Flowers in February...

Something that Pats had posted on her Facebook group earlier this week got me thinking.

(chk it out - the group is called Home Dekor India - nice!)

Keeping with the Valentine spirit, it was a lot of really cute tips about how you can make Valentine's special in a lot of little ways and it doesn't necessarily need to burn a hole in your pocket.

Of all the things she mentioned, the point that stayed with me was about flowers. It need not be roses, it need not be an elaborate bunch - sometimes even a single bloom can convey so much. And I know all you women out there will be nodding your approval!

All right, I'll be fair, well-know fact - ladies LOVE flowers.

But look at those colours - do you really blame them?

But give a guy a flower and deep down...

somewhere under all that sports loving, macho-man exterior, there's going to be the softest, ever so hidden, blink 'n you'll miss it, 'awwww shucks!' moment.

I kid you not!

I have a friend who celebrated his anniversary last year and sent his wife a lovely bouquet. You should have seen his surprise when he got to work and saw that his wife had sent him one too! It was really cute. We teased him about it forever after that, but that's a different story.

Whether you're buying a bouquet, or even just a single flower, passing a pretty, colorful flower shop or a little patch of wild flowers on the road...they always warm the heart.

I passed this lovely flower shoppe in Prague and had to stop and take a few pictures...it was adorable and so quaint! As a result, dad bought mum 2 lovely daisies. What do you do, flowers just put you in that kinda mood I guess.

And if you're among the cynics, who believe that Valentine's Day is just an excuse to waste money on flowers that will eventually wilt and die...welcome to our world where you can buy 'forever flowers'. They're made of glass and are exquisite. In Europe, it's still roadside shopping. If you're a mall person, check out the nearest Swarovski outlet.

And you really thought Cupid wouldn't have come up with something for the likes of you!

But Pats is totally right, it's not about the roses and the candles and all that.

It's about doing little special things. And if you can manage 'special' with a few flowers, songs, teddy bears even, and that brings a smile on the face of the one you love;

more power to you, friend.

So till later, enjoy your Valentine planning, however small it may seem.

John Lennon knew what he was talking about when he sang, All you need is love!

Keep smiling.

Rose