Fevrier

I can't figure out how to add the proper accent to that first e above, but I honestly want to mark every letter of this month with enthusiasm. February is nearly passed! February, dark and short-long, wet and sloppy, when neither blade of grass nor beast of earth venture forth to test the air, is almost behind us.

 Under every clod of snow there is a heart-shaped patch of refuse. February.

And this year I actually enjoyed it.

But I think that's mostly due to the flowers -- the lead-up to Vday and the slow happy come-down.

In other years I've felt more like the protagonist in Shane Jones' novel Light Boxes, for whom February is an unending month, a veiled monster, and a real freaking downer. If you're feeling shut-in, like the world doesn't understand your malaise, or if you just want some rich dark fairy-tale language to slide down your frozen throat, please pick up Shane's book. (Watch the trailer ((book trailers are such an interesting phenomenon)) here.)

Au revoir, Fevrier!

"I don’t want to die, said February. This is what is going to happen, said the girl who smelled of honey and smoke. She walked over to February and whispered something in his ear. I hope that works, said February. I really do."            - from Light Boxes

Details

The New York in Bloom festival is going on right now, and this afternoon I wandered through.

 

It's a weird place, and will get even weirder tomorrow when it's joined by the Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show. For $10 you can see both, and a host of taxidermied birds, wax lumberjacks, and whale skeletons besides.

Scout & About

This is my friend Rebecca, with one of her begonias. 

Rebecca is a mom, a poet and novelist, a doula-in-training, a publisher, a resident of the beautiful town of Hudson, and was my first new friend in Albany when I moved back here, 5 short years ago. She loves cats and rabbits, jeans with low waists, and very milky tea.

Her begonias flourish and bloom profusely, even in the dead of winter, in fleshy tones of pink and peach. I spent a recent afternoon relishing their colors, as R's son Asher performed complex times-tables and Lego maneuvers on the carpet nearby, and the bunnies chewed willow twigs in their magical cardboard jungle.

If you're in need of a compassionate and fierce doula to usher you or a loved one through pregnancy, delivery, and life afterward, email Rebecca at dolldrum@gmail.com.


. . . and if you're not with child, but sometimes find yourself pregnant with language, find Rebecca and Fence Books at the New School in NYC tomorrow night for a fantastic poetry reading! I mean really fantastic.

I've never celebrated Valentine's Day,

not with the fervor, the adrenaline, the numerous sounds of delight, the armfuls of floral scent, or with as plentiful a feeling of community love as I experienced yesterday. Thank you to everyone who helped, checked-in, ordered, received, and smiled as I walked past. Thank you to the stoops and porches that held bouquets for those who weren't at home. Thanks to the stars and the moon for agreeing to align. Here's some evidence:

These bouquets included:

•  Local boxwood, grown near Averill Park
• Clove-scented stock from California
• White snapdragons from Ontario, Canada
• Californian ranunculus--some red, some maroon, some yellow or orange
• White irises with yellow centers, from South Carolina
• and piney sprigs of pink Californian waxflowers

If this list inspires you, let me know. There are still a few smaller bouquets available for pick-up. Contact me at flowerscoutfarm@gmail.com.

x  o  x  o  x  o  x  o  x  o  x  o  x  o

Exactly

yes yes yes yes yes yes

This is what I'm talking about.

Thank you to everyone who has purchased a bouquet! I can't wait to actually GROW flowers for you all.

I also can't wait to show you photos of the flowers that will make their way into these love-filled bouquets. 

P. S. If you're still thinking about getting one, get on it! Email me at flowerscoutfarm@gmail.com by NOON tomorrow, Wednesday 2/13.

Valentine's Day is a farce, but LOVE IS NOT.

Are you a maker of grand gestures?

Do you have difficulty making the appropriate grand gesture?

Or is this the year you start trying to gesture, after perhaps flailing wildly in a gesture-less state all these years? 

Flower Scout is here to help you stay subtle and avoid awkwardness, insofar as possible.

This Valentine's Day (which is Thursday, February 14th), get a handmade floral bouquet for your darling or darlings for only $10. Include the message of your choice, hand-written by yrs truly. Bouquets will include a variety of responsibly-grown flowers, with accompanying information about the types of bloom and location of origin.

Delivery to yourself or your loves is available for a small fee, or you can pick up directly from me, at CAC Woodside in Troy, on Valentine's Day morn.

TO REVIEW:

Handmade Floral Arrangement: $10

Delivery Fee: $5-10

DO NOT buy Price Chopper flowers for your beau.

If you're interested, and I hope you are, then let me know: Call or text me at 518.258.6507, email me at flowerscoutfarm@gmail.com, or knock on my door before the morning of Wednesday the 13th.

[Added Note: If you can get at least two other people in your office/on your street to order a bouquet, you can split the cost of delivery! Spread the word.]