in the Netherlands

For Valentine's Day, I surprised my wife with her favorite flowers. I would have rather waited until her birthday but that plan failed last year. Sam's Club had sold out by then.

I avoided the lovestruck crowds at the florist by purchasing tulips last Friday. My challenge was to keep them hidden and alive until today. Of all the plants for sale, I chose the one with the greenest, tightest buds, hoping that they wouldn't bloom for six days or more. Once I got them home, I worried that the heat and light in the house would prompt the flowers to open. After thinking about it for a few minutes, I hid them in the coolest, darkest part of the basement. Last night I brought them upstairs and left them where she would find them first thing this morning. As you can see, the timing was pretty good. They will probably open fully by tomorrow.