Conference quark::mennotes-v1

    
    I haven't received flowers frequently, but I also think that's kind of
    nice.  It makes me sad that they die, so it's kind of an impermanent
    gift, if you know what I mean.  I've had SO's, men who are friends, and
    women who are friends give me flowers.
    
    I have given flowers frequently - a flower when he's down, or
    when he's accomplished something wonderful.  Heck, with the help of
    some of his friends in the dorm, I actually "broke into" (not
    violently, I had help) an SO's room and placed a flower in a snifter by
    his bed - he was VERY touched (and surprised) upon returning home to
    find it there!
    
    I give flowers more often in winter than in summer, and most likely
    roses to a loved one, or exotic wildflower bunches to friends.
    
    -Jody

    Flowers make nice presents because the recipient doesn't have to keep
    them very long whether s/he likes them or not, and - unlike other types
    of presents - doesn't have to eat them and pretend to like them, or try
    them on and pretend they fit, etc. Since they don't last, one can keep
    on giving them over and over again, and the recipient will never run
    out of room for them. They can cost a great deal of money or can be
    picked for nothing (if one can outrun the garden owner), so there are
    always flowers whose price is right. Oh yeah, and they're generally
    rather decorative, at least for a little while.
    
    As to how romantic they are, that's variable. Depends on who's giving,
    who's getting, and what kind of flowers they are. [I, for example,
    might really appreciate a bouquet of monkshood, or of Queen of the
    Night tulips (the black ones), whereas some people might find such
    things morbid. Bouquets of roses are often considered romantic, but
    bouquets of sunflowers rarely are - though I bet they'd be _impressive_
    as all get-out.]
    
    Side note: There's a "wine" ad on recently in which it suggests that
    their product is a much more suitable present than flowers. "Guy gives
    woman flowers. Flowers die. Woman looks at guy and thinks, 'Guy equals
    dead flowers.' Guy gives woman wine. Woman drinks wine. Woman looks at
    guy and thinks 'What lousy wine.'" No, really, I made up that last bit;
    in the ad, she thinks he's really wonderful. (Maybe the wine's got
    something, there.) Even the wine people respect flower power, though:
    "...and just in case, we put some flowers on the label."
    
    What the hey, go ahead and give people flowers. They're fun, scenic,
    and biodegradable. Go for it.
    
    -b

  	Flowers ! We bring them to sick people, we send them
	to dead people. We send them to lovers, we bring them
	to friends. 

	We receive them when we're sad, and we receive them
	when we are happy. 

	There is something special about flowers. I send them
	to special people. I could never send flowers as a 
	*token*, when a gift is expected because it's a 
	relatives birthday, etc. Each time I send flowers, there
	is a special feeling.

	I have been sending my Dad flowers for his birthday for
	years now. He is especially happy when he receives a
	dozen roses. As for my Mom, she is happier receiving
	perfumes and lacy hankys.

	I was at a party yesterday, and one of the women walked
	in with a small bouquet of daffodils for the host. It was
	a lovely gesture.

	kits

	I like giving and receiving flowers.  Often times I'll bring 
	a potted flowering plant as a party gift for the host and hostess.

	But then again, I come from a 'flower family'.  My uncle has an
	interesting hobby involving airborn orchids- the kind that root
	to the sides of trees, way above ground level.  Orchids like these
	are frequently found in the cloud forests of central and south
	america.  In fact, my cousin had a late September wedding because
	that's when the most orchids would be in bloom.  Every table
	had a centerpiece arrangement of orchids, and we all wore an
	orchid corsage.

	So, yea, I'm partial to flowers, both giving and receiving.

	Mark

                     
    
      There are very few things that give me more joy than to see the
    the happiness the gift of flowers brings.  Whether it's to a relative
    for a holiday, a yellow rose to a friend or a bouquet of flowers for
    that special someone.  It's a tradition of thoughfulness that hopefully
    will live on for eternity. 
    
      I also remember giving flowers to this one woman during a brief 
    relationship.  She bluntly threw them in the back seat and said thanks. 
    We'll after that, the relationship slowly died.  I'll never forget that and
    since then I never gave any flowers to anyone special, except perhaps a
    relative. But, perhaps in the not so distant future I may start again. 
   
      With regards to getting flowers from a woman.  I would feel a little
    (well, maybe a lot) awkward about it.  This may sound bias, but I'm
    more of the conservatine or old fashoined "men give the flowers and pay
    the bill type."  I would except them as politely ad thoughtfully as
    possible though, and use them as a decoration for my apartment for a little
    while, providing she included a vase of course.  But, I would prefer a
    nice bottle of wine instead.
    
     This note got me into a flower sending mode (or mood).
    
   
                                      Carl
    
     

    I love sending and receiving flowers. My husband often comes home 
    with flowers for me and it always makes me feel very special.
    
    I have also sent flowers to my husband. Why should women 'moan' about
    men who never send them flowers, or class them as unromantic, when a
    lot of women would never even think about sending a man flowers. (I
    realise that is a very sweeping statement !)
    
    The first time I sent my husband flowers (before we married) they were
    delivered to the office where he works. He was so embarrassed he left
    them behind the reception desk all day and did not tell anyone he had
    received them.
    Since then I have send them on a couple of other occasions and the last
    time - his 30th Birthday. I sent him roses and he proudly displayed
    them around the whole office.
    
    What suprised him was the amount of women in his office who said they
    thought it was a lovely for me to send him flowers but they said they
    would never have thought of sending their SO flowers.
    Then, on the other hand, all the men laughed at it, but secretly told
    him that they would be really touched if their SO sent flowers.
    
    WARNING: Very general statement ahead :
    
    Why is that most people automatically think it is a woman who should be
    sent/receive flowers ?
    Everyone appreciates their beauty so why shouldn't everyone be treated
    to it once in a while !
    
    Fran.
    

    
     reply to .6,
    
      It has long been the norm for the men to be the one who send the
    flowers as was it the norm for men to be the one to ask the woman
    for a date.  It was kind of embedded in our culture, what we saw on
    t.v. (did you ever see a show where a man received flowers) and
    a way of life past down from many generations and many continents.
    Perhaps, due to our ever changing society this will slowly come to
    change, such as woman also doing the asking with respect to dates.
    
      IMHO,
    
    
      Carl
    

    Actually, the traditional counterpart to a man giving a woman a corsage
    or bouquet would be the woman giving a single flower to a man - most
    recently, to put in his buttonhole. [This, in turn, is descended from
    centuries of tradition involving a woman giving a man a sign of her
    favor, be it a scarf to tie to his lance before going into battle, or a
    key to her apartment. ;-) ]
    
    A form of flower-sending that seems to be non-gender-specific is the
    get-well (or, if that fails, funeral) bouquet. The former, aided and
    abetted by the florist industry, serves the purpose of giving a gift
    that requires no action from the recipient - useful when the recipient
    isn't feeling well; the latter is more of the form of an offering, with
    lots of "all flesh is grass" symbolism. (This is quite a departure from
    romantic floral offerings, though, so perhaps I'd better stop.)
    
    -b

    
>    Why is that most people automatically think it is a woman who should be
>    sent/receive flowers ?

     I for one would like to see women as well as men doing such things. This
     would, I feel, help break down the communication problems men and women 
     seem to have. The idea that men should do one thing and women another only
     helps keep the stereotypes alive. Love also needs to be shared equally.
    

	<---- .9 ::COOK


	i like some of the stereotypes, and some should be kept
	alive.

	

    I love flowers.  My partner has on rare occasions given me flowers. 
    I'd love to give him flowers, but he said to never do that.  He feels
    it to be very unmanly for a man to receive flowers.  So, I don't want
    to push it.  Instead, I give him balloons.  He's very O.K. with that. 
    And for those times when I want flowers, I pick some up at the grocery
    store.  Or grow some around the house.
    
    I think he may gradually accept the idea that flowers are indeed for
    everybody.
    
    cindy

    I dunno, I like flowers, and I wouldn't be at all upset at receiving
    them from someone I care about.  My wife knows this, and she does
    occasinoally surprise me with a small bouquet.
    
    -dick

 >	i like some of the stereotypes, and some should be kept
	alive.

        Different stroks for different fokes.  All I'm saying is that love 
        should not be limited. 	

	>> i like some of the stereotypes, and some should be kept
	>> alive.

	Agreed.  Vive la difference.


	Di
	

    I give flowers and plants to relatives, friends, co-workers.
    
    To my husband I order fruit baskets and attach one red rose.
    
    He knows I don't care to receive flowers, so he gets me TREES!
    The first time he ever came bopping through the door with a tree
    it was the cutest thing.  Now, when we have company they (the trees)
    are a conversation piece.  "Gee, I like that tree.  Where'd you get
    it?"  Then comes the splurl on where and why he bought it for me.
    We had 5 trees in the house, now we're down to 3.  
    
    Trees are beautiful and everchanging...if only they could be designed
    to have leaves that don't fall off.
    
    Sincerely,
    
    Brenda

    re .15
    
>    Trees are beautiful and everchanging...if only they could be designed
>    to have leaves that don't fall off.
    
    Australian trees are perennials.

    
    
    I find that a single rose from one of those corner verdors or from
    7-11, "just for the heck of it", can work wonders for lighting up a 
    relationship.
    
    
    
    	A hot-oil massage doesn't hurt either ;^)
    
    Ah the wonders of the microwave.
    fred();

    
    	so... are you *attached* yet, ::HADDOCK???

    Oil doesn't heat up in a micro-wave.  Strawberry flavoured "Love Lube"
    on the other hand...
    
    Or so someone told me.

     re ::DENISE  yea ;^)
    
    re::hatashita  The "hand lotion" types will heat up real good.
    20-30 sec max.  If no microwave handy fill bathroom sink with hot
    water, toss in bottle of lotion and let set 10 min.
    
    fred();

>    Why is that most people automatically think it is a woman who should be
>    sent/receive flowers ?
    
    I usually think the other way, but that's because I almost never buy
    flowers (and never for myself) but I've had inamorate who would buy
    them all the time. 
    
    Yeah, how despicably unromantic of me.  I just don't go crazy for
    flowers, especially the big gaudy ones.  Wildflowers are kind of neat. 
    
    Since moving to California, where the big gaudy ones grow wild, I've
    relaxed my stringent standards a bit.  I can even deal with calla
    lilies now.
    
    Ray

    They used to pour hot oil onto attacking enemy soldiers.  Back then
    they had no strawberry flavoured "Love Lube".

    re -1
    
    Not THAT hot...and your right...no strawberry flavoring then.
    
    fred

    re:.19
    
    Oils heat rapidly in a microwave.

    
    	but that's half the fun, Z!
    	then you can kiss da boo boo.... ;-)
    
    	big, fat, blistering, festering, pustulous boo boo.

    Re: .22
    
    Boiling oil, as in Ali Baba.  Also, when they could get it, molten
    lead for that done-to-a-crisp look...

    
    	it's said that the taste of human flesh is very similar to
    	that of pork.
    
    	so after the molten lead it'll be like eating pork rinds 
    	with a twist.

    
    re .26 
    
    However, pouring molten lead on you partner does little to enhance
    a relationship.  Would likely cause a lot of activity, but not
    the kind that you intended.  ;^)
    
    fred();

>    Oils heat rapidly in a microwave.

yeah, what he said.

DougO

    :^)  Memories of a discussion since past ... :^)

    Not to doubt you guys, but last night I tried to heat olive oil in the
    microwave and it didn't heat up.  I put garlic in the oil and the
    water in the garlic heated up, which heated up the oil.  But oil by
    itslef doesn't work.  Maybe only oil used for non-cullinary purposes
    heats up in microwaves.
    
    For the wondering weirdos out there - No, I was not with a woman who
    wanted it Italian style.  :-)
    

quel bizarre.  Maybe Michael could educate you on the potentially reversible
quantum effects of microwave radiation...;-).  (a reference to another topic
a long time ago in a place far far away.)  Always works for me...

DougO

    You never did get around to disputing the Scientific American
    article that contradicted you, did ya?
    
    That's a shame ... let's start it back up in Soapbox, shall we?