That's Zoe, 'watching the birdies', to see if they move...
(gawd, I'm SO funny...lol)

Amaryllis are just SO lovely...(and using the 'cartoon' feature makes the picture look kinda artsy-fartsy, doncha think?) LOL

The amaryllis plants in my living room. The green plants 'summer' outside, but in the colder months, they crowd my indoors. (The little man in the crock on the left is just the head of a statue that broke at work...I couldn't throw him away! Hey, it's kinda fun to rub his bald little head, ok? Besides, he reminds me of someone...lol) 

...and the cartoon version. Somehow, it looks much more classic, doesn't it...lol 

Perhaps Love

I first heard this song at a concert a few weeks ago. It touched me 'close to my heart'.
(I'm just printing it here to keep, ya know?)

Perhaps Love

Perhaps love is like a resting place, a shelter from the storm.
It exists to give you comfort, it is there to keep you warm.
And in those times of trouble when you are most alone,
the memory of love will bring you home.

Perhaps love is like a window, perhaps an open door.
It invites you to come closer, it wants to show you more.
And even if you lose yourself and don't know what to do,
the memory of love will see you through.

Oh, love to some is like a cloud, to some as strong as steel.
For some a way of living, for some a way to feel.
And some say love is holding on and some say letting go.
And some say love is everything and some say they don't know.

Perhaps love is like the ocean, full of conflict, full of change.
Like a fire when it's cold outside or thunder when it rains.
If I should live forever and all my dreams come true,
my memories of love will be of you.

Let's see if re-sizing this helped at all...(I originally made it larger, but THAT made it fuzzy...like this) Oh, well, the caption is STILL "Don't I know you?" lol (Thanks, L!)
Hey, it helped quite a bit--COOL! :^)

Oranges and applets...

Buddy R pronounces it "Or-AN-ges", and we here in the north say "OR-anges".....lol...but they're mmmm, ALL good.

Here's an applet with a stunning rose, for you...
http://www.riversongs.com/flo/mis.html

My friends R and D were in Florida recently and brought these back for me. I can feel the vitamin C pulsing through my veins already! lol
(Did you see how cleverly I managed to show you the amaryllii?)

December wind

Last night as I slept, I became aware of the howling wind, sometimes huge gusts that sounded verrrry cold and ominous, rattling the windows, singing through the wires and the pines in front of the house. Ahhhh, the pleasure of being warm and well fed, sleepy and safe inside...LIFE IS GOOD here on the tundra.

R carving the roast. The platter has wild rice and steamed veggies, too....Mmmmmm, an excellent dinner! 

Music!

A close friend, D, sings with a local Chorale, and last night they presented a 'Christmas Caberet' in a former church at one of the nearby colleges. I was invited to attend with her husband, R, and two sons.
WOW.
Having never been to a caberet before (I was thinking 'night club', or the decadent German one featured in the movie Caberet...lol), I knew to dress up and to expect wonderful Christmas music, but oh, man! The evening was exquisite--we were seated at tables for 10 and plied with carols while we ate dinner...a roving MC told us about the music as he strolled around the hall....the churchy acoustics made their voices reverberate...the food was excellent and at one point, a Caberet Carver was chosen from each table to carve the Pork Crown Roast. At our table, R was chosen, and he did a masterful job.
The evening ended with the Chorale singing Handel's Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah (swing tempo!) and it was wonderful.
(Did I mention before how MUCH I love Christmas??)

You know how sometimes you can't sleep? I was up at 3:30 this morning. Had a piece of toast and went back to bed, but not before noticing the startled expression on #2....(amazing what I do for my readers, huh?) LOL 

Just get 'em a poinsettia!

Whew! More than you EVER wanted to know about the ubiquitous Christmas plant...lol

http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/xmasflower/

...and no, they're NOT poisonous!

Speaking of "outdoor colorlessness" in a Minnesota winter (we were, weren't we?), here's my garden fairie all excited about the icecicles hanging from her elbows. Whiner! 

Awwww! LOVE that color! 

Like any kid, an amaryllis goes through a funky period, all gawky and out of proportion. This is the second one I found curled in a box that day...and they BOTH have a second flower stalk. (Just think of all the pictures I can subject you to in the next few weeks! lol) 

Amaryllis #2 as a straight man....or a giraffe...lol  

A red amaryllis makes all the difference

Here in the Northland, we talk about how COLD it is...how difficult to survive, how dangerous it is to drive in the winter, how short the days are, gray and gloomy....and, as Garrison says, we live in a place that tries to kill us once or twice a year.

I know.

These goofy myths keep visitors away!

In Minnesota in the winter, real life happens indoors. While outside it's all white (or brown, like this winter), the COLOR and joy is inside.
Hmmm...thinking about where I've been lately, places where I've noticed the colors: a lovely old theater, the cathedral, a friends' house, walking into the grocery store where I work....and here at home. The cold and lack of color outside makes me appreciate how colorful and warm it is inside. Especially, right now, this amaryllis:

Oh, man, I LOVE the exuberance of amaryllis bulbs! I bought this one at Home Depot, and when I opened the box, the bulb had eight inches of weird sideways growth in a startling shade of white....poor thing! A day or two in my east window and it was straight and green...and a week later, it was showing color. ( And I think I've done something good just by taking it out of the box).  

OK, I may be belaboring the point here...but I'm so delighted with how easy candle rings work! Today, I started with these HEAVY clay pots (they hold a 1/2 block of John Henry) and had six done within an hour. Three stages shown here: the one on the left is almost done; in the middle, I've glued the ring down and shaped it; the third one is ready to be shaped........hey! I can keep showing you these things because this is MY blog....and having the camera along is just TOO tempting! (This is what the scroll bar is for, you know?)
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This is cool because it's just a candle ring and two matching branches....ahhhh, the artistry it takes to be a florist, huh?
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A candle ring in a pot with crystal branches in the center. I added a spray of red berries up through the branches to finish it.
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One box of today's finished product. See the whitish branches? They're covered with plastic 'crystals' and glitter. See the red magnolias (upper left)? They're edged in glitter. See the snowy-looking pine there in the center? Glittered. LIFE IS GOOD!
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Another use for a blowdryer...(maybe this is only funny in the northland?)
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"It's the most wonderful season of all..."

I LOVE the Christmas season, way beyond the 'glittering' possibilities.

I'm an agnostic with RC guilt from childhood, so while the nativity story isn't part of my holiday, the trappings are:
Christmas carols....vivid colors.....jingle bells....great food...TOO MUCH of everything.....
Ahhh, wonderful, just wonderful.

(Tonight, I almost took a picture of traffic--red tail lights, white headlights, green signals...lol...see? It was just so festive!) :^)

In the interests of full disclosure....here's the LEFT end of my counter...the 'business' end, with all the important tools :^)
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I finally got a chance to do some 'sets' today. The idea is that only a few customers will buy the largest piece of a "look" (in this case, burgandy and crystal Christmas), or, they haven't the room for a big arrangement, so they'll purchase something smaller in the same colors and flowers. The largest piece here is about $100, the smallest about $15. The radio's not for sale...
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Do you GLUE?

Oh, man.
This is going to be 'one of those weeks' at the shop.
A looming deadline to get multiple centerpieces done for a holiday party, a wedding on Saturday and Winter Formal at the local high school, too.

And we're still short one designer.

Corsages are probably the most labor-intensive thing we do, and believe me, the thrill of making them went away a LONG time ago. The only thing that helps is that we glue flowers in place these days instead of wiring and taping. The finished (wrist) corsage is much lighter and more balanced on the arm than the clumpy things we used to produce.
And, oh yeah:
We glitter them.
....sigh.....LOL

"Cluster Ballooning"

EVERY florist has heard those clever remarks about a bunch of helium balloons being inflated in the shop:

"Hey! You going for a ride?"

"Careful--you'll float away!"

"How do we get you off the ceiling?"

Har, har, har...even a hundred 11" balloons have very little 'lift'....but oh, man, LOOK at this!

http://www.clusterballoon.org/intro/intro.html

(Thanks, Presurfer!)

Oh, WOW! Someday, someday.....
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Sometimes, I get product that I can't imagine how to use. THIS ugly little beads-and-pearls candle ring is taped in brown..ugh...and I have six dozen of them, plus 4 dozen matching stems. (I pulled it open a little so you could see it better...) In 'real life', they're even uglier. Gah. HELP! :^)
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The Seven Minute Centerpiece

Wow...how intriguing is THAT?

I was, indeed, at Central yesterday and thought I'd take pictures of my mass-production method. I'm sure it's not a new idea...but after years of one-at-a-time arranging, this pumps 'em out fast, and made me slap my own head for not thinking of it sooner...lol

The secret? Candle rings!

LOL...hey, I could see these just fine...the clutter in the background didn't distract at ALL...(BTW, some tools of the trade there: a fan, a CD player/radio, stack of CD's, the bowl of hard candy....since I'm decidedly LEFT handed, the glue pan and pick machine are on the left side of this counter. This IS the 'presentable' side!!
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4" x 6" basket, with 1/3 brick John Henry foam and a bit'o'spanish moss...
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I took pictures of two sets of 12 baskets...this set is about 4" x 6" each. (The round set is 6" baskets) All the candle rings used are for a 4" candle. Obviously, this ring is too wide across for the basket, so I squeeze it with my stomach...lol....against the edge of the counter. My belly: The Oval Maker...
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A buncha baskets, ready to go...with one started by the time I remembered to snap a picture :^)
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See? Prep 12 baskets at once...add the 'secret weapon' (candle ring) and you're almost done. I should have taken pictures of the baskets before I add John Henry...there's a piece of duct tape in the bottom, and then a chunk of scrap granite from the local fireplace store, for percieved value (weight!) The duct tape? Pan glue sticks to it, even when it wouldn't stick to the slick surface of the bottom of the basket...ok? AND, the duct tape/glue combo stays, even if the thing gets cold....on delivery, you know...or when I'm taking them back to the store. Hey, it's a PROBLEM in Minnesota!
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Here's the candle ring on the basket...using two pieces of pine at each side twisted around the handles to secure the ring. Usually, with these centerpieces, I add a snowman or santa in the middle, and fill around it with 5-6 pieces if greens...and it's DONE!
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What to do with a green basket? This set has six red and six green in each box...I'd better figure it out, huh? Silver and white, with a frosted candle-ring.
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Still 'Breathing'...WOW!

What an amazing concert it was...especially since Dare To Breathe is disbanding with the new year. St. Mary's was one of their last concerts, but man, they're going out on TOP.
I'm listening to the CD 'Bright Morning Stars' right now....wow, it's magical and funny.....sacred...and ephemeral....
I feel humble to have been there--it makes me remember how much GOOD there is in the world.

Here are the lyrics to #10, called "Other Songs". They do it as a tight round, and it's totally stunning:

"Many creatures sing their own songs and who can say if they are not able to feel the same joy as a human with a complex vocal apparatus? How does evolution give us any right to be conceited?"

LOL...this just makes me laugh...(it's a tee-shirt design I found on the web...)
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Dare to Breathe

I almost forgot! I'm going to a concert tonight at the cathedral. The group is Dare To Breathe http://www.daretobreathe.com/

Ahhhhh, this alone will get me through my day! :^)

Coffee

Oooo, groggy this morning. I'm ......BRB....the coffee's done....

OK! That's better........Good Morning!
Today is a 'full thermos' day...lol...or so I've been told. I can test the waters by calling the shop on my way to work--"Do you want me to turn left here" (go to the main store) "or should I go straight to Central?"

(There's something about management's power: an obsequious question that amounts to 'What's your whim, oh, great one?' is often all it takes. LOL
On the other hand, maybe I'm finally learning to be a bit manipulative...?)

Well, we'll see, huh?
We definitely need the arrangements in ALL the stores, and it's December already. I try not to feel the frustration....or like it's ME letting them down...but if I'm not sent to do silks, they don't get product to sell...the totals go down...argh.

Have a great day, both of you...see you here tonight?

I suppose every town has one of these...the family whose house just glows. lol I imagine that 'friends' have given these folks Christmas junk for years...and they just keep adding it to the front yard, every year. The street this house is on crosses the Main Drag in my town. They're a half block down, on the left. Ya GOTTA go look! The sensory overload is excruciating....LOL
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Are we ready for Christmas or what? The picture was taken this morning, BEFORE we got 150 MORE poinsettias...and yes, the sign says "Flower SHOPPE". Argh.
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Having fun!

Whew...really, today was FUN. A goofy sense of excitement and a deadline is all it takes, huh? LOL

At 6PM, it was 25 degrees outside and even without snow, people were in a festive mood. Of course, the staff was a little wired: people who normally spend the whole day behind a counter were walking around the store (lookin' spiffy in their christmas clothes) with trays of goodies to hand out.

At this moment, my stomach contains three (ok, maybe five) roll-ups, two pieces of Ghiradelli chocolate, a chunk of apple with carmel, two pieces of turkey skewered on pretzels, a sip of eggnog, a half meatball "with wild rice", and a dollop of ice cream--all chased by a tall glass of water.
A local duo sang carols, the store manager......What? You want pictures?
Ok, ok...! This was my day:

Ahhhh......tonight, when I got home, I found these in my smock-pocket.
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Looking from behind the floral counter toward produce...this was during a break in the crowd...lol
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This is what I put together in about an hour today...LOL...just count the candles.
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This afternoon, I was sent to do a few more holiday silk arrangements...so this is me, at Central. It's a LOT messier than it looks, trust me!
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This is the display that I love the most. Rich oranges, burgandies and purples...it makes my mouth water.
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This morning, looking past the counter on the left...all decked out for A Taste of Christmas.
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A Taste of Christmas

There ought to be a buzz in the air today at the store....we can 'dress up' no matter what shift we have. The event is 4-7 tonight.
I'm working 7:30 to 4, but I'd rather wash a smock than a holiday sweater :^)

Oh, yes, I'll stay awhile tonight.....with the camera....just for YOU, my readers.

Both of you.

('Genacreating a little excitement', like Tommy Smothers said...lol)
See ya tonight!

"Don't forget your beer, dear!"

You know, it used to be, 8 or 10 years ago, that the Minnesota man-in-the-street took on a decidedly scruffy look this time of year. Before the three-day beard was a fashion statement, we'd have a steady parade of prickly-faced men buying roses for their wives, to be delivered on Saturday.
(I know only one man who's done this every year...because he works from home, and because he CAN).

Why, you ask, are they getting ready to play Santa?
Or, 'cuz Minnesota's --brrrr--pretty cold?

Naw, they were going deer hunting, and part of the 'just guys' ritual was to seriously neglect personal hygiene for four or five glorious days...and, hey, if you're going to do it, you might as well rationalize that a new beard's itchy stages really ARE warmer up there in the woods....
Then too, if you don't bathe, you smell more natural, right?

(Oh, man! Ya don't want that 10-pointer avoiding you just 'cuz he gets a whif of after-shave, right?)

This year, FIVE different guys came into the shop or called to get roses delivered while they were gone hunting. It's hard not to laugh...

so I play the guilt card....lol

"You'll want extra babys breath with that?"

"How about a few 'I love you' balloons?"

"We can send chocolates, too, if you'd like..."

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE beards...mmm-hmmmm. Full, lush, grown-out beards.....

It's the half-inch, week-end back-to-nature guys I find hilarious...especially those I see again on Monday morning, clean-shaven and smelling good:

"Soooo....d'ja get your deer?"