Tulips

I went to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival this past weekend. The sun came out and it was even a little warm, it turned out to be a great day.

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival was officially inaugurated in 1984 by the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce. When the festival began, it only lasted a few days and then a week. Because the weather is unpredictable, the festival is now a month long, giving folks time to enjoy the full bloom of the tulips.

A few facts about tulips:
Tulips are spring-blooming perennials that grow from bulbs. Depending on the species, tulip plants can grow as short as 4 inches or as high as 28 inches.

Tulip flowers come in a wide variety of colors, except pure blue (several tulips with "blue" in the name have a faint violet hue).

Tulips are indigenous to mountainous areas with temperate climates and need exposure to the prolonged cold of winter. They thrive in climates with long, cool springs and dry summers. Although perennials, tulip bulbs are often imported to warm-winter areas of the world from cold-winter areas, and are planted in the fall to be treated as annuals (flowers that only bloom once).

Although tulips are associated with Holland, both the flower and its name originated in the Persian Empire. The tulip actually is not a Dutch flower as many people tend to believe. Tulip, or "Laleh" as it's called in Persian, is a flower indigenous to Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia. In the sixteenth century, tulips were introduced to Europe, and from there on it became known to the whole world.

There was also a large field of yellow daffodils. Bright yellow flowers, blue skies and snow capped mountains sure bring a smile to my face.

I bought two bunches of tulips, they're sitting on my desk. They're such happy flowers, and they last a few weeks! So next time you're in the Seattle area in April you should go to the Tulip Festival, just one of those things that is worth experiencing.

Charlie Brown, the philosopher

"I've developed a new philosophy . . . I only dread one day at a time."


Charlie Brown's first appearance was in 1950, and one of my grandma's all time favorites. He fails in almost everything he does, bullied by his dog and friends but he never gives up hope.  

Even though this quote is a glass half empty perspective, it's also very profound. Instead of saying seize the day, Charlie Brown says that instead of dreading the next 50 years, he is only going to focus on tomorrow. He won't worry about what he wants to be when he grows up or who he might marry. Charlie Brown will focus on his baseball team winning (unlikely), if Lucy will hold the football for him, or whether he receives a Valentine (even less likely).

It's easy to get lost in the shuffle of day-to-day life. We start going through the motions: wake up, shower, breakfast, work, drive home, dinner, sleep, etc. Is it possible to enjoy the moment when each day is dull and predictable? Can you really appreciate a fresh cup of coffee in the morning when you've had it every other morning? What gets you through the day? How is it possible to enjoy the moment if you have to worry about paying rent, getting to work on time, buying groceries, planning a summer vacation?

I think it all comes down to life is what you make it. Are you the type of person to growl about gas prices and the cloudy weather? Or can you be grateful that you are finacially stable to afford a car and gas? Usually I'm not that optimistic but I don't let it ruin my day. Hey, at least it's a start.

My aunt Sue says "Don't sweat the small stuff and it's all small stuff."

In the end, I won't care how much money I make or whether I was five minutes late for a meeting. I will care whether or not I spent time with the people I love, if I laughed and gave hugs and had the confidence to be myself. Charlie Brown is right. Don't worry about the rest of your life. If you're going to worry about anything at all, focus on tomorrow. Believe that everything will all work out in the end.