Tuesday, February 10, 2009

be happy, buy flowers


After struggling with menu block--and possibly Seasonal Affect Disorder (isn't it a little too perfect that the acronym is S.A.D.?)--last week, I am pleased to report I got my act together and produced a meal for some friends (red wine risotto, more on that later).

Last Saturday I did a simple thing that really pulled me out of my doldrums. I bought a branch of cherry blossoms at the bodega around the corner. It was a massive, spindly, thorn-ridden thing and quite precarious to carry up three flights of stairs without poking my own or Dan's eyes out. But I got it in the apartment and balanced it in a vase of water and immediately felt better somehow. It looks like a pretty, sun-kissed tree is growing on our mantle. Seeing those soft, pink blooms popping out of the craggy branch reminded me that spring really is around the corner, even though everything else is still gray and frozen. And the flowers conveniently spruced up the apartment for company we were having that night. With no fussy arranging required.

I'm not saying that cherry blossoms are the cure for depression. Trust me when I say I've been there. Prozac does things that flowers simply cannot do. But there is something magical about bringing flowers indoors in the dead of winter. They really do make you feel a little hopeful.

Lately, I've been cutting back on my flower purchases to save money but spending that $10 was totally worth it. Something to consider when you're feeling a bit low.

6 comments:

Colin P. Delaney said...

Me, I just listen to Waits' "You Can Never Hold Back Spring"

Pink of Perfection said...

Oh, these are just lovely.

Daniel said...

I like "Springtime in New York" by Jonathan Richman.

And if red wine risotto doesn't work for you--it did for me--there's always Prozac risotto*.

*Patent pending.

Anonymous said...

I saw some beautiful cherry blossoms the other day and am now regretting not picking them up. Just found your blog from Smitten Kitchen...great stuff here!

Lisa said...

Hi Nithya! Thanks for saying hello. Glad you like the site. I just checked out your blog and it's great! Hope you come back soon, Lisa

dan said...

It's very beatiful.

www.Says-It-With-Flowers.blogspot.com

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