A Rose is a Rose on Boxing Day

December 26th, London patio [shot with my computer]

Trying to kill two subjects with one entry -- first, please note that roses continue to bloom here in jolly old England, even on the day after Christmas. Sure it gets down to 32 degrees F [0 C], but a hard freeze is rare. You know all those plants you carefully cultivate indoors, because they're too fragile to withstand a typical US winter? They're all over the place as hedges and decorative foliage in London, bright green and growing year round in the quaint outdoors. 


Second, the day after Christmas is Boxing Day in London, when the rich families used to box up food for the poor or everybody put out their gift boxes for pick up -- depending on who tells you the backstory. Does it matter? No. What matters is that in merry old England, Boxing Day is yet another holiday, so there are more PARTIES to attend and food to eat. Count me in. Even better, this year, because December 26th falls on a Saturday, Monday will also be a holiday. Oddly, since I'm from a country where stores pride themselves on staying open 24/7 from Labor Day until EVERYBODY BUYS SOMETHING, I find it unusual that lots of the London shopkeepers shut their stores on Christmas Eve and stay that way until well after January starts. When it comes to taking vacations or having a post-holiday sale, the Brits seem to opt for time off. 


Tomorrow, I'll bring you excerpts from The Daily Mail.