Monday, December 31, 2012

Tulips in December

Flowers in the House, on New Year's Eve (visit Jane for an international tour)

I have never made fuss about a New Year. I inherited from my mother a feeling of vague apprehension, open antipathy and and quiet suspicion about it. A reaction against knee jerk festivities and hollow celebration.

But I am looking forward to 2013. Does that mean it is going to blow up in my face? I am circumspect about optimism. Now is safer than tomorrow. Take care of today and tomorrow will look after itself.

And about the tulips...at the local flower sellers (who rarely sell local flowers...) tulips have been a fixture for three weeks, now. I try to buy seasonal flowers. As a gardener, a grower of plants, a cook who loves vegetables and leaves that belong to now, it just feels better to be buying asters, rather than freesias, in October. Daffodils in April. Dahlias in high summer. And so on. But I have succumbed to the tulips, Sylvia Plath notwithstanding.

I don't know where these tulips come from. Nowhere in the world in late December is a tulip growing of its own volition. But the weather is cold, the bunches stay fresh in their buckets, in front of the ubiquitous, heavily pesticided roses, the blue chrysanthemums, the florists' gum...

And the New Year is around the corner. It is a rare moment when I can look back and say with satisfaction, OK, this is what I did, and that was good. And this is what lies ahead. And I can do that, too.

And things are possible.

(...if you need a snack to go with your bubbly, there are some crunchy roast pecans next door, at 66 Square Feet (the Food)...also Harry Belafonte. But that's another story.)

12 comments:

  1. Happy New Year. It is the same over here in Ireland - tulips are always available over Christmas(mental!) Well said "things are possible"..Sinead

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  2. Well you have certainly shown us that.

    Now what shall we do with the information in 2013.

    Your tulips are lovely, your future is bright and your mother is probably right but let's welcome the New Year in with style.

    If not us then who?

    love to the three of you.

    xo Jane

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  3. I have a feeling that 2013 will be very spwcial for you, and i'm thrilled. Love the tulips and the vase. The Whole Foods here had tulips thatthey swore were local ... i'm guessing forced in a green house. If they have them next week, i shall succumb. Happy New Year!

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  4. I had never read that marvellous poem by Sylvia Plath - thank you! And I now have a longing for some tulips....
    Wishing you a wonderful 2013.

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  5. There are always tulips in New York, must be that Manhattan soil! Let's see what 2013 brings, it's all a toss up. At least we know the Mayans were confused. Now, what I really want is your middle eastern cookbooks. Good wishes for 2013.

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    Replies
    1. result of Dutch settlers, no doubt.

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  6. Best wishes for 2013, but I'm with you, here is to enjoying the now! Chin chin! Bx

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  7. Tulips are my favorites, but so far, I'm resisting and using branches from the many evergreens in our yard. Wishing you adventures, peace, and health in 2013!

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  8. Love the tulips, we have a local grower who has them in a greenhouse. I will probably purchase some from him in a week or two when all our flowers are gone. Best wishes for a happy new year. Denise

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  9. Whenever a customer wants to send red tulips to someone in the hospital, I remember this poem and suggest something less intrusive.
    Your tulips are perfect in that pitcher. Just perfect.

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  10. To my mind the New Years celebration is simply too arbitrary. Jan 1 because it needs to get out of the way of Christmas? .Maybe I would prefer The day the light begins to return after the solstice. It's peculiar how winter begins the new year instead of ending the old one. (How about new year on march 21?) It's as if winter is an end to life and so just as it begins on the solstice, the new year must begin in order to "reset" so that winter then becomes the beginning because who can handle such a lengthy ending. Ok, sense not made, must've been all that celebrating. ;-)

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  11. I too, rarely look forward to the new year... but this year, I was looking forward to 2013. Wishing you the best in 2013. I've been enjoy your blog for about 6 months now. Wished I lived in NYC :) but I visit often. Looking forward to your book.

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