Valentines Day PSA

I'm not a very good "girl" I guess... I've always tried to ignore Valentines Day.

But it comes every year, around the same time, whether I pay attention or not.

I try to get Farmmom flowers or a Valentine's themed stuffed animal every year, just to see her smile, but other than that, the whole thing could vanish into thin air, and I wouldn't mind too terribly.

It's a couples thing, really.

So, gentlemen, if you've got ladies in your life that you care about and want to make smile, order your flowers now. It'll save stress later, and you'll look a lot better if you're not bringing her cellophane wrapped grocery-store flowers.

Oh, and if my opinion matters at all... skip the roses. Everyone in the world gives or gets roses. Be different, get her daisies, lillies, buttercups or bluebells. Anything but roses.

I would much rather be amythysts and wildflowers to a special person than diamonds and roses.

If you feel you must give her roses, go unusual. Peach, lavender, fire and ice. If you know her favorite color, ask the flower shop to find roses in that color... they can usually do it.

If nothing else, go into the flower shop, and ask to see what they have available. Look for something that reminds you of her, and ask them to make an arrangement.

If you just can't make it into the flower shop, break out the credit card, go to FTD or 1-800 Flowers and pick something out online. These sites make it really easy to schedule the delivery, meaning you can get it taken care of now, while you're thinking about it, and not have to worry about it as the day approaches!

Trust me, fellas. She'll appreciate you giving her a dozen red roses. She'll love you for giving her an arrangement that you can honestly say made you think of her.

Post Secret

I'm altering the time on this one, to keep my Valentines Day Public Service Announcement at the top for another day... Gotta make sure the menfolk that only read me first thing in the morning get their reminder to order goodies for their loved ones, too.

I am addicted to this site.

It's not really a voyeuristic thing for me, although there is a bit of that. And it's not just the artistic way that some people convey their secrets.

To me, there is something deeply touching about so many people surrendering what may be their deepest, darkest secrets to a complete stranger, who then shares them with the world.

Perhaps sending in a secret is a freeing experience. Maybe the people who send their secrets to Frank feel a sense of relief, that they've finally told someone, even if he, or the people who read it thereafter, will never know who the secret belongs to.

I know that I've seen secrets that made me want to cry. I have seen postcards that bolstered my faith in humanity, and ones that have undercut it. Secrets that made me laugh, and some that in a very few words conveyed enormous meaning.

I dare you to read the Sunday Secrets for three weeks, and not find something that touches you on a level that most of the people around you don't even know about.

Maybe it's just a silly thing that one man in Maryland is making money off of (you can buy the books, and see Postsecrets that never made it on the site.)

But then again, maybe it's not. I think it's worthwhile.

Check it out, and judge for yourself.