The House in Upstate New York Leap Day Flower Show

Once every four years, we are given a bonus day.  Today is leap day.

Why do we leap?  It's interesting.

At my Weight Watchers meeting this week, we were asked if any of us were born on February 29 or, if not, if we knew anyone who was. No one born on that day, but a couple of us knew people.  The next question:  do they celebrate on February 28 or March 1?

Today they can celebrate on February 29.

But, the bonus day has been interesting so far for other reasons.

A Facebook friend reminisces about her late father, who was born on February 29, 1916.

A person I sometimes interact on Facebook with reported a scam.

And...I decided not to go to the Philadelphia Flower Show, a show I've wanted to go to for years.  I had taken off yesterday and Monday from work to do this.  We were waiting for the last minute because it's still winter, and a snowstorm could have prevented us going down this weekend.

But it wasn't the weather that stopped me. It was fear.  Not of the flowers and plants, but of the massive number of people expecting to attend - perhaps over 250,000 in a week's time.

It's true that the flower show is taking various precautions. And, there are no known cases of coronavirus in Philadelphia.  But this show also attracts people from various parts of the country and the world.

Ironically, in a way,  we did our normal food shopping this morning in a crowded 100,000 plus square foot supermarket.  Perhaps you are less fearful at home.

But even at the checkout, I looked over at the next checkout and a couple were rubbing their hands with hand sanitizer. And I find myself reading a bit obsessively about the virus and how to prepare (and we did go to the store for extra supplies.  Also, hand sanitizer - which I normally try to avoid using, being more of a believer in the power of soap.)  I'm becoming a lot more conscious of touching my face, and trying to break the habit.

Valentines Day Gift

So, I am going to do my own little flower show today.  No, it's not the Riviera theme of the Philadelphia Flower Show.  Call it the House in Upstate New York on Leap Day theme.

Black Friday special at Home Depot and still has some blooms

Usually I don't even have this many flowers.

But this year is special.  It's a leap year.  And my Thanksgiving cactii will all be in bloom a couple of days from now.

Do you get the idea that I like pink flowers?

A poinsettia from 2018 continues to rebloom, slowly.  Looks better than it did on the 15th.

With us posed on the knife edge of who knows what, all we can do is hope for the best, and take a flower break from time to time.

Happy Leap Day to you.

Flower Power!