February in the Midwest is kind of schizophrenic. There has been a blizzard, bitter cold days with lots of sun and blue skies and a couple of days in the 50’s. Like most people here, I bundle up and wait for spring. But sometimes spring has to be helped along.

I was in the grocery store yesterday buying baking potatoes. Nothing exotic, just your basic russets. This particular store really understands marketing. Just inside one entrance is a Starbucks. The smell of coffee brewing slaps you in the face as soon as you come in the door. It’s rare that I buy any but I do stand there and inhale deeply. Kind of like a cheap feel, if you get my meaning. At the other entrance, the floral department is cheek to jowl with the produce section. Usually, I can ignore the overpriced bouquets of artificially colored daisies and sad-looking roses, but yesterday was different.

As I was single mindedly heading for the pile of spuds, something yellow caught my eye. It couldn’t be, I thought. Way too early in the season, I argued with myself. But there they were. Daffodils as bright as the sun, beckoning to me. Next to tulips, daffodils are my very favorite spring flowers. The next thing I knew, there were two bunches of them in my hand. I don’t even remember picking them up. I quickly put the dripping flowers in the plastic sleeves hanging nearby. I’ve always considered them flower condoms. But I digress. Hugging them to my chest, I grabbed two potatoes and ran for the checkout line. This may seem fairly dramatic for store bought blossoms. Perhaps it is. Today it’s rainy and cold. A typical February day.  But due to a clever marketing ploy, I have a touch of spring brightening a corner of my living room.