Tuesdays with Annie 1 26 10

What a Tuesday morning – we get answers from Monday’s brain teasers after experiencing a true January thaw. Yesterday’s mild temperatures and heavy rains melted most of the snow; enough to give us a glimpse of our gardens and a spring in our step. But do be careful. There are still patches of ice on the grass and Old Man Winter still has a few more months to fool with the New England weather. So make sure everything fragile still stays protected from the cold.

The carnation is the January birth flower. True. Carnations come in all different varieties: annuals, biennials and perennials. Annuals are the most popular of the carnations. A flower of choice for bouquets and boutonnieres due to its low cost – recession proof!

Carnations originated in Eastern Europe. False. The Carnation, one of the world’s oldest cultivated flowers dates back to the ancient Greek and Roman times and is said to have originated in the Near East.

The Scarlet Carnation is the state flower of Ohio. True. This flower was chosen to honor President William McKinley, who was often seen wearing this carnation.

At Harvard University, it is customary to wear a carnation to an exam. False. It is customary to wear a carnation to an exam at Oxford University. There are different colors worn to each exam throughout the year. A bit obsessive but good for the flower industry.

Pink Carnations are said to be a symbol of a husband’s undying love. False. The belief that carnations first appeared on earth from the Virgin Mary’s tears make this flower the symbol of a mother’s undying love. However, carnations are also the ‘1st wedding anniversary’ flower so we could interpret that this is the year when a husband has undying love. It’s all downhill after that. As Helen Rowland once quoted, “To be happy with a man you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.” Have a great Tuesday and surprise your wife with carnations. Annie leaves hints everywhere.

Photo by Greg Bilowz