...Daddy's little girl.

Alvin Milton Radoccia
September 30, 1927-January 11, 2009
I love you and will miss you each and every day.

...hyacinths.

As much as I love Christmas and all the decorations, there comes a point where I long for the clean uncluttered feeling that January brings. There is something so renewing about taking everything down and boxing it away for the following year.
After the needles have been vacuumed, the glitter swept up, and the scent of pine has dwindled, I set about putting everything back into place. And one of the first thing I do is to go out and buy fresh flowers. Somehow, whether by intention or subliminal habit, I always seem to buy Hyacinths. There is something about passing by their subtle fragrance that reminds me spring is just around the corner! They smell fresh and new like January should be, bursting with colors far from the red and green spectrum that December left behind.
I found out recently that Hyacinths, throughout history, have sometimes been associated with rebirth! How perfect! By surprise, I guess I've been picking just the perfect flower for the New Year. After all, in spite of the New Years resolutions that have been carefully considered and tossed aside with the Christmas tree, January is really about new beginnings.
I say, treat yourself to bunch of hyacinths and begin the rebirth of your year with a renewed sense of all that is possible!
Happy New Year!