The one in the family room." I shrieked, "You haven't even looked at those yet!" He whined, "Do I hafta?" Usually, after dinners, my friend Lori goes through the house and chooses which floral arrangement looks the best as I obviously cannot trust the opinions of my husband and brother!

One time, our great-nephew Ziggy brought me ten dozen roses. How blissful! My friend Patty sent me sixty roses on my 60th birthday! One time at work, the receptionist called and told me I had flowers in the lobby. It was my birthday and I raced there to find that my brother and sister-in-law had sent me flowers.

No amount of my trying to make Gerald feel guilty has prompted him to buy cut flowers but I always thought, "If I were in the hospital, he'd bring me flowers."

The day of my accident, I looked up as he walked in carrying TWO ROSE BUSHES! It really hurt to laugh and I couldn't shake my head in wonder. I asked, "Where the Hell did you get rose bushes in January?"